GROW STRONG TEAMS

RETAINING TOP EMPLOYEES

team building

ENGINEERING YOUR POST-COVID-19 HEALTHCARE PRACTICE

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It’s a strange new world out there. Post-COVID-19 healthcare practice leaders have some serious gaps to bridge to return some semblance of order to their work lives.

WHAT THE PROBLEM ISN’T

It’s not the improved cautionary measures you must take in your practice that’s causing you and your team so much friction.

In fact, you’ve adapted quite easily to the hyper-vigilance with cleaning, scheduling, and distancing your patients.

It’s also not the shift into telemedicine or telehealth virtual appointments. These are actually more likely to gain a stronghold in the way you treat patients moving forward. 

Your problem is actually two-fold.

PROBLEM ONE – ABUNDANT CHOICES 

Pre-COVID pandemic times looked a bit different on the healthcare worker hiring scale.

Times were lean. It was tough for you to find the right team members to fill the vacant roles in your practice.

Retaining great team players was also a big struggle. In some ways, you had to “settle” for “good enough” and hope for the best.

Today is a whole new day. 

With so many people losing their jobs and practices closing their doors, there’s now a plethora of qualified folks in the hiring pool.

The challenge now for your post-COVID-19 healthcare practice is who to choose and why. 

PROBLEM TWO – FAULTY INFRASTRUCTURE

Because you had gaps in your staff pre-COVID, you likely filled vacant roles yourself. As any effective leader might…

Rolling up your sleeves and doing the work that needs to be done ultimately becomes your responsibility.

Here’s the problem with this scenario.

Over time, when you’re in the doing of the things you can and should readily and easily delegate, your infrastructure becomes a bit fuzzy and unclear.

Current team members aren’t willing or capable of taking some of these tasks off your hands because you’re not leading them. 

You’re not developing them into who you need them to be to make your practice successful.  

THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL

Given that you now have abundant choices for who to hire and who to develop into your future team leaders, what are you doing about it?

Defaulting to the old way of being the person in charge who takes care of errant tasks and things that don’t involve driving your business mission just won’t cut it anymore.

It’s time you decided what is most important to you on a core level.

Is it for you to be scrappy? Resourceful? Dependable? 

Or, is to leverage your time, people, and other resources wisely?

ABOUT YOUR POST-COVID-19 HEALTHCARE PRACTICE PRIVILEGE

You have the luxury of hiring key players to round out your team right now. Don’t squander it. Instead, use this time to figure out the who and the how of your business.

First, you have to figure out the answer to this question.

“How can I organize my infrastructure so that I can get out of the “catch-all” doing and move into the leading and developing so I can step away and know my business will thrive?”

Next, answer this.

“Who can I hire that fits the model of what my strong team means to me on a core value level?” 

WHAT TO DO IF THOSE ANSWERS ELUDE YOU

Those questions are big. I get that they’re not always easy for you to answer on your own. Especially if you have no model to follow that demonstrates the success you seek.

I personally developed two frameworks to work you towards your answers. 

One to develop the proper infrastructure for your healthcare practice to succeed. The other to find, hire, develop, and retain the right people to grow your strong team.

Schedule a free strategy session with me and we can talk about your next right action steps to take to build a thriving post-COVID-19 healthcare practice. 

WHY LEADERS SHOULD NEVER HIRE A MULTI-TASKER

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Hire a multi-tasker and you’ll get more done in less time, right?

Absolutely dead wrong.

While the temptation might be pretty strong, here are just a few reasons why a multi-tasker is just what you don’t need in your business.

MULTI-TASKING ROBS PETER TO PAY PAUL

In the short run, when you have an “expert” multi-tasker, they get a lot of things done.

And fast.

The problem is, your staff member also burns tons of mental energy in the process. Which leads to a bandwidth problem. 

Here’s my take on other trickle down effects of multitasking long-term. 

HUMANS ARE NOT BIOLOGICALLY WIRED TO MULTI-TASK

Think about a time when your attention got divided between two or more things.

Got that scenario recalled?

Great. Now tell me this. 

How did you perform handling multiple inputs at the same time?

Because truthfully, you can’t give your full attention to either task when you’re attempting to do them concurrently. Which is the exact reason your performance suffers in the process.

What goes for you goes the same for your new hire.

Given the choice between your team member doing two things half as good, or doing one thing at a time the best that they can, what’s your preference?  

DISTRACTION IS THE DEATH OF PRODUCTIVITY

The human attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. You have something like 7 seconds to hold someone’s attention.

Add multitasking to the mix, and you’ve got an even shorter span of time.

When the brain jumps in and out of task after task, it can’t adequately focus long enough to get any of them done. So, instead of a multi-tasker being an asset, they become a liability. 

A distracted brain can’t see tasks to completion if it’s constantly bombarded with them. 

