What do Practice Managers need to do to be effective?
Here’s a few tips for success...
GIVE DIRECTION
Where’s the team going? What’s the strategy? What are the goals and objectives? How will results be measured? Clarity equates to success. Efficiency and effectiveness will be enhanced when team members have clear direction.
RESOLVE PROBLEMS
Handle conflicts effectively. Have the conversations. Don’t ignore issues hoping they will go away. Likely, they’ll get worse. Listen to people. Hear the facts. Make decisions. Follow up.
REMOVE OBSTACLES
Everyone wants to be successful. Remove any obstacles so that others can succeed. Provide additional resources, better technology. Not just ideas but actions. Be involved. Be engaged. Understand what obstacles need removing and make it happen.
BUILD NETWORKS
Continue to build your networks. Improve your visibility. Meet the patients. Understand their issues. The additional insight will enhance your credibility and make the team more productive.
MANAGE TIME EFFECTIVELY
Everyone is busy. Make sure that you’re not wasting your team member’s time with non-productive meetings, reports that remain unread, and policies and procedures which are time-consuming and add little value. Keep the team focused on what’s important. They will thank you.
LISTEN TO FEEDBACK
Your managerial peers want you to be successful. They will see and hear what you may not. It’s not easy for them to comment so be gracious, not defensive. Learn and understand. Be flexible. Be adaptable. Everyone will benefit.
SET PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
Set clear expectations – for both your team members and yourself. High performing teams move in the same direction, at the same pace, with great results. Address underperformance quickly. Ask “Is everyone performing to the best of their ability?” If not, have the managerial courage to own the situation and improve it.
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Embrace continuous learning. The world is rapidly changing. Stay on top of everything. Read – books, newsletters, blogs, news feeds. Talk – to colleagues, mentors, leaders. Observe – what works, what doesn’t. Have the knowledge to handle complexity and ambiguity.
BE FRIENDLY, NOT FAMILIAR
Team members value team cohesiveness, working together, collaborating. They respect manager’s who are friendly to everyone, not selectively. Effective managers know when to share the right amount of information, and in the right context. Set the boundaries. Not too personal. Not too familiar.
CREATE VALUE
Focus on creating value for the team. Bring in new customers. Hire more staff. Run training sessions. Develop better ways of working. Introduce new technologies. Be innovative. Be a thought-leader. The team will appreciate your insight and your contribution.