The body is programmed genetically to identify toxicities that need to be flushed from the body. If your body stores up too many toxic particles the results can be harmful–if not deadly. In leading an optometry office you must be able to identify toxic members of the team and flush the toxins out before they become deadly. Here are four signs that an optometric staff team member is toxic.
- Short fuse and never happy– Do you have a staff member who is unable to
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leave his or her worries at the back door? Does your staff member’s attitude bring others down? Is this person short-tempered? Is he or she unwilling to help patients out unless called upon? These type of individuals are characteristically negative people who struggle controlling their impulses and tend to cause others to scatter and hide.
- No follow through – Do you have a staff member who must constantly be reminded to take out the trash before leaving? Do you have a staff member who fails to documents procedures and results in a patient’s medical record? Maybe you have given this person a list of expectations, reviewed them weekly, and the staff member continues to fall short. Converting an undisciplined individual into a disciplined one is difficult, if not impossible.
- Seeks self interests– As an optometrist, you may wonder why patients do not stick with your office for the long term. The reason may not be dissatisfaction with you or your care, but a less-than-good patient experience due to interaction with a lazy or selfish staff member. Individuals who play the “what’s in it for me” card are staff members who must go. A successful optometry staff is full of team members who work to do what is best for the patient.
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- Lacks personal accountability – These are staff members who point fingers at others and are not willing to take responsibility for their own actions. At our office, we use a PowerPoint presentation to specifically address this common problem. Read QBQ by John G. Miller. It is a great guide to lead your staff to personal accountability.
Remember to always extend grace when your staff make honest mistakes. If there is no grace in your leadership then you make yourself out to be a hypocrite and your leadership is not worth following. Firing staff is one of the most difficult responsibilities that we have as owners of our optometry practice. However, it is one of the most important responsibilities to keep toxins cleared from the practice and ensure a healthy and successful patient-centered practice.
