High Cost of Doing Nothing Part 2: Underperforming Staff

All too often, dentists choose to ignore underperforming staff instead of addressing the problem. Why? Because doing nothing seems like a better option than going through the time and hassle of correcting the situation. But ignorance is not bliss.

Whether your employees are texting during work hours, slacking on the little things, stirring you-know-what among staff or committing major errors, your under-performing employees, to put it harshly, are stealing from you. The focus and energy these employees sap from the practice deprive you of much more.

You can not be as effective in your role when you are worrying about whether your staff is doing their job. Add to that the internal conflict that can develop when an employee doesn’t pull her own weight or “gets away” with it and others have to pick up the slack. The rest of the team begin to resent it and factions form. The next thing you know, trust and teamwork has eroded and you have a full blown dysfunctional team.

When all you wanted was to avoid all the hassles, you end up spending more time managing the inefficiencies and conflict.

Enough already. You can no longer afford to work with people who are inefficient, ineffective, and cost your practice time, money and negative energy.

The first step is to admit your role in allowing it to occur, take a big breath, then set out your plan for a course correction.

          Use this step-by-step approach to do away with under-performers

Define your expectations:
Expectations are reasonable only when they are clearly conveyed and that is where you should begin. Before you decide to let anyone go, apologize for your lack of leadership. Then clearly convey your expectations and give your staff the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to change and perform at a higher level.

There are a number of areas that come up often in discussions with dentists and may have been overlooked in your employee manual. While they may seem like a no-brainer, you simply have to spell it out for them. These details have to do with work ethic, performance, code of conduct, and dress code. Bring your group together and discuss them along with other important expectations. Here’s a partial list:

-Dress and personal hygiene
-What is and is not appropriate to discuss with patients
-Cell phone use during work hours and breaks
-What to do when there is down time
-Calling in “sick”: advance notice and when it is appropriate NOT to come to work
-Showing up on time and being prepared before the work day begins
-Unacceptable behavior with fellow team members (ie: non-communication, triangulation, favoritism, tattling, passive-aggressive behavior, raising your voice)
-Responsibility to identify, call attention to, and catch errors before they happen – no matter who’s job it may be

Once these expectations are clear, everyone must agree upon them. You must also outline the consequences if the expectations are not met and emphasize that you will hold each person accountable.

Follow through with consequences:
Whatever your approach, stick to it. For instance, if you establish a one strike rule, one violation equals one strike. That’s it. You formally put them on notice, in writing, and monitor improvement with a specific deadline for a follow up evaluation.

Cut them loose:
Seriously. Fire employees who don’t get with the program. Get rid of the bad energy, increase your chances for a healthy and productive team. Your documentation will provide the support and justification for letting them go and it will demonstrate to the rest of the team that you are committed to a higher standard.

Provide lots of positive feedback and recognition:
Start establishing a culture of excellence by continually recognizing those who are performing at a high level.
-Verbally mention their performance in the moment, in front of patients and co-workers.
-Take time during team meetings to call attention to a team member’s exemplary work.
-Plan on recognizing high performance with unexpected recognition such as a gift card, or one time bonus to show appreciation to the group or individually.

If you aren’t getting your money’s worth, make a change in the way you address staff who aren’t living up to your standards and expectations. Start today because there IS a high cost for doing nothing.