RecognizE Organizational Hostages

Organizational hostages are easy to identify unless you’re in the middle of one. It can be a blatant seizure with demands, or a very subtle progression – either way, it’s very dangerous. For example: if the practice tolerates certain behaviors of a certain team member because he or she is the “only” one who knows the system, the software, or how to pull the reports and post payments, then they might keep their position because they’re the only one who knows the job. If you find yourself unable to make a change or implement a system because of an employee, you are now in a hostage situation, and your ship may be sinking! There are several ways this situation can take shape; here are some common situations and how you can fix them.

Building Relationships

Relationships are one of the most important areas in your practice and have the largest hostage demand. If you feel any of your patient’s relationships would be in jeopardy, or if one or more individuals were to leave because you did not meet their demands, you have a hostage situation. Also, if you rely heavily on a single employee, it may seem that patients might take their business elsewhere if something were to happen to them, but this is not necessarily the case. They came for you, and although they talk to that employee more often than you, the reality is you are the relationship!

Never miss the opportunity to connect with your patients, either. Morning huddles are an ideal opportunity to find out, from your team, inside information such as a birth, a loss, or a cause for celebration. Take two or three minutes at each appointment to face your patient without your mask, loops, and barriers. Strike up a casual conversation: “So tell me about you, how are you, what’s new since we last met?” Try to avoid questions like “Is everything okay?” Use open-ended conversation questions, as this will let them see you are human and not a provider.

Establishing Succession

Feeling as if you cannot let someone go until you have another person to replace them is a terrible strategy. Even if the team member in question is toxic, tanking team morale, or putting out less-than-acceptable work; you’re feeling forced to tolerate their behavior and poor performance because there is no successor. This shows the rest of the team what’s acceptable and tolerable. Now not only do you have a hostage situation, but also set a precedent for the future problems.

No situation can last forever and yes it doesn’t always end well. Ideally you want as few casualties as possible. But it’s never too late to reorganize. Once you’ve decided to pull the trigger, you may be surprised at how the others will step up and rise to the occasion. It’s critical you use this moment to steer the ship. Reset with everyone on the team addressing things in performance reviews, clear expectations (on your part and theirs), and clearly define team culture and consequences.

When it comes to employees you have two choices. Either cut them out of your org chart, or you devise a plan to rehabilitate them. Their fate hinges on how they perform. How are they to work with? Evaluate the damage that may have already been done, their willingness to change, and follow a structure of accountability. You gotta ask yourself – “Is it worth it?” Often, we hear from doctors or office managers “I really don’t want to spend the time training someone. What if they leave?”  On the flipside, what if you don’t train a new person and they stay – which option is worse?  Train, train, train, and then train some more! You must take the time to train your team regularly! What you’re doing is investing in your business

Before you decide if the person in question should stay or go, consider ways to coach them.  Not every difficult employee is a lost cause. Give them a chance to steer the ship in the right direction. By doing so it could save you the cost and hassle of hiring a replacement. More so, it could also inspire others to kick it up a notch and follow suite!

About Next Level Consultants

The team at Next Level Consultants has helped countless dentists take their practices to a higher level, and they’d be happy to work with you next to help you realize and achieve your goals! If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to contact the team for assistance, feel free to visit their website for further information.