GROW STRONG TEAMS

RETAINING TOP EMPLOYEES

team development

TOP 3 POST-PANDEMIC FEARS LEADERS FACE AND HOW TO MINIMIZE THEM

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Uncertainty breeds fear. And business leaders in the wake of a pandemic face plenty of uncertainty. Three recurring fears leaders face, while not exclusively caused by COVID are certainly heightened by it.  

THE TRUTH ABOUT FEAR

When you break down what fear is, you’ll see it’s simply the anticipation of a negative outcome.

Simply put, fear is a projection of what can go wrong. It’s future casting gone horribly wrong. 

While it’s a smart practice to prepare for outcomes that are the opposite of what you project, expecting negative outcomes 100% of the time isn’t a healthy way for you to do it.

Because in a fear state, you stunt your ability to grow and evolve as a business, let alone function in a way that supports your survival.

Fear causes you as a leader to hesitate. It leads you to be tentative and operate with extreme caution. Essentially, it’s a distraction from your forward momentum. 

These are the three fears leaders face most often as they’ve returned to “business as usual” in a most unusual post-pandemic work environment.  

HOW WILL THIS BUSINESS SURVIVE? 

The uncertainty you’re trying to sort out here is two-fold. 

First, will you have something to offer to your usual customers or clients that they consider a necessity and are thus willing to pay for it?

The second consideration is if the economy will continue to support your usual prices based on your customers’ discretionary cash flow. 

When times of recession hit, there’s often a race to the bottom in pricing to capture the little money that’s out in circulation. The question now becomes, is it financially feasible for your company to take a short-term loss to keep customers coming through your doors?

To combat this fear, calculate your average client value. If you see a drop in sales, consider offering your product or service for a set period of time at a lower rate as an incentive to get your loyal customers back through your doors.

Alternatively, consider how you can add value and overdeliver on a product or service sale in a way that requires you to invest a little extra time in lieu of capital.  

HOW WILL I RETAIN TOP EMPLOYEES?

Provided you’re still in a position to charge your usual and customary fees for your product or service, this becomes less of a concern.

However, if you have to make tough choices on who you can afford to keep and who you’ll have to furlough due to a slow down in sales, this becomes your biggest fear.

Without customers, you have no business.  But, without the best of the best on your team serving your customers, you’ll lose business.

Bear in mind that due to other businesses closing, there are a plethora of highly skilled and qualified people who are looking for work. In the event you lose a key team member, you may be able to find a suitable replacement for a lesser cost.

HOW WILL I MEET THE GOALS PLACED UPON ME AS A LEADER? 

Suffice it to say for the year 2020, many projections, sales goals, and growth and scale activities are on the sidelines.

That said, many businesses have successfully made big pivots and find themselves in a better position for growth than before.

As a leader, the best thing you can do to overcome this fear is to remain agile, flexible, and ahead of the curve. Think like an innovator. Remain solution-oriented instead of problem-focused. 

When the tide turns, turn with it.

MINIMIZE POST-PANDEMIC FEARS AND THRIVE

To ride the wave of common post-pandemic fears in your business requires reframing.

First, understand fear is a future-based assumption that your business is headed for defeat. Think about how to flip that thought into what you can do to make your business more agile.   

Your business can survive if you nurture your relationships with your customers and your team. Build goodwill. Work with both groups to deliver the wins they need so you can stay afloat.

And most importantly as a leader, focus on the present moment. Exercise good judgment and take action on the things within your control to stay on track. Pivot when necessary, and remain open to what is possible. 

Schedule a free strategy session with me if you or your team could use some help in the reframing department.

HOW TO TEND TO THE INTANGIBLES AS A LEADER

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Until you tend to the intangibles your team is wrestling with, being able to open back up for business won’t be your biggest hurdle post-COVID.  

Doing that requires intention and attention to the energy you feel coming from your team members.

Because oftentimes, what they’re secretly worried about is nothing they’ll express out loud.

THE ENERGY OF FEAR 

Your doors are open. Customers are returning slowly but surely.

But your staff is waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop. The resurgence of cases of the virus may cause another shut-down of non-essential businesses.

Until you address the uncertainty of what “could” happen and the insecurity of having a business to return to work at, fear can and will overtake your group.

