Thursday, December 22, 2011
John A. Hovanesian, MD, FACS
Eye care professionals tend to be a very satisfied
bunch, rating our happiness with our career among the highest of all
professions. Why? Partly because we get constant positive feedback from our
patients on how we genuinely benefit their lives. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing
patients with newly clear vision?
But what about our staff? They often bear the brunt of
grumpy patients’ unhappy remarks when they wait too long, have to pay our
fees or can’t get the appointment they want. Our staff, though, is vitally
important to our success. If you have a thriving practice, don’t take all
the credit yourself, doctor. You owe a lot to an effective group of employees.
How should you best reward their good behavior? Studies
show that holiday bonuses and pay raises can work as incentives, but their
benefits are temporary at best. Yearly bonuses become an entitlement and have
little effect on employee behavior. Most management experts agree that
heartfelt praise is the best way to bring out desired behaviors. More
importantly, at the holidays it’s a priceless gift that means more than a
check or just another gift basket from a “big box” store.
Experts say that genuinely expressed appreciation, often
in the presence of other employees, is best. Ideally, it should recognize a
specific positive employee action or behavior. Praise should come regularly,
though maybe not too predictably for it to have the most impact. Finally, be
careful to distribute praise fairly. Playing favorites can have a divisive
effect on your staff. And no matter what your reasoning is for having favorites
among your team, try not to show it.
It is said that a doctor should give 10 compliments a
day (perhaps more) to fully recognize the hard work of his or her staff. If
you’re not already in the habit of doing this, the holidays are a perfect
time to start.
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