A company’s culture may make or break it. Numerous books and studies have proven that a positive work culture can lead to increased employee engagement.
Employee engagement has an effect on retention, productivity, and how your teams handle their clients, in this case, their patients. A satisfied employee will go above and beyond for patients, identify possible problems early, and is constantly searching for ways to innovate and improve the practice.
A positive culture is a cornerstone for any successful medical practice. Employee engagement, retention, and productivity are all driven by a supportive and empowering work environment, ultimately impacting patient care and satisfaction. While some companies like Google or Netflix may have large budgets for employee perks, medical practices consulting can foster a high-performing work culture without the need for extravagant incentives.
We’ve all heard about the fantastic working cultures at Google, Netflix, and Apple. Giants like Google have the budget to provide amazing incentives, but any expert will tell you that lavish perks are not required to maintain a healthy and high-performing work culture. Without a large budget or a culture officer, you may build an exceptional work culture at your medical practice. Consider the following five steps to developing a successful practise culture:
1. Determine Your Goal
Defining your practice’s purpose or mission, as well as outlining your values, will help you build a healthy work culture. For others to understand where you want to take your medical practise, you must have a common goal. More significantly, connecting your purpose to a specific employee and the position they play has a significant impact on employee engagement levels.
Working in the medical industry makes it easy to develop a company purpose since the work you do is naturally significant. However, as you are aware, each medical practise has its unique identity and can profit from a specific goal. Define the unique objective of your medical practise as a group.
2. Recruit With Caution
Take the time and make the effort to hire the best people for your team, mission, and culture. Make certain that the people you hire share your values. Be conscious of any biases you may have. A recruiting manager may focus his or her judgment on first impressions, which isn’t always the ideal technique. If you are conscious of your prejudices, you can implement mechanisms to overcome them, such as involving another person in the interview process.
You can also train yourself not to make a decision on a candidate during the first 10 minutes of an interview. The proper people are critical to your success, but they are also the most expensive aspect of any practice.
3. Establish an Operational Rhythm and Improve Internal Communication
A regular meeting schedule and communication flow are essential. Meet with your team on a regular basis. Your staff are concerned about the practice’s performance, and receiving feedback from patients and about their own performance is important to them. A weekly meeting also allows your staff to provide feedback, ask questions, and discuss any problems they may have.
You can also solicit suggestions for procedure improvements or discuss the patient experience. It is equally crucial to guarantee that employees receive one-on-one time with their bosses. According to research, the number one reason people leave firms is because of their management. Schedule regular catch-ups with your personnel to ensure you provide genuine positive feedback to them.
4. Request Feedback
Asking questions is the best method to learn where you can promote participation and where cultural reforms are needed. You may use Google Docs to create a basic survey that asks an open question about what might be done to improve the culture and employee experience at your business. Make certain that the outcomes and any action plans implemented are communicated.
Be honest about whatever you can’t do something about and explain why. For example, if a request is made to serve daily lunch, you may respond that this is too costly for a small firm, but you can guarantee your kitchen has the necessary facilities for individuals to bring their lunch and eat it peacefully.
5. Create Reward and Recognition
Success should be celebrated and rewarded. Recognizing good conduct reinforces it, and celebrating victories is crucial for team building. Instilling appreciation and encouraging celebration in your practice will help everyone comprehend your mission and the progress you’re achieving. Meeting a patient satisfaction score, for example, could be cause for celebration. Individual events like birthdays and work anniversaries are especially important to recognise because they contribute to employee engagement and culture.
Any personal celebration, such as an engagement or pregnancy, should also be acknowledged. Small gestures such as saying thank you at the end of the day can also make a significant difference in creating a happy environment. Appreciation is really important, especially if someone has had a bad experience with a patient.
Overall, great culture and positive transformation will begin with strong leadership. Communicate which areas need to be improved and what actions you intend to take. Most essential, act on your words! People will never change if they see you not behaving the way you expect them to.