Here’s a very specific and simple method you can use to move your team out of fear mode.

A NEW NORMAL 

Although their businesses are slowly opening up, the impact of this pandemic lingers and continues to create havoc. Many are asking, ” what will the new normal look like?” 

MANAGING THE TANGIBLES

As essential businesses, healthcare leaders and their teams navigate, adjust, and craft their plan for the obvious factors. 

Patient volume, revenue streams, and a shift in staffing needs and availability are all on the radar.

Yet, the theme that continues to surface as this pandemic fluctuates daily is the uncertainty, ambiguity, insecurity, and at times fear creating an undercurrent.

An undercurrent that is intangible, but very real. It is creating another level of stress and frustration.   

A SHIFT TO INTANGIBLES MANAGEMENT

As a healthcare owner and leader, you’re accustomed to shifting and adjusting to changes in patient volume, referral sources, reimbursement, and the like.

But you’re less comfortable with the intangible needs of your staff. 

Needs that may not be shared but just demonstrated or felt… 

Signs and symptoms of insecurity, uncertainty, fear,  and other emotions. 

You start asking, 

“How do I help them understand, feel safe, and reduce their anxiety about the challenges we are all faced with?” 

IT STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING 

First, you need to understand that they are your most important asset. 

Second, fear, uncertainty, reservedness, and hesitation left unaddressed will quickly lead to distrust. 

You may say, “We worked this out and have moved beyond these signs and symptoms,” but I think you all now know the truth.

This virus is continuing to create havoc and trigger signs and symptoms in different ways. 

And third, this is your opportunity, as a leader, to shift this undercurrent, into positive, forward-thinking behavior. 

FORWARD THINKING TO FUTURE-PACE YOUR BUSINESS 

Here is how to be that forward thinker.

You as a leader must be open, vulnerable, and acknowledge your staff’s feelings frequently. 

Create an open dialogue where you are engaging, sharing perceptions, stories, and solutions. 

This intangible undercurrent will shift to openness, collaboration,  innovation, and a fabulous culture that will carry you, your team, and your business forward. 

CONNECTION AS IT’S MEANT TO BE

Remember, this is a beautiful opportunity for you to enhance your leadership skills while creating the culture you want, need, and value. 

It is a simple approach.. go forth and jump in, you’ll like the result.

TEND TO INTANGIBLES TO BUILD STRONG TEAMS

COVID isn’t the biggest problem your business faces if you have no team to help you stay in business.

When you make the choice to lead with vulnerability and tend to intangibles your team members are facing, you create an environment of trust.

If identifying the undercurrent your team is feeling so you can address it is a struggle, let’s hop on a free call to talk about it.

You’ll leave our session with a clear set of action steps to take in order to manage your team’s intangibles. 

3 WAYS TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM AND RELIEVE YOUR OVERWHELM

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You’re a leader. You take initiative. You’ve got a handle on how to get things done. And you’re exhausted. The good news is…It’s fixable. Relieve your leadership fatigue once you empower your team.

High-achievers already know they can accomplish most anything they set their minds and hearts to do. What they also know is there is a limit to their capacity at any given time.

Consider these three ways to empower your team a great starting trifecta if you struggle in the “getting it all done” department. 

MAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS MATTER

Is there a time and place for idle chit-chat? Of course. It’s a social practice that helps you break the ice when you need to.

However, if small talk is the only talk you’re having in your office, you’re falling short. 

If you’ve done a great job of positioning your company’s mission and your team member’s roles in making it happen, you’ve got to have the deeper conversations.

It’s time to talk about benchmarks. Your team member’s feelings of contribution, value, and performance. And doing it openly.

Be transparent, authentic, and honest when you engage your team members in these one-to-one conversations. When you are, you’ll foster a culture of trust, vulnerability, and kindness.

The even bigger win is you’ll inspire each team member to grow and evolve in the role they’re in so that you can all rise together as a team. Everyone “mans” the oars. 

Empowerment high, overwhelm low. Not a bad place to be.

TEACH, DON’T OVERREACH 

You did a meticulous job hiring each and every member of your team to fulfill a specific role, correct?

If that’s the case, you recognize they each have a particular skill set well suited for the tasks you’ve put them in charge of completing.

