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"The Hart Beat"
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| Quotes of the Month
Leadership
"A leader takes more than her share of the blame when things go wrong and less than her share of the credit when things go right."
Author Unknown
 "As officers, you will neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor smoke, nor even sit down until you have personally seen that your men have done those things. If you will do this for them, they will follow you to the end of the world."
Field Marshal Viscount Slim of Burma |
Doctor, Boss or Leader?
"We are not going to make the goal", said the disappointed front desk assistant to another team member. "We'll probably end up with about 242 patient visits for the week." This conversation took place on a Friday afternoon in the practice of Dr. Bill Smith (names have been changed) of Houston, Texas. Dr. Smith had a bonus system in place that paid $200 to each team member when the patient volume reached a new record level. The current record was 250 and the team had hoped to hit a new mark that week. As Dr. Smith overheard the comment, he thought that it would be a shame if they didn't exceed the record. They had worked hard, and earlier in the day it had looked as if they would make it, but a few cancellations and no-shows had shot them down. Thinking that there must be a way to achieve the bonus, he waited until the front desk person was alone and quietly asked her if she thought that they could get to 250 if they both came in for a few hours on Saturday morning. Her eyes brightened and she said that she thought there was a pretty good chance. They decided to keep it between themselves so as not to disappoint the other team members if they didn't succeed; and the front desk assistant began to make some calls. The next morning they saw 11 patient visits and set a new record. On Monday morning each member of his team had a $200 check waiting in their in-box.
 For me, Dr. Smith's actions define leadership. It would have been much easier, and less expensive, for him to have let the good week stand at just under 250 patients. Instead, he recognized the positive contribution of his team and "went the extra mile" to help them achieve their bonus. Can you imagine how happy his team members were with him? Do you think that his example would motivate them to work harder?
We can all improve our leadership skills and I suggest that you begin by thinking of yourself as a leader and not as a boss. Below I have outlined several components of good leadership gleamed from a multitude of books and websites. Leadership, like any other skill, takes dedication and practice. Apply the following principles and stand back - your practice will explode.
� A leader knows where he is headed. A good mission statement and goals help the leader communicate where he wants to go and then he leads the charge to get there.
� A leader doesn't have all of the answers and, more importantly, knows she doesn't have all of the answers. Leaders use the knowledge and strength of their team to help achieve their goals. If a leader makes a mistake, she admits the mistake and moves on.
� A leaders leads by example and sets the tone of the team. The team respects the leader who is pulling from the front, rather than pushing from the back.
� A leader celebrates the differences inherent in a team and understands that all people have both strengths and weaknesses.
� A leader shares and sometimes even shuns the spotlight. Team members deserve respect and praise. A leader shines the spotlight on others.
� A leader recognizes leadership as a responsibility, rather than rank or privilege.
� A leader is not necessarily charismatic; good leadership is often mundane and boring. A leader is defined by performance.
� A leader listens to all opinions and suggestions.
� A leader earns the respect and trust of the team. Effective leadership is based on being consistent and fair.
� A leader understands people and leads by inspiring and motivating the team toward a common purpose.
Leaders are followed, bosses are resented - be a leader, not a boss. |
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Rob's Corner
Staff vs. Team
A few years ago, I was taught a valuable lesson by one of my clients. (As an aside, I might add that one of the best aspects of being a consultant is that I often learn great things from my clients and then get to pass that knowledge on to others.) In this case, it was a simple lesson, but rather profound. It was a Wednesday morning and I was speaking with him about his employees and kept referring to them as his "staff". He let it slide a couple of times, but then stopped me and told me that they were not his staff; they were members of his team. At the time, I thought it was a minor point and I told him so. His explanation to me of why he insisted on calling them team members, instead of staff, has changed the way that I refer to employees from that point on.
 He explained that he could not be successful without his team and that if they didn't care as much about the patient as he did, then the patient was not likely to have a good experience in his office. He reminded me that the pitcher on a baseball team may get most of the glory, but without the eight defensive teammates behind him, he would fail miserably. He said that by helping his employees to understand that they all had important positions to fill in the office, they were more likely to take pride in fulfilling their role, which ultimately leads to happier patients. In his office, instead of staff meetings, they have team meetings. Instead of job descriptions, they have team positions. Lest we get too wrapped up in the metaphor of the sports team, you should understand that he could call them staff instead and still get the same positive results. I have observed the way that he treats his team; I realize that it is not the title or label that makes the difference. He really thinks of them as team members, he treats them with the respect that you would treat another member of your team. It is his attitude as the leader towards his fellow team members that determines the perceived value of each individual person. I am certain that none of them ever forgets who signs their paychecks, but I also believe that they know that their contribution to the success of the practice is appreciated and valued.
Perhaps Paul "Bear" Bryant, the legendary coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide expressed it best:
"I'm just a plow hand from Arkansas, but I have learned how to hold a team together; how to lift some men up; how to calm down others; until finally they've got one heartbeat together - a team. There are just three things I'd ever say: If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you."
Good Luck,
Rob
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