BUSINESS

  PERSONNEL POINTERS

‘IT’S NOT MY JOB’

ELIMINATE THIS ATTITUDE PROBLEM IN YOUR EMPLOYEES

TRUDI CHAREST, R.O.

EVERYDAY I converse with a practice owner who is disappointed in an employee. A very common cause is attitude. I am sure you have heard the “It’s not my job” complaint. Employee attitude problems can stem from a few areas: the individual, leadership or office culture. In almost every case I have observed, it has been a combination of all three. Let me explain in more detail.

RED FLAGS

An office I observed indicated it had a lot of internal conflict. As such, I watched for red flags to uncover the cause. In particular, I watched the employees about whom the practice owner was concerned.

First observation, there was no real plan to their day. They were waiting for direction and/ or patients to start their work day. They seemed on edge and agitated from ongoing conflict issues that were not dealt with. These issues affected the entire office.

Second observation, they seemed to hoard the few tasks they had, almost as if someone was going to steal the tasks. Teamwork and synergy were missing from this office.

Finally, the practice owner was uncomfortably aware there was an issue but ignored it. I see this all the time. When I talk with practice owners, they tell me the same thing: “I don’t know what to do!”

STRIVING FOR THE WIN

In sports, the goal is to win games. It is everyone’s job on the team to contribute. Players’ roles and responsibilities are different, but they have to work in unison. The coach’s role is to get the team to play well together, to increase understanding about each player’s role and to ensure the team works together. The coach not only provides direction, but he or she redirects, pushes, disciplines and — in some cases — terminates players who are not contributing to the team’s objectives. A good coach would not let players’ attitudes affect the game or the win. It is not always easy, but it is his or her job.

BEING A GOOD COACH

The solution starts with improving the culture. Here are five points to begin improvement:

1. Provide employees with a vision, not just a job description. For example, end each with, “You may and will be required to do tasks above and beyond this description on a daily basis.”

2. Give daily direction. Get out of your office and spend some time on the dispensary floor or in the front office to mentor and listen. Once staff members get used to it, this practice will become a welcomed, normal occurrence.

3. Have culture meetings. Talk about the objectives of the entire office. For example, the goal is to win over patients; to do so, work as a team to make each patient’s experience great.

4. Coach. Perform one-on-one coaching sessions. Give employees real feedback, and praise what they do well. Share your vision and goal for the office, and send staff away learning something new.

5. Celebrate. Teams that win celebrate. Having fun and feeling they have accomplished something will come back to your office tenfold, as staff will want to do it again. OM

MS. CHAREST is the Co-Founder of 4ECPs, a practice management resource company for eyecare professionals. 4ECPs has three divisions including Eyecare Jobs, Marketing & Training. Visit www.4ecps.com or email trudi@4ecps.com.