Issue 15 - November 2004

Team Tips: Make your employees #1
By Susan Hoy

Certainly practice management has many important aspects, but one of the most important is managing your employees. In the words of Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airlines, “Employees are number one. The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers.”

Your staff can make a huge difference in the success of your practice. Creating a happy and satisfying work environment is challenging. Drawing upon my experience as a chiropractic staff member, I have several suggestions for creating enthusiastic and valuable employees:

• Value your staff. No one wants to make a career out of being unimportant. See your staff as practice specialists not receptionists. Give them the tools they need to be successful.

• Educate. An educated, experienced and enthusiastic team is mandatory for success. Education involves participation in outside seminars, daily training and practice. An uneducated team will lead to burnout.

• Empower and encourage. Once your staff members are educated and trained, allow them to do their jobs without interruption. Don’t disempower your team members by undermining their authority. Show them you trust them and empower them to become an extension of you. Let them do their jobs!

• Involve your staff. Allow your staff members to become involved with patient care. Make it a team effort to educate and encourage patients.

• Set an example. Lead by example. Don’t expect your team to do something you wouldn’t do.

• Be a leader. Share your goals and vision with your team. A great leader gives credit and accepts the blame. Acknowledge individuals for excellent work and extra effort. Set goals with your team not for your team.

• Be a team member. Understand that everyone is equal on a great team and you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Every team member, including the chiropractor, must accept responsibility for getting the job done.

• Be a team chiropractor. Take care of your staff members as if they were patients. A well-adjusted staff is a healthier, happier staff.

• Be consistent. Your team needs stability. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

• Communicate. Allow your team to communicate with you without fear of reprisal. Sensitive issues must be worked out with sensitivity. Insist on two-way communication.

• Appreciate your team. Say “thank you” as often as you can.

• Compensate your team. Being appreciated ranks higher than being well paid; however, a good team must share in the rewards.

Respect your team members for the job they do and they will respect you. Being a practice specialist is not an easy endeavor but it is incredibly rewarding.