Think of it like a smartphone with too many apps open and running in the background at the same time.

Not only will you burn the battery out much faster, but the app you’re actively using starts to glitch if it doesn’t shut down and kick you out of it completely. 

THE MULTI-TASKER CUNNUMDRUM

You say you want someone who can handle multiple responsibilities and tasks all at once. And you also say you want someone who is highly productive.

Does it make sense to you now why those two conditions are contradictory?

Constantly hammering your team member with tasks they may be able to do but outside of their job requirements burdens their capacity and burns them out.

Just like you’re a bottleneck in production when you’re spinning too many plates in the air, so too is your team member.

Try this instead. 

DEFINE AND DELEGATE  

Make a list of the tasks that need to be completed. Assign priority to each task that needs to be done. Decide who is best to complete each task.

Then, deploy your task list when you delegate.

Be sure to outline the dependencies of each task in the project sequence with the team members too. Ensure everyone is aware that missing individual deadlines affects the completion of the next phase of the project. 

Once you deploy, stay out of your team’s way. Let them do their jobs. 

Don’t try to jump in and do their parts and your own, or you’ll end up right back at the multi-tasker burnout stage.

SIDE EFFECTS OF PROPER DELEGATION

Besides giving you more space to think because you’ve uncluttered your overtaxed brain, you get to build your team’s confidence.

You allow them to do what you ask, they deliver.

Which also leads to a boost of confidence in their abilities along with a deeper appreciation for their work. You’re demonstrating that you trust them to deliver the results they know they’re capable of delivering.

Now, you’re fostering an environment to develop each team member while leaving them room to grow their skills.

You create a new habit of extreme focus. Your team feels empowered. Win-win! 

HIRING A MULTI-TASKER HURTS YOUR TEAM CULTURE

Multitasking strains brains. It’s the ultimate distraction. 

And truthfully, multi-taskers are less productive in the long-term.

When you choose to delegate and deploy, you get to develop a habit of extreme focus while empowering your staff and fostering an environment of trust and teamwork.

Learning how to properly identify and delegate the right tasks is critical to running a successful and satisfying business.

It’s a process that’s worth the investment of your time and energy, because multitasking is a shortcut that costs you too much in the long run.

I’m here if you need help to define and design your own delegation strategy. Schedule a free call with me and let’s talk about it.

HOW TO CO-CREATE A STRONG TEAM WITH THE STAFF YOU ALREADY HAVE

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To create a strong team in today’s work environment takes just one thing…

Vulnerability.

LESSONS FROM THE ECONOMIC SLOW-DOWN

Leaders and owners who I’m currently coaching in the Physical Therapy industry can all testify to the hard truth of what’s happening at their clinics.

Little to no patients coming in the door to tend to.

Which leaves them to work through how they are going to stay afloat until they can resume treatments at full capacity.

Some have taken to virtual visits, using telehealth to replace a portion of their cash flow. Others considered reducing hours or possibly letting go of staff members in extreme cases.  

WORKING THROUGH A COMMON STAFF MEMBER DILEMNA 

Recently I held a coaching session with a practice owner who had a high-value employee with a low-level interest in remaining on the team.

The problem is that this staff member wants a title and a raise. At least before the pandemic, those were her demands. She feels she can get what she wants because she performs a key duty at the clinic which nobody else can.

Since the lockdown conditions slowed foot traffic into the clinic, it gave my client more time to work through how to handle the situation. 

OPPORTUNITY EXISTS IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Because he felt unable to meet the demands of his staff member, he found a way to automate a portion of her work. Just in case she was to leave, he wanted to make sure the work she was responsible for could still get done properly.

But, the next step I advised him to take is the critical one to help both him and his staff member to get what they want.

I invited him to have an open dialogue, a vulnerable conversation that invited in the concept of co-creation.  

HOW TO INITIATE A VULNERABLE CO-CREATION DISCUSSION

Using my client’s situation as a model, here is how I would advise you to handle a similar staffing situation. 

First, set up a block of dedicated one-on-one time with your team member. But, do it in a way that would be appealing and feel welcoming to them. 

Invite them to a co-creation session. A safe place to discuss what you both want to see how you can shift what exists to satisfy everyone.

In that meeting, be sure to open the conversation with how you’ve had more time to think through what’s important to your business.

Let them know that keeping valuable staff members like them on your team is a high-level priority for you. However, your highest priority is for them to feel like they are getting what they need working with you too.

That small act is a massive hat tip to being vulnerable.

You are letting your staff member know your business needs them. Plus you’re alerting them that you are willing to entertain their input about what they want.    

SCHEDULING THE MEETING IS ONLY PART OF THE SOLUTION    

Getting back to my client’s scenario for a second, he reduced his staff member’s job to a part-time role. Once he did so, he realized the portion of her duties he had automated was only a sliver of the value she provided to his clinic.

