by Ginny | Dec 4, 2012 | Practice Leadership, Team Development
Doesn’t it feel great when you’re talking with someone and you can see them nod along with you. You can tell you’re connecting. Nodding is feedback and it’s a clear signal to engage more.
At the heart of it, this is exactly what a performance appraisal should be… a conversation about personal and professional growth, challenge and the support that a team member may need to take their performance to the next level.
In the 24/7 news cycle we live in, we get instantaneous feedback in most every aspect of our lives. Twitter, Facebook, texting, mobile phone all create immediate connection and provide real-time feedback.
Think about it… what would it take for you to follow this lead and have your performance appraisals become real-time conversations that take place throughout the year?
by Ginny | Dec 1, 2012 | General, Practice Leadership, Team Development
Someone once had the bright idea that anyone who brings a problem to the table must also bring a solution. The conventional wisdom was that it would focus people on solutions and avoids a gripe session, but the reality is this concept will shut your team down.
If you require a solution to every challenge, you risk never hearing the questions or finding the opportunity in the challenge. Stop requiring solutions; instead invite people to bring their concerns and their goals to you. When planning your next team meeting agenda, keep it simple; say, “Tell me where you are now and where you’d like to be. As a team, we’ll brainstorm the possibilities together.”
This team brainstorming strategy is a game changer… try it and see for yourself.
by Ginny | Aug 30, 2012 | General, HR Compliance, Practice Leadership, Practice Resources
 “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<<<< |
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by Ginny | Jun 13, 2012 | General, Innovation, Practice Leadership, Practice Resources, Strategic Planning, Team Development
1. Communication (35%)
2. Immediate Manager (14%)
3. Valuing Employees (12%)
4. Trust (10%)
5. Culture (9%)
6. Satisfaction (8%)
7. Empowerment (5%)
8. Recognition (2%)
9. Development (2%)
10. Pay (1%)
by Ginny | May 12, 2012 | General, Practice Leadership, Practice Resources, Team Development
Studies show that most managers make a hiring decision within 10 minutes of meeting a candidate and spend the rest of their time gathering information to support that decision. As a result, managers often hire people that interview well, look good on paper and can talk the talk. Those positive initial impressions don’t always prove reliable once it’s time to actually walk the walk and you can end up wondering “Who are you and what have you done with the person I interviewed just a few short weeks ago.”
“My team rocks! We’re not wasting valuable time in the search, we now quickly identify those candidates who both qualify and have the right motivation to be a member of my outstanding team. Ginny Hegarty’s process and assessments shine a light on so many of the details that I have missed when hiring in the past. Since using Ginny’s system we have been picking winners!” Dr. Keith Ogawa, Oregon
Did you know that 30% of new hires start looking for their next job after just 30 days? Or that 46% of new hires will fail within the first eighteen months? Turnover is expensive and will set you and your team back while chipping away at team morale too.
Your people are your practice’s best competitive advantage and that reality is truer today in the current economic environment than ever before. Realizing just how critical talent acquisition is to your practice success, it’s time to raise the bar on the recruitment process and implement a system and process that supports both the practice and team success.
If you’re ready to hire right…and on purpose... the first time, we should talk. I can offer hiring support that ranges from a hiring eBook to full on support of the hiring process. My hiring eBook The Hiring Process Simplified gives you a step by step process to follow along with interview guides that will have you feeling totally confident and able to conduct excellent interviews right out of the gate. Hiring assessments are also available that provide insight into your candidate’s behavioral style, emotional intelligence and core competencies such as reliability, dependability, and work ethic.
“Love it! Ginny Hegarty’s system really makes sense, gives us great direction and saves us so much time. I believe it helps us attract the best applicants and gives us much deeper insight, so we choose candidates that truly fit with our practice culture and philosophy.“ Dr. Clint Esler, Texas
by Ginny | Mar 30, 2012 | General, Practice Leadership, Strategic Planning, Team Development
Third Prize is "You're Fired!"
If I had a dollar for every dentist and dental team member who has rationalized disappointing performance as a byproduct of the state of the economy over the past few years, I would be writing this column from my favorite beach in Maui! Now as much as spending time on a beach in Maui would be wonderful, I would truly much rather put an end to the myth that we are victims of circumstances and success is beyond our control. So much time, energy, opportunity and joy are wasted in this mindset. There is a better way, read about it in my latest article in The Progressive Dentist Magazine
An iconic example of using sales incentives and punishments to ignite results can be seen in the 1992 film Glen Gary Glen Ross. Rolling Stone described the film as “a brilliant dark comedy that doesn’t just dazzle, it stings.” The incredible cast included Al Pacino, Jack Lemon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris and Alec Baldwin. I can attest that the story and the acting were compelling enough to reel me in; but I still vividly remember being exhausted and feeling like I had been beaten up after watching this movie. You may recall Alec Baldwin, the film’s “alpha dog motivational sales person” announcing “We are adding a little something to this month’s sales contest: First prize is a Cadillac Eldorado, Second Prize is a set of steak knives and Third Prize is “you’re fired!” Those are some sharp sticks that eventually had the sales force resort to criminal behavior as they marched to the beat of “A-B-C – Always-Be-Closing”.
The average workplace has evolved since 1992 and most businesses have adopted a kinder, gentler approach to motivating the team. Unfortunately, most still focus on the extrinsic reward such as team bonus systems rather than tapping into intrinsic and most teams still underachieve. If you’re frustrated by the results your team bonus systems have achieved, take a deeper dive into this subject in my article from The Progressive Dentist Magazine and consider brining me into your practice to engage your team in a strategic planning process that will ignite a unstoppable passion and bottom line success.
