Most health care managers spend a good portion of their day
dealing with patients both directly and indirectly. If
there's one thing I've noticed it's the comfort that
consistency brings to their medical experience. By that I
don't just mean having a doctor they can trust, but also
nurses and office staff they know and can depend upon.
I was reminded of this as I read a recent Medical Group
Management Association article about rewarding a good staff
as a means of keeping them in your employment:
''One way leaders minimize turnover is by rewarding
employees for helping the practice succeed. The clinic also
gives staff members a voice in the practice's
operations...Employees can have a direct effect on practice
operations in several ways. Because they serve as liaisons
between patients and clinic leaders, employees use a
feedback box to capture comments they hear from patients.
Those submissions are reviewed monthly at staff meetings so
all employees and providers are aware of issues and can
help provide solutions."
Of course, this requires that everyone put their egos aside
for the benefit of the overall practice, and in places
where there is an established hierarchy it can be difficult
to share information so freely. However, giving every
employee a voice and rewarding their effort increases their
commitment to the work they do, and patients intuitively
know when the people who care for them are truly involved.
At our office, we offer year-end bonuses and increased
vacation time for ideas that save money and time. In a
small work environment where advancement opportunities are
limited, it is our way of keeping people in the fold. It
helps make it a place that I look forward to going into
every morning, and props up morale.
I'm lucky. The office I manage is able to pay a competitive
wage, which is invaluable in both attracting and keeping a
high quality staff. However, it's been my experience that
while a satisfactory paycheck is vital, it's not the only
way to keep office morale high.
One of the main things I do is recognize achievement. When
someone does something noteworthy or makes a valuable
suggestion, I make note of it and during the next office
meeting, I take the time to mention publicly just how
grateful I am to that particular person. Praise, when
legitimately given, is a terrific way to make an employee
strive for excellence.
I also will send out the occasional complimentary email for
the whole office to read, or even something as personal as
a post-it on someone's computer. I'm careful not to go
overboard or say too much, but I've found that people
really appreciate the fact that their deed was remembered.
Granted, we're all professionals, and should routinely be
doing outstanding work, but that doesn't mean we don't like
getting complimented for it on occasion.
Another thing I do with everyone in the office is plan
small events like a dinner out together or even something
informal like a bowling party. Nothing reinforces the sense
of working in unison like bonding outside of the workplace.
It also helps break down the barrier between doctors and
office staff, keeping everyone approachable and on good
working terms.
Sometimes I jokingly refer to our office as a lifeboat. We
sink or swim together. It isn't necessary that we like or
care about everybody on board, but it sure does help.
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