BUSINESS

  PERSONNEL POINTERS

ESTABLISHING ROLE CLARITY

STAFF ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

I AM convinced that a key obstacle of individual, team and organizational success is a lack of role clarity. I am not talking about job descriptions. A job description does not necessarily bring clarity to the role, as it is often just a long list of tasks and responsibilities.

What I’m talking about are key performance indicators (KPIs), or metrics used to measure performance. Adding KPIs to a job description allows staff to fully understand “the win.” Employees are better equipped, motivated and accountable when their role is defined by measurable outcomes.

Here, I provide the benefits of utilizing KPIs and how to create them for your staff.

1 KPIs SET EXPECTATIONS

Not only do KPIs help to define a job description, they set clear expectations for each specific role, which benefits both the employer and the employee. Also, KPIs give staff members goals to work toward — both individually and as a team — which help to keep them engaged and motivated.

Keep in mind, communication with staff is critical to success. Ask these questions to determine whether you have made clear expectations of your employees:

• Am I doing all within my power to ensure the communication of expectations is clear?

• Do my team members understand that they are being held accountable to specific KPIs?

• Do they understand how their individual KPIs are tied to the overall business goals?

• Do we have a process in place to review roles and responsibilities on a quarterly basis?

2 THEY ENHANCE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

KPIs make measuring performance a breeze, which is helpful come review time. When documenting KPIs, consider what the job must accomplish along with your expectation of success. Establish a rating system, and clearly communicate to staff what it takes to:

• Be in the game (rating of 2)

• Hit a home run (rating of 3)

• Hit a grand slam (rating of 4)

For example, let’s say a KPI for an optician is to maintain a certain percentage (65%) of AR sales.

<65% = rating of 1

65% = rating of 2

70% = rating of 3

80% = rating of 4

AR sales below the expectation of 65% gets a rating of 1. This means that the employee did not meet expectations and, therefore, is not eligible for a pay raise or bonus.

Measuring success can also help identify strengths and weaknesses of both staff and office protocols. For example, if one optician scores a 1 on AR sales, he or she may require additional training; if all opticians score a 1, it may be time to evaluate your protocols for presenting AR to patients.

THE RIGHT DIRECTION

If you want to create a more profitable practice with a more motivated staff, setting KPIs is the first step toward future success. OM

REBECCA L. JOHNSON C.P.O.T., C.O.T., C.O.E., is the founder and president of Eyetrain4you and the executive director of business services for GPN. Email her at Rebecca@GatewayPN.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.