HEALTH & LIFE’S BEST PRACTICE NEWS ALERT Current circulation:
6918
DATE: ISSUE NO:
13 September 2005 114
Welcome to Health & Life’s free email newsletter service. Tell a friend that we would be happy to add their email address to the distribution list. This service is to provide Health and Life’s clients and those who attended our presentations with up to date information on key financial and practice management issues that may affect your practice. Please do not use this as a substitute to seeking professional advice. Writer in charge: Mr David Dahm CPA, BA Acc, FTIA, ASIA, FAAPM
How To Get Rid of Backstabbing and Practice Politics (Making tough decisions in times of change)
Show Leadership People are quick to can size up a culture quickly. If they determine can see there is a a benefit toin undermining someone’s credibility, a number of people will do it. So there is strong head for leadership. That is why strong leadership is needed in any practice.
What do you do? The Insider’s rule book says “Keep your head down and the boss happy” It does not say anything about learning how your practice works as a practice. Open Book Management 1. Show your Familiarise your staff with the Practice’s financial and operational information. Teach them how to use it. 2. Make sure everyone knows what your key competitors are up to and how your practice compares with them. This subtly reinforces the idea that the enemy is “’out there, not in here”’. 3. Give staff a clear idea of how the practice has got into its situationthe position it has by highlighting . Bring up “’lessons learned”’, i.e. the things that have contributed to failure. Also , and highlight the fact that while some components areas of the practice need substantial change, others are functioning well. gGive examples examples such as – “all reception phone calls have been answered within 3 rings”. Practice mManagers or management (the principlesPrincipals) should take responsibility for failures however but at the same time they should also report on how plans to fix the problem are progressing. Clearly communicate lay out the any
necessary cuts or restructuring, framing the sacrifices in terms of how they will help ensure the continued success of the practice to be successful in the future. Fair Process Strong evidence suggests practice staff are supportive of change and consider tough decision asto be fair. Keep staff regularly informed of progress. One way of doing this is to use the Practice’s internal email system to provide brief updates. Continue to seek their input. Ensure you consistently apply the decision criteria to individuals and time periods. Communicate decisions in a timely manner and create the perception that decisions are being made based on facts and sound reasoning. At the end of the day this process will: 1. Reduce negative political behavior 2. Encourage staff to embrace change 3.Allow management to spend more time managing the changes that need to be implemented rather than in satisfying the political interests and needs of individuals which can compromise the future collective interest of the practice.
Formatted: Bullets and Numbering