Naturally, tensions were higher for both of them because through his actions, he demonstrated she was replaceable.

If you’re dealing with a similar situation where “back-pedaling” feels necessary, consider these next steps.

DIVE DEEPER INTO THE CONVERSATION  

You’re both present. 

Your team member feels somewhat rejected or abandoned because you’ve reassigned some of their key tasks.

What are you going to do to spark a desire to want to work with you in a new capacity? Especially since you already took away a big portion of the duties they feel proficient doing.

In a word, you’re going to ask…

These are a few of the questions to continue the conversation.

Tell me what you feel would be the best use of your energy?

What do you think your knowledge base lends itself to doing for the team?

What would it take for you to function at your highest level in my business?

ADMIT YOU DON’T KNOW IT ALL

With those answers, now is the time to share your vulnerability again.

Acknowledge the replies you get. Ask for clarification if you need it. Then, give them this key piece of information…

Say that you’d like to entertain what they want as part of the position that you’re creating together. And, that you just don’t know what it would look like yet. 

It’s critical that you don’t make the mistake of saying you think you can give them exactly what they want and then not deliver on that promise. That puts them right back into feeling undervalued, unappreciated, and unheard. 

Admit that in the past you didn’t pay attention to some of the things they wanted. And, that you lost track of some of the details. 

Make it clear that you used some of the recent downtime to shift your mindset to what matters most. Happy staff, happy leader.

KEY METRICS CAN WAIT  

Consider this conversation your discovery session.

You and your key team member are having a meeting of the minds to decide if what you can offer is a fit for the other.

Yes, you will need to set up an employee scorecard so they know how you will measure their performance. Along with a description of behavioral expectations and core competencies.

But for now, it can wait.

If you bring these points up during this meeting, it becomes off-putting and feels like a manager to a subordinate conversation.

Besides, it’s jumping three steps ahead of where you need to be in the present moment.

LEADING THE WAY IN THE CO-CREATION PROCESS

There will be pieces that are important for you to add to the position you are co-creating to retain great team members.

One way to make sure they are recognized by your staff member is to let them know “this”  is where you’re going with this business. Then, ask them if they are interested in coming along with you? 

Next, tell them what you plan to do to create expectations for all of the staff members. Ask for a commitment on their part for that process too.

Finally, tell your staff member that you’re considering transitioning them into the position they defined as their “ideal” role. Get their buy-in by asking if they are interested in considering it once it’s defined. 

CO-CREATING A STRONG TEAM TAKES MORE THAN ONE

To create a strong team, you need help.

When you choose to involve each member of your team in defining their role for your business, you all win. 

Remember to remain vulnerable in your conversations and you’ll have a strong team surrounding you. Each staying true to their strengths while you stay true to your business mission. 
I’m here to coach you through additional roadblocks if you’re struggling with team dynamics. Click here to schedule a free strategy session with me.

BUILDING TRUST WITHIN YOUR TEAM STARTS WITH THIS

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Without this one attribute, building trust within your team will elude you. That trait every good leader needs…to be transparent. 

THE TRUTH ABOUT TRANSPARENCY

Transparency is one of the five requirements to building trust within your team. Arguably, it’s also the most important.

What exactly does it mean to be transparent?

Some would say, telling it like it is. That’s definitely part of it.

Another response is that being transparent is about being yourself. There’s truth to that too.

Others might equate transparency to telling every person on the team every detail about all non-confidential facts related to the business. This is less of what you’re going for when you practice transparency.

CONSIDER VULNERABILITY 

What if I told you that being a transparent leader meant that you needed to be vulnerable? Show your feelings. Share your concerns. That kind of vulnerability.

When you embrace the fact that you don’t know it all, that you’re fearful, hesitant, overwhelmed, or even anxious, you are not burdening your team.

You’re modeling a behavior of opening up that most aren’t used to experiencing in the workplace. They will not only notice, but will be more likely to follow suit.

YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL

As a leader, business owner, or entrepreneur, your role is not to do everything. 

This may be a tough pill for some of you to swallow, but it’s the truth. Unless, of course, you want to continue down the path to complete burnout.

Your strengths are to develop your business mission and vision. A close second is to pick the right team members to help you carry out the operations of your business.

Being vulnerable means you get to ask those team members for help. Call on the support you’ve already put in place around you when you need it. 

You do it, and they will feel comfortable asking for help when they need it too. 

STAY OPEN 

On the flip side of asking for help when you need it is remaining open to two things.

First, remain open to the help you asked for. Don’t allow your inner critic get in the way and tell you you’re “less than” because you couldn’t do everything yourself. Resisting the help you asked for raises distrust in yourself and your team.

Second, remain open to others on your team who are vulnerable with how they feel and what they need help with. Reserve judgment and acknowledge your team member for feeling comfortable enough to come to you with their request.

In other words, remember to be kind. 

Consider asking the question, “What do you need from me to help you feel better about being able to complete this task.” 

BUILDING TRUST IS A PROCESS

As mentioned before, there are five steps to building trust within your team. Transparency is just one of them.

Being vulnerable, asking for help when you need it, and staying open are critical if you want to practice transparency.

To find out more about the other four team trust building steps,  schedule a free strategy session with me. You’ll leave our session with my winning framework on building team trust and growing a strong team. 

WHAT DISTRUST LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR TEAM AND HOW TO FIX IT

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Trust takes time to earn and only seconds to lose. Quite frankly, distrust in your team is the one thing you can’t afford if you want to run a successful business.

As a leader, you can certainly dictate to your team that they trust each other. In reality, that’s a strategy that can lead to resentment and discontent. Even team-sabbotage.

Not sure if your team is as strong as you think it might be? Here’s what distrust looks like in your team to help you sort it out.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Your staff members talk to each other, but in a cursory way. 

In other words, conversations are very matter-of-fact. There’s not much interpersonal interaction or open body language when they are engaged in conversation.

This also shows up when you’re leading a meeting or having a one-on-one with a team member.

If you’re the one doing 99% of the talking, you’re likely dealing with some latent distrust from your team.

INCONSISTENCY 

There’s a general lack of follow-through from team members on completing what they commit to doing in the time frame given.

This may be a subtle clue at first. 

As in, the tasks that may fall to the wayside are ones that aren’t in the core job description of the team member. But eventually, it will pervade into regular assigned daily tasks.

RESISTANCE

Resistance shows up as a kissing-cousin to inconsistency.

Instead of showing up on the back end of not getting all their things done, the team member will outright reject the assignment in the first place. At least, in the most extreme cases.

Other times, resistance rears it’s head as anxiety from a team member that they relay to you or another team member when they’re dangerously close to a deadline on a task they’ve procrastinated. 

A PERVASIVE “I” ATTITUDE

Granted, when presented with a choice on whether to do or not do something, the natural question anyone asks themselves is, “What’s in it for me?”

If the only answer your team member can come up with when you assign them a task is, “My paycheck,” you have a bigger issue at play.

Teams that understand their role in your mission as a business will have a pervasive, “We’ve got this” attitude instead.

PREDOMINANT NEGATIVITY 

Nobody who feels negativity all around them at their workplace is going to jump out of bed excited to show up for the day.

That’s what makes negativity in the workplace so dangerous.

Even the most committed and optimistic team members are susceptible to the far-reaching effects of a negative environment. If the energy feels low in your workplace, check-in on the energy of your team.

UNRESOLVED CONFLICT  

Negativity’s close friend, conflict is a sure sign your team doesn’t trust each other. Or worse yet, you.

Conflict doesn’t have to show up as outright voice-raising either. In fact, many times, it shows its face as passive-aggressive behavior.

Internal or external, unresolved conflict amongst your team members is a sure sign of distrust. 

YOU SUSPECT HIDDEN AGENDAS AT PLAY

This concept may be a bit foreign to you. It’s more about using your intuitive sense than your logical one.

If you have a “gut feeling” that one or more of your team members is operating with the intent to manipulate others into producing an outcome that is contrary to yours, you’re probably right.

What’s even more eye-opening is the realization that the team member with the hidden agenda may not even be aware that they have one.

CLIQUES FORM

Also called silos, these are pockets of team members who form a pack, much like animals who hunt do. 

The intention of a clique is to form a tight partnership with one or two other team members that they “trust” and to isolate the rest of the team who they distrust.

Interestingly enough, even members inside the clique may not trust each other fully, but they bond as a form of protection because they are more alike than other members of the team.

HOW TO FIX DISTRUST IN YOUR TEAM

Strong leadership is the way to overcome distrust and to foster a workplace environment based on trust.

And, while it would be fantastic to have instant trust and rapport with and among your team members, it’s not that simple.

It’s a process that takes daily practice. Not just in the workplace, but at home too.

Leaders need to model what a trusting relationship looks like if they want to grow strong teams.

To do that, there are five essential steps.

FIVE STEPS TO BUILDING TRUST

Being certified in Conversational Intelligence, one of the concepts I adopted quickly into strategy as a leader are the following trust-building steps.

Step 1 – Being transparent

Step 2 – Fostering relationships

Step 3 – Understanding others

Step 4 – Sharing and showing

Step 5 – Truth-telling

Each of these steps comes with its own set of parameters and exercises you can use to develop these characteristics.

Is your team showing one or more of the signs of distrust mentioned earlier? Maybe it’s time for a team-building outsider’s perspective. 

For a deeper understanding of how you can use each of these steps to develop a team that trusts, schedule a free strategy session with me. I’ll listen to what’s happening with your team right now and give you some actionable takeaways to use to improve your workplace environment.