Winning with Your Team II
Winning with Your Team II
Winning with Your Team II
"Have you spoken with her about these issues?" I queried upon the Dr's concerns about his office manager's performance.
The client's face showed at first surprise and then consternation and then embarrassment in less than a second. It had become apparent that fast.
He hastened to agree. "That makes sense. I had thought she must know that things weren't as I wanted them. After all, she has been with me for years. And you are right, I should speak to her to get her side of the story," he finished, fully aware of his momentary blindness to the obvious.
This office manager situation is too common. The Dr thinks that the staff member must know that the situation isn't good. The reality is that usually others are not aware or not fully aware of a situation even if it seems obvious to you.
What should be the breakdown of this conversation with any team member when performance is off?
I suggest the following.
Define what performance you want. Be specific. Name the actions, attitudes, behaviors and results you desire out of a particular job.
Review the performance of the team member is light of your list. Does she have this list, too? Has she been trained to perform well in her job? What have been her results? What would you like them to be? How large is the gap? Make a list of things she is doing well, that are getting results. Make a list of the "not doing well."
Consider past performance prior to the current situation. Has she been a good performer in the past or has the performance never been up to snuff?
Consider the qualitative performance. What seems to be her intentions? Does she contribute where possible? Does she help others out when they need it?
Is her help for others causing her to be neglectful of her work? This can occur far more often than you may realize. This may require some investigation and your personal observation.
Has the team member had a change personally? Family, finances and health of a parent or sibling, etc. can be drains on the energy and initiative of many a formerly good performer.
When was the last time you had a review of performance and personal growth of this staff member? Sometimes our very best people get neglected in the fast pace of practice activity. Team members need suggestions and guidance. They need to grow as you do. Most know this, some do not. The reality is that pay comes from getting results. If anyone wants increased pay, the money for it must come from the increases in results, wouldn't you agree.
Gather the information you do have, particularly hard facts and evidence of performance. Schedule a time to meet when you are not rushed and pressured.
Begin with easy chit-chat. Rapport is a necessary component of this review to get to the heart of the matter. Realize that most of the time, the issues here are going to have emotional content. Sometimes a lot of emotional content bereft of any rational explanation. Generally it is a mix. Expect it.
10. Ask her for her views and concerns about her work and her performance. Do a lot of asking here. You need to get her viewpoints thoroughly. Put on you proactive listening ears. Write down her answers. Continue to keep rapport in place.
Share your concerns over her performance. Reflect on past performance success and your present concerns. Ask her for her feedback. Your intention to come to a mutually agreeable solution is key. If you "attack" her, expect defensiveness and justifications. Keep this conversation friendly and purposeful.
12. Set expectations and agree together on the next steps for improvement. This can include further training. She very well may need some one on one time with you to answer specific issues, problems. Set a timeline for implementation. Schedule enough time to implement and get required training. Be liberal with the time.
13. You should see a "bump" in performance right away. An attitude improvement should show itself. If these do not present, look out. She is looking for another job somewhere else or just doesn't really care. Should this occur, replace her.
14. If she is working toward rectifying the performance issues, continue to work with her. If not, she may not have the capacity, talent or intention to adhere to what you want. Replace her.
Meet again. Hopefully, she has improved and is flying right. Review the successes and set new targets and goals for further development and performance enhancement.
Your team needs you. You need them. They will never care about your practice as much as you do (unless the spouse works in the practice.) You are wise to understand this and to not expect what you can't get. Oh, they do care, but in a different way than you.
I expect that you have picked up on the need for regularly scheduled performance review meetings. Most Drs dread them because they are only salary review meetings without reality of the real situations and requirements for performance. This does require that you make a mental switch about what these performance reviews are really about. These reviews are about the practice winning and the individual team member winning, too. Whenever those get out of kilter, there will be consequences.
When you fail to put responsibility where it belongs with a team member, you pay the price. All unsolved personnel problems will eventually find a way to cause you pain financially or emotionally or both. Failing to act when you know you should not only puts you but also your entire team in jeopardy. Isn't it smart to do what you know needs to be done?
Few staff realize your side of the equation. The only way they can know is from performance reviews and reality checks. The good news is that most high performing team members respond very positively to these conferences. These conferences accelerate their performance. The less able will not like them as well. Often, these poor performers will relieve themselves of duty and seek a different job. Either way you winif you act.
Best,
Charley
Copyright 2010 Charles W Martin
BP Oil Spill Disaster-What Will Happen Now? Dates For The ACT - Understanding Their Importance Gerber 01471 Suspension Butterfly Opening Multi-Plier, with Sheath best selling SAP For All Sectors Doza Shaping Sets Funny Sticker Lightens Your Mood! Finding Ancestors' Birth Records The Many Varieties of Purses Backyard Gas grills MTTC Test Prep Rewards That Guarantee Your Success! 9L0-008 Success Rate Bluejacking: an Unsolicited Act Last Longer In Bed Naturally