So, when they have a problem they’re working through, perhaps something you know how to solve, what’s your natural response when they come to you seeking it?

If it’s to tell them the answer, you may want to reconsider. Here’s why…

Remember, if you give a man a fish he only eats for a day. Teach that “man” to fish and he’s going to solve those problems for life. In other words, you’re instilling a habit of critical thinking and independence in your team member.

How you teach is by asking the right questions. Especially if you’ve got a solution that’s proven to work. You just need to ask your team member the questions to guide them to the answers that allow them to “solve” the problem.

All the while, they will gain confidence in their ability to problem-solve, and you’ve helped them arrive at a solution you know is suitable. 

Win one, you empower your team. Win two, you relieve your overwhelm of having to do it all yourself. 

DELEGATE, DON’T DEBATE

Consider this a sub-set of tip 2.

You’ve got all the right team members in all the right roles. Check!

Your systems and processes to get tasks done are clearly defined and documented. Check!

Now, you’ve handed off all those tasks to the appropriate people on your team. They’re officially off your plate and you get to focus on driving the mission and vision of your business.

So, do it. Don’t meddle. Don’t micromanage. 

Fall victim to making sure everything you’ve handed off is “perfect” and done exactly as you would do it and you’ve failed. 

If it’s sufficient to meet the definition of done, be grateful that it’s done and you didn’t have to do it yourself. You are paying your team to get things done for you after all. Allow them to. 

Over time, they will likely modify the processes because they’ve become more efficient at completing the task than you were anyway. It’s in their wheelhouse. They’re doing it day in and day out. Not you. 

Welcome and respect the adjustments they make to your processes, so long as they are completing their tasks properly and on time. 

When you release your attachment to doing everything your way, you let go of overwhelm and empower your team members to contribute with their unique skill sets.  

BECOME A HIGH ACHIEVER WITH THESE THREE WAYS TO EMPOWER YOUR TEAM

There you have it. The three best ways to reduce your leadership fatigue and empower your team are:

  • Meaningful conversations
  • Coaching for development 
  • Delegation without attachment 

Yes, all three of these are natural ways of being for high achievers. But I also believe these are all ways of being that you can learn if you want to be a better leader. 

Reach out and schedule a free strategy session with me to find out how to integrate them into your daily routine. 

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.

WHY GROUP WORKSHOPS ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP YOUR TEAM CULTURE

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EVEN IF YOU’VE INVESTED IN UNSUCCESSFUL TEAM TRAINING SESSIONS BEFORE

Group workshops are one of the best investments you can make to improve your business. The key is investing in the right team training at the right time.

WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?  

You are a healthcare leader or a clinical practice owner who is overworked, overwhelmed, and caught up in the doing of your business.

Problem is, you’re not certain how to get yourself out of the jam you’ve created with your business.

Your job is to create the vision of your business, then to lead your team to execute on your company mission.

Instead of just doing things to get them done because you’re extremely efficient at them, you can choose to participate in team development workshops. 

Relieve the overwhelm, uplevel your team’s culture and skillset, and become the leader you’re capable of being.

Workshops help you learn how to lead more and do less. Keep reading for more insight into how effective team development takes your staff from stressed to synchronous.

WHY THIS GUIDE EXISTS 

Leaders in healthcare feel stuck. 

That’s why shortly after I began offering executive leadership coaching I knew I would offer onsite team training as well.

Because even though they say a team is only as good as it’s leader, it’s also true that a team is only as good as it’s weakest player.

I started uncovering some of the biggest roadblocks my clinicians and practice owners had when it came to running their businesses.

They’d tell me things like…

“Retention is the biggest problem I face, I feel like the applicants and the staff members dictate to me what I need to do to keep them around.”

“They don’t really pay attention to their responsibilities.” 

“I feel like if I confront them, they will quit.”

“I just want to hire employees that fit into our culture. We can teach them the things they need to know for the most part.”

Those concerns spoke volumes to me.

Mostly because I dealt with some of the same feelings myself before I created a system and processes to run my PT practices differently.

Efficiently. Effectively. With strong teams supporting me.

Part of my framework for success is group workshops. 

It’s one way to get everyone on the team on the same page in a structured deep-dive session. 

As the facilitator on-site, I get to teach the behaviors required as well as observe and suggest improvements on assigned role-play exercises performed by participants.

WHY MY EXPERIENCE CAN HELP YOU

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I’m Judy Cirullo, a Physical Therapist and a former practice owner who decided to pursue executive leadership coaching in addition to my clinical career. 

Why did I pursue coaching?

Because I owned four successful practices over a 40-year span, I personally experienced the challenges of retaining, developing, and mentoring staff. I knew I needed help getting myself out of the doing and into the leading of my own business. 

So, while I was an active practice owner and practitioner, I decided to invest in my coaching certification so I could learn the skills to become a better leader and relieve the feelings of burnout plaguing me.  

After making the choice to invest in my personal development, I created a framework to develop staff into successful leaders and to produce productive team members to help my business thrive. 

The result?

Ultimately, I became an absentee owner while continuing to develop and grow all of my team members. 

Healthcare leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners seek me out today to help them do the same. I help them adopt my framework that transitions them from being stuck in the overwhelm of doing into developing other team members to do for them. 

My framework allows them to lead, grow, and scale their business instead. 

FOLLOW ALONG SO YOU CAN

  • Learn the most effective types of group workshops 
  • Uncover the 6-Step system to hiring, retaining, and developing a team 
  • Discover how the use of neuroscience can improve your team culture
  • Develop emerging leaders in your business

But first, how about you decide the best way to get exactly what you need from this guide. Would that be good for you?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jump to the topics that matter to you most, or take in the entire guide in order. Click on an icon image below to read up on a specific subject, or just read through the guide from start to finish.

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RIGHT GROUP WORKSHOPS, RIGHT TIME

Sometimes you find tools you think will ultimately deliver the best results for you.

Maybe you’ve invested in team training in the past. There is certainly no shortage of group workshops for executives to purchase to improve their team dynamic. 

You find a program that looks promising, so you invest in a coach or trainer to help you out. Just to be left with your hands full of notes, checklists, and an observational summary report from the facilitator you hired for their expertise.

Not a very effective way to start the transformation process if you ask me.

Granted, you do need to know where you’re starting from if you want to achieve a new goal in your business.

However, this method of an “expert” showing up to point out all the things that need fixing is frustrating. Especially since you’re operating on overload and need quick wins to move your team ahead and propel your business forward.

What if instead, you could invest in a group workshop that meets your needs with someone who helps you implement what you’ve learned on the spot?

Intrigued?

Here are three group workshops you should know about which fit that description perfectly. 

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6-STEP SYSTEM TO SET YOU UP WITH THE PERFECT FOR YOU TEAM 

This proprietary method is the first one I developed when I ran my four successful PT practices. I call it 6 Steps To Hire, Retain, and Develop Team Players and it’s my most popular team workshop for businesses focused on sustainable growth.

In this 2-day onsite workshop, business owners get a blueprint to identify, hire, and retain valuable team members.

Once the foundation is laid in the two days of training, your toolkit of processes and procedures is ready for use immediately.

Before arriving on-site for this training, leaders and team members complete a questionnaire to assess nine key areas of the business as it’s functioning currently. 

Because retention is a huge pain point for healthcare leaders and practice owners, I dedicate an entire module to keeping your best employees around.

INSIDE THE 6-STEP SYSTEM

Other topics included in my 6-step system include:

  • recruiting
  • screening interviews
  • in-person interviews
  • out-of-the-box reference checks
  • getting your offer accepted
  • the onboarding process

I adapted the Topgrading® process created by Bradford D. Smart, Ph.D., and specifically retooled it for healthcare business owners and their teams.

When you invest in this group workshop, you can turn your hiring and retention process from a game of guesswork into an objective process. 

You get to set clear expectations for your team members regarding KPI metrics and behavioral competencies once you deploy this system.

Team members will understand that what they do has value, contributes to the team and the business, and helps them feel good about their contributions. 

To decide if this is the best group workshop for your business at this time, click here and schedule a complimentary call.

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TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM WITH NEUROSCIENCE

Most teams think they get along and work well together.

In reality, all teams are made up of people who have different personalities and behaviors which can collide during organizational challenges, growth spurts, and times of change.

The truth is 90% of all conversations fail.

In fact, research at MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory shows that 50% of the difference between low-performing and high-performing teams is the quality of the conversations. 

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This means people walk away from each other after talking with different takes on what was said. 

In other words, they failed to connect the dots to understand the point the other person attempted to make. 

Building a strong team is actually simple, but it takes time and the right building blocks.

Such as having effective conversations.

Which is something you’ll learn how to do In my 1-day on-site facilitated group workshop titled Grow Your Strong Team.

You’ll understand the neuroscience behind your conversations to transform your staff into a cohesive team. 

Once you learn the five critical elements covered in this workshop, you’ll be able to implement them in your action plans immediately. These elements include direction on how to:

  • tackle successful crucial conversations
  • hold each other accountable
  • develop and imbed commitment
  • handle conflict effectively 
  • impact outcomes and results for your business

To grow your own strong team, you must build trust. 

This also means you’re able to confront conflict to have difficult conversations. You’ll need to solidify commitment from your team members to support the desired results too. 

In healthcare, leaders are trained to be independent thinkers, problem solvers, and to make decisions singularly. While these are wonderful characteristics, blending them into leading a cohesive and functional team causes challenges. 

This workshop addresses this scenario also and provides healthcare leaders and their teams the tools they need to bond effectively.

INSIDE GROW YOUR STRONG TEAM

Grow Your Strong Team will teach you how to:

  • utilize the neuroscience of conversations to shift the direction of relationships, engagement, and team cohesiveness
  • use the power of conversations to transform team culture
  • leverage the power of neuroscience to create conversations that change your impact 
  • engage in conversations that bridge generational gaps on your team

After you internalize the five critical elements of cohesive teams, you can use the neuroscience of conversations to shift distrust to trust, convert unengaged and unmotivated team members into self-driven team players, and witness collaborative effort among your team.

If you feel this group workshop can benefit your team most right now, schedule a complimentary strategy session with me so I can get you started on the pre-session questionnaire.

DEVELOP YOUR EMERGING LEADERS

To become the new breed of leader, you have to get really good at one thing.

Coaching.

Leadership is no longer just about a title. Or about driving people to get their work done as efficiently and effectively as possible. 

A new breed of leaders is emerging. One that develops the skill set necessary to become a “leader as a coach.” 

This is something I like to call the Leadership Evolution.

In healthcare, this is a big challenge for leaders who are trained to make decisions quickly and assign tasks to other members of the team just as fast. This includes telling our patients how and what to do to participate in their treatment plan. 

That same approach isn’t effective with your team members. 

Employees want clear communication about your expectations and opportunities for growth and development. They want to have some autonomy to create and try out new techniques and processes.

Also, since patients are the main focus, you don’t carve out time to spend having meaningful dialogue with their staff. Dialogue that occurs during conversations. 

Conversations that create trust, openness, and shared perspectives. 

You become so focused on how to have a difficult conversation, you avoid them. 

When you get so worried about retaining top staff members, you throw them feedback that you “think” is meaningful. But, did you make time to get your employee’s perspective on the topic?

Resoundingly, that answer is no.

Because you lack the time, confidence, and courage to have the conversations you need to. Which means you don’t develop trust, openness, and a willingness to share. 

You end up feeling stuck on what to say and how to say it.

Once you look at a conversation as a two-way street that begins with trust and ends with a shared perspective, you can both tell the truth in a way that makes it easy for the other to receive.

These are techniques you’ll learn in my 4-hour interactive, virtual group workshop, Become the New Breed of Leader.

It will build the foundation to support the growth and development of your team members as they shift their mindset from a manager or supervisor into a leader. 

In this workshop, you’ll learn:

  • five levels of leadership leaders progress through as they develop, and how to maximize each level as they master the leadership skill set in each phase. 
  • how the five behaviors of a cohesive team build upon each other to support the growth of each leader and the development of his or her team 
  • how the three levels of conversation trigger different parts of the brain to stimulate certain habits and behaviors so you can use them to frame conversations that build healthier, more resilient teams and businesses
  • five conversational blind spots that can derail conversations and how to manage them 
  • the benefits of coaching, what coaching is (and is not), and the difference between mentoring and training to understand how each contributes to your leadership evolution and mastery

Just like my other group workshops, you’ll be able to implement what you learn immediately.

If you want an effective way to develop key team members into leadership roles, this is the core group workshop for you. Let’s set up a time for a free strategy session to discuss your goals and schedule this training.

GROUP WORKSHOPS ARE KEY TO DEVELOP YOUR TEAM

Whether your business is stagnating or growing, the key to improve your team culture is group workshops.

Group training sessions I offer can be as inclusive or as exclusive as your business demands. My current curriculum includes:

  • 6 Steps To Hire, Retain, and Develop Team Players (2-day on-site training)
  • Grow Your Strong Team with the Neuroscience of Conversation (1-day on-site training)
  • Become The New Breed of Leader (4-hour interactive virtual training)

To determine which training is best to move your business forward and reach your most pressing goals, schedule a free strategy session with me.

When you invest the time and money to develop your team with an interactive and facilitated group training that you can implement immediately, you’re investing wisely.

Because your team is your most valuable asset after all.

TAKE THESE ESSENTIAL STEPS TO LEAD YOUR TEAM THROUGH TIMES OF CRISIS

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These last four weeks have been critical for business owners who need extra help to lead teams through times of crisis.

I’ve spent many additional hours with my own clients since this pandemic disintegrated the order they once knew just one short month ago.

While each of my clients has a unique set of circumstances, taking the necessary time to listen to the leaders and their teams allowed me to create a forward thinking plan with every single one of them. 

Packed full of easy action steps, they now have a process they can adopt immediately to guide them through the chaos. 

A LAY OF THE LAND

Today’s reality is not like anything we’ve had to face in modern times. 

Within a matter of days businesses and livelihoods were confronted with unbelievable challenges. 

As business owners and healthcare leaders stood in shock, they had to shift immediately into survival mode just to maintain some form of stability. 

Although many of you have likely qualified for a SBA loan and or some other form of financial support, the other intangible impact that you are left to manage is the ambiguity, fear, and uncertainty of what is next for your business. 

COMMON THEMES WITH MY CLIENTS

Perhaps more importantly, your concern for your employees runs deep. 

Some of the questions and comments that my business owner clients shared during our sessions include:

  • “ I want to protect them, I want them to be safe, I want to help take care of them and their needs.”
  •  “ I want to keep them as employees and want them to want to come back to the business and continue to work with me.” 
  • “I don’t know how to help them with their fear. I’m anxious and fearful myself.”

It’s an incredible testimony to me to see so many business owners with an employee first, business second mentality during times like these. 

All the more truth to the statement being broadcast everywhere, “We’re all in this together. We’ll get through this together.” 

HEALTHCARE PRACTICE OWNER CONCERNS

Once the financial solvency issues were addressed with C.A.R.E.S. or other funding options, deeper concerns for practice owners surfaced. Things like:

  • how to keep employees busy and engaged when they’re at home
  • what to do with the patients who are also in need of care
  • how to help those that are paralyzed from taking action because they have so much fear and worry about the virus 

I’m sure the majority of healthcare and physical therapy practice owners have made a major pivot to provide TeleHealth, TeleRehab, TeleMed and e-Visits to accommodate your patients’ needs.  

It’s been a steep learning curve. 

Not just for you, your staff, and your patients either. Even payors and national administrators are struggling to manage their way through processing and payments for virtual visits.

A SHIFT TO BELIEFS IS CRITICAL

Yes, the effects of this virus ecominically, organizationally and most importantly, emotionally are devestating.

Now is the time to acknowledge some simple things you all can do to accept “what is,” and “what you can control” so you can reshape the challenges you’re facing into outstanding opportunities. 

Working from the angle of acceptance of what is instead of resistance gets you into a solution mindset.

When you do so, it allows you to proceed with tremendous optimism, garner staff involvement, and create innovative tactics for the action plan you create.

As I worked through these very issues with my clients and crafted customized action steps with them to manage the impact of this crisis, they shifted into a hopeful mindset. 

Every one of them believes they will come out of this stronger and more resilient. They’ve gained confidence in their leadership approach and have a team that looks at trust, collaboration, accountability, and results very differently than they did just a month ago!

ESSENTIAL STEPS TO MANAGE THIS CRISIS 

These are the five essential steps I’ve coached every leader to take with their team to navigate the COVID chaos.

