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Create a Staff Playbook

How exposing your weaknesses can strengthen your business

JAY BINKOWITZ

Do you know of any sports teams that operate without a playbook or strategy? Would you toss your child into the deep end of the pool without any swimming lessons? Of course not! And you shouldn’t treat your team any differently.

The confidence your staff exudes when answering a question from experience is imprinted on your patients. And that confidence comes from consistent training.

In order to ensure the right experience is being delivered to your patients, you must have a documented playbook to coach your team to success. Here are some tips to help create and use your playbook to ensure a winning strategy.

1 Define roles and expectations

Provide each member of your team with role clarity and specific goals. This leads to the success we have in providing patient care and eyewear needs.

First, create a solid foundation for your playbook by asking the head of each department to write a playbook for his or her staff. It should be very detailed and include a road map of what needs to be done by each team member every day, including all job responsibilities. Essentially, the playbook should act as both a training manual and as a guide for staff, so it should answer the “how to,” “when to” and “why” of each staff role. For example, the front desk staff section should include a script for answering the phones. Any newbie should be able to use this playbook, so the more specific, the better.

Once each department head has contributed his or her vast knowledge and experience, input your own expectations and needs so as to ensure alignment toward and support of your goals. You should also include a section outlining the products and services you provide.

Keep in mind, your playbook should be continually updated as needed. When new products or services are refined or added to your “menu” is a good example.

2 Coach staff

Hold routine training sessions, or dedicate time during recurring staff meetings to brush up on skills. Here are a few sample exercises:

► Ask your team to present a patient complaint and a solution. For example, if a patient complains about a long waiting time, one solution would be to adjust appointment times or the number of appointments per hour.

► Ask them to present a skill or learning outcome they would like, such as certified paraoptometric or billing and coding training.

► Ask staff to present an obstacle they have and what they need to do to overcome it. For example, if an employee has difficulty using equipment, he or she could undergo additional training.

► Role play. Make sure each team member experiences another person’s role. This is not about cross training; it’s about understanding and appreciation. It’s important for each employee to know how his or her part fits into the overall process.

In addition to your team sharpening its skills, these exercises will help identify holes in your playbook and curb future staff training programs.

Ready, set, go!

The success of your business depends on the time and effort dedicated to your team. Your patients will be blown away, and your team will be prepared to support great customer service. OM

MR. BINKOWITZ IS THE PRESIDENT OF GPN, AN OPTOMETRIC CONSULTING COMPANY BASED IN HUNTINGTON, N.Y. HE HAS HAD EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN RETAIL OPERATIONS, MERCHANDISING AND MARKETING. E-MAIL HIM AT JAY.GPN@GMAIL.COM, OR VISIT TINYURL.COM/OMCOMMENT TO COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE.