subject: Medical Practice Management: How To Motivate Your Medical Staff [print this page] Medical Practice Management: How To Motivate Your Medical Staff
Motivating medical staff relies heavily on learning and developing good interpersonal skills. Your ability to interact with your medical team on an interpersonal level will determine how well you are able to motivate them to make your organization a success. Here are some tips you can follow:
Set good examples. Attitudes are contagious. If you are unmotivated then expect that your staff will be unmotivated as well. If you demonstrate enthusiasm, it will influence your staff.
Align goals of the facility with staff goals. Essential to motivating your staff is identifying what you want from them. These goals need to also relate to the overall goals of the organization. Organizational goal setting is usually done during strategic planning. Ensure that staff has strong input in identifying their goals and make sure that they understand how these are aligned with the organization.
Have individual meetings with medical staff members. Your staff will be motivated by your concern and attention to them. Get to know your staff, their likes, their career goals and their personal goals. Communication is important in establishing relationships and building trust. Discuss ways on how you can help them achieve their own goals while also achieving the goals of the organization.
Celebrate accomplishments. Set aside time to celebrate milestones and accomplishments as a team. This can include tangible rewards an intangible ones. The most important thing is to recognize a job well done.
Provide incentives. This does not always mean monetary. Incentives can include flex time, free tickets to events and gift certificates. Be creative and create an atmosphere where your staff doesn't know exactly what their reward will be until after reaching their goal.
Motivation is an ongoing process. Organizations are changing all of the time just as people do. Motivation is an ongoing process that creates an environment where staff are motivating themselves as well. Once you look at this as an ongoing process you will be better equipped to motivate yourself.
Listen to your staff. The most important factor in motivation is listening to your staff and letting them know how much you value their ideas and input.