GROUP MEETINGS 

If you haven’t already held a virtual all-staff meeting. It’s crucial. 

During these initial one or two meetings, address the elephant in the room. That elephant? the impact of “ambiguity and not knowing.” 

As a leader, you must set the stage for your openness, transparency, and vulnerability. Equally as important, is to have each staff member do the same. 

When I facilitate these meetings with the owners, I suggest that they ask each person to share “ two words” that describe how they are feeling or what they are thinking about right now. 

Acknowledge that these thoughts and feelings are real. They are also distracting and take your focus away from working towards a solution. 

These thoughts and feelings create fatigue. Your team might feel like they can’t get anything done. And, they are likely correct on all counts. That is okay. Acknowledge and validate everything they share. 

FINANCIAL AND PHYSICAL SAFETY CONCERNS 

Ensure that you explain very clearly what protections you have in place regarding your team’s financial support and physical safety.

Financial Support And Stability 

Be transparent. Explain exactly how you are ensuring financial success and what it means to them individually and to the business. 

Physical Safety

Explain what the state and federal guidelines are because they might be different. 

You’d be surprised how some members of your team don’t pay attention to the finer details.  Be sure to clearly explain how it impacts them and what they should expect.

Allow them to ask all the questions they need to in order to feel comfortable. Be prepared to say, “I don’t know, but I will be keeping you all informed every day.” 

SHIFT INTO OFFENSE AND MOVE FORWARD

Many of you have already begun tackling the most obvious things you do during downtime. 

Things like connecting with patient drop-offs, catching up on various forms of communication, following up leads, doing follow up calls with patients, etc. are all on your radar.

But I sense, as do most practice owners, that things are changing and will look different as we navigate over the next 3-6 months and beyond. 

The ground is shifting. So, how do you plan when you don’t know? 

You craft the direction given what you know right now. You can’t afford to wait to find out. 

FOLLOW-UP GROUP MEETING 

Have an additional group meeting during the same week you had the first meeting (or two).

Have everyone contribute to a discussion of what trends your practice is facing. Just a few months ago, the issues were ongoing reduction in number of referrals, declining reimbursements, and the need to continue to focus on direct to consumer marketing. 

While these are all still relevant issues, ask what other trends your team sees that can stimulate you to think outside the box for a solution. Use the following graphic to help you complete this exercise with your staff. 

lead teams through crisis 2

One of my favorite two things to say to my clients are, “the obvious is not obvious” and “common sense is not common.” 

This is a time that you, as the owner, cannot do it all, nor should you. 

Now is the time to show your staff how much you value them as committed members of your team. Getting them engaged in this exercise is crucial, but not as crucial as the step you took as a leader to follow up with them again in the same week. 

FOCUS AND DISCIPLINE SESSIONS

Make the most of your down time and have additional group meetings over the coming weeks. Hold anywhere from 4 – 8 more in order to discuss the following.

  • Prioritization of the opportunities and ideas previously suggested
  • Assessment of the ideas to decide if they align with your vision, core values and business direction 

During this energy-grabbing, distraction-inducing crisis, it is important to take these “ideas” or “projects” and ensure that each step is small and achievable between meetings when you all communicate and share. 

Identify individual staff members who would like to take the lead on a project.

Your job as a practice owner is to coach and mentor through this time. 

Ask them honestly, what they want to accomplish on this project between meetings. Be sure to ask them if that goal is realistic. Suggest they should cut it in half. You want them to be successful in accomplishing the “small steps.”

FINAL THOUGHTS ON LEADING TEAMS THROUGH CRISIS

Remember, your job as an owner and leader is to help guide, mentor, and coach your team. Provide resources to support their growth, development, and successes during this time of uncertainty.  

Every single leader in healthcare is driven to get things done. Your identity is tied to what you do…And it has been disrupted.

So you feel lost. What direction do you take now?

As a leader, you must help set sail and navigate these turbulent waters with courage, confidence, and conviction.  

You’ll be amazed what you see and hear when you get to the other side of this journey. I guarantee “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” will be one of your recurring observations.

Thinking outside the box and planning ahead is powerful. 

If you’re struggling to do so as a healthcare leader or practice owner, and you could use some help facilitating these types of meetings, schedule a free strategy session with me.