8 Tips To Be A Better Leader

Proud to once again be a part of Dentistry IQ’s 100 Best Tips   Here’s my latest contribution in Dentistry IQ 8 Tips To Be a Better Leader 

8 Tips to Be A Better Leader including a tip from Ginny Hegarty, SPHR

Real-time feedback is where people strategy and strong business results intersect! Nothing changes without your feedback. The more timely your feedback, the more agile your team, and, therefore, the more effective and profitable your business. Embrace a proactive human resource strategy for performance appraisals – this coaching should be a real-time conversation about personal and professional growth to challenge and support team members to take their performance to the next level. The world has changed: mobile phones, Facebook, Twitter, and texting create immediate feedback in every aspect of our lives. It’s time we raise the bar on human resource leadership in dentistry.
-Ginny Hegarty, SPHR Dental Practice Development, Inc.

Rewrite the Rules

It’s easy to tap into your inner child during the holiday season.  Once the visions of sugarplums have finished their dance, bring that ‘3-year old you’ into your business and let that child loose to ask “why?, why?, why? as 3-year olds do.

Pepper yourself and your team with questions about why you do things the way you do them. Step back, take a minute, think it through…

  • is there a better way?
  • a smarter way?
  • an easier way?
  • a less expensive way?
  • Is this guideline helping us or holding us back?
  • Is the reason for this policy even valid anymore?
  • Does this guideline fall short given all the new technology in place?
  • Does this policy apply with this new team we have?
  • Are we stuck in the past and missing opportunities?
  • Is our communication clear enough that our expectations will be met?
  • Does my team know what I need from them?
  • Does my team know how to evaluate their effectiveness?
  • Does my team have the resources, training and support they need and deserve?
  • Am I aware of all of the new federal and state guidelines that I must be following?

The quality of your answers will be a direct result of the quality of your questions. Shake things up and start 2013 off with a brand new energy! Challenge your team to come up with great questions and plan a brainstorming party. Yes, your strategic planning meeting should feel like a party as you create an energy that  excites and inspires you to build a blueprint for success in the New Year.

Objectivity can be elusive… Want help? … that’s what we do. Click here for information on our team workshops and consulting services:  http://bit.ly/UgEjtW

“Rewrite the Rules – Don’t Just Create More Exceptions To Them” – Jeffrey Hollender  Cofounder, Seventh Generation

 

HAD ENOUGH OF CELL PHONES?

“I walked into a treatment room today to find my hygienist texting while she waited for me to do a hygiene check.” REALLY?

  Yes, really! I get calls from doctors every month who are appalled that team members are texting, tweeting and facebooking in the treatment room and at the front desk rather than engaging patients. While it may seem like an egregious violation of trust, the fact of the matter is that most employees don’t see their behavior for what it is. Often they are oblivious, simply doing what they always do … unless and until you set guidelines to address cell phone use.

In our uber-connected world, many people are attached to their cell phones 24/7, even sleeping with a smart phone that is being used as an alarm. The only significant time during the course of the day when many people are disconnected and at risk of missing a call or text is when they are in the shower! 

So, what’s an employer to do when this electronic habit interferes with productivity, engagement and business profitability? Your best defense is a good offense. Create, introduce and enforce a cell phone policy for your practice that speels out exactly when and where cell phones are permitted in your office and whether a ring tone, vibrate tone or silent is the required status during work hours.

*FYI:  The courts are siding against employers to the tune of millions of dollars when their employees are involved in auto accidents while using electronic devices . If your team members run errands during work hours or call into your office when running late, protect yourself and your practice. Put a formal written policy in place   >>>more to follow in future post<<<<

Your Social Media Presence Is Not Voluntary

While a Society of Human Resource (SHRM) survey reported that 68% of businesses are using social media, it’s most significant to realize one hundred percent of businesses are impacted by social media, leaving 32% of businesses as unwilling participants. The Eagles’ number one hit in the late 70s claimed that at the Hotel California “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” That’s precisely what happens with social media since the audience, made up of your current and potential customers and employees can control the message about your organization. You don’t even have to check in… you are there… you can never leave.

Do you have a social media policy? Do you have a social media strategy? You’ll need both if you want to positively influence your social media brand.

3-Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice – Part 1

Don't Just Roll the Dice!

With employee related lawsuits continuing to rise at an alarming rate, it is critical to shine a spotlight on your responsibilities as an employer and get your HR house in order.  Lawsuits are often more about perception than the truth. Commit to a proactive approach to HR compliance, rather than a reactive one and you will not only protect your practice assets, you’ll enjoy a practice that runs much more smoothly, effectively and happily.

1.  Policy &Procedures Manual:

Practical: Management framework for your practice spelling out how you run your practice. A much-appreciated guide for the team to prevents misunderstandings.

Legal Protection: When done well, comprehensively and kept current, it is your best defense of your positions and your good faith attempt to stay on top of your legal responsibilities to your employees. Guided by an HR Professional, you will be aware of all state and federal requirements and your policies and procedures will be compliant. Don’t take chances copying someone else’s manual; the rules change according to number of employees, your state and your type of business.