This past weekend, at an incredible Blueprint Day with a truly amazing Doctor and his “right arm” Practice Champion, we had a dynamic break through.
They had been working together for 10 years building a successful million dollar plus practice in rural Texas, now they were ready to elevate their performance and set out to double the practice as quickly as possible without increasing overhead at all.
Of course, this is why many people come to visit me. I have to tell you though, these two, they are special, and I have no doubt that they will achieve their goals much faster than any of them realize or believe at this point in time.
Here’s the thing, they said we have a great team, but the people aren’t really working up to their potential. They can do better, they want to do better, they just aren’t sure how to help them be their best.
While there were several breakthroughs, two of the biggest ones were a simple switching of two people. Literally swapping them from one position to another with responsibilities that were more in alignment with what they saw themselves doing at this point in their careers.
They will see an immediate result from this change and they did it without hiring or firing anyone else; just helping people be in the position that best suits their strengths and interests (which by the way might change over time and that is okay).
One of the big problems I see is practices with people who have been there too long doing the same thing, is they have become complacent and uninspired; not because they want to but because they are human where routines and habits set in and that’s no good.
The other is the opposite of this where you have a team of people that you just can’t keep stable and solid as you have high turnover. You know I don’t care who you are, you can’t build a successful practice without a stable team.
The biggest reason why this happens is because there is a lack of defined roles, leadership and giving people an opportunity to grow.
Some people, not all but some, will want to enhance their skills and grow their responsibilities. Of course you prefer to have all of these people on your team. However, it is okay to have a team of all different kinds of people as long as you help the ambitious ones have a path for the future. You need to give them challenges and motivate them to keep being better, then you can keep all-stars a long time.
I could carry on about the dynamic team changes and leadership structure we accomplished in this one day with my new friends but this story, for me, is a recurring theme. I’m so fortunate to work with amazing practices and people who make them run. Like a magnet, our philosophies attract and I fill my life up with these people because of what we believe in and our approach.
If everyone on your team isn’t performing up to their standard, instead of just looking at them, you ought to look at the overall structure you have for empowerment and for cultivating the best out of those around you.
Environment can’t be ignored. You get more of what you accept and you attract what you allow. If you are unhappy with any part of your personnel or if any team member reading this finds negativity within the office dynamic, it will be impossible to keep even high performers doing their best because the environment will sabotage the success of those who are in it.
Remember this, if you want happy patients you have to have happy team members. Happiness is not letting people do whatever they want, it is providing and enforcing a culture of growth and development. You should be looking seriously at each person’s attitude and interests to see that they are motivated to not only do well but to do their best in their position. If they are not, then there is no denying that it is just a matter of time before they ruin others or leave you searching. Be proactive with your team and you’ll prevent a whole lot of unnecessary work and troubles along the way.
Teams…well, let’s just say it is a journey, never a destination, to keeping the environment and those in it performing at their highest levels.
