All of the top practices in medicine have solid, effective practice management that allows them to function efficiently and successfully. This is true across the board—big or small, city or country, it really doesn’t matter. Your office certainly can function with poor practice management, but it runs far more chaotically than it could. But if you’re one of the thousands of doctors who struggle with practice management, you already know that.
As I tell many doctors, you’re definitely not alone in this problem. This just isn’t something you’re taught before you’re thrust into it. Still, recognizing the practice management issues you have can help you address them and get your office on track for success. In the first two blogs of this series, we covered a couple very common issues: accountability and establishing clear objectives. I’d like to conclude this short series with one more common management challenge: career development.
Helping Your Employees Helps You
How often do you give your staff opportunities to learn more, get better at their jobs, and invest in the success of your practice? This is typically a neglected area. Many doctors don’t realize how important this is. And yet, if you want motivated staff that stay accountable, meet their objectives, and contribute to reaching all of your office’s goals, it’s vital.
Contrary to what many people believe, money is not the greatest motivating factor for your employees. They need it, of course, and they need to be paid enough that they aren’t worried about finances. To have quality, motivated staff, however, you need to help provide them with purpose and mastery.
It’s this last thing—mastery of their job—that needs career development. Don’t take this for granted. People want to be more than just average at what they do. They want to get better. They also want to learn and feel like they are advancing their careers. When you care about their development and encourage it, you send them a powerful message that they matter and help engage them in your practice.
Doctors, set aside regular time for employee training to not only make sure your staff can fulfill their positions, but also to develop their skills and let them learn new things. The more you engage your staff in their careers, the more they’ll feel like they can commit to your office—which ultimately helps its management in the long run.
Now, this issue and the others I discussed in the previous blogs of this series are just a small look at a handful of the management issues facing doctors. There are many more ways you can improve the way your practice functions so that it runs more efficiently and causes less stress while boosting your bottom line. At Top Practices, we have a whole program dedicated to practice management and turning what we talk about into a reality for you. If you’d like to see a real difference in your office, check out the Practice Management Institute today. You can e-mail us for more information at [email protected] or call us at (717) 725-2679.