Togetherness is not a word you would use to describe some of the teams we have run into in some practices over the years. And yet, as a practice owner, it’s probably high on your “perfect practice” wish list that you have a team that gets along and bonds well.
Factually, whether you have two staff or fifty, having them function well as a team will result in higher levels of efficiency and production. Even your patients or clients can often tell at a glance whether your staff like each other by their manner and coordination.
One practice we heard of had been a war zone of staff fighting/hating each other. The doctor worked on it and got it to the point that it was now “an armed truce,” he said with relief. However, it was still so uncomfortable that even the patients were commenting on it!
What are some tools for creating an ideal team?
Tips for Better Team Togetherness
- Your workplace culture should be, “It really feels like everyone is in it together, and like they enjoy the process of working together!” Just getting your staff to realize that that is the ultimate goal may, all by itself, shift the dynamics of the group to a better scene.
- Every high-performing team has the ability to have meaningful discussions by treating each other with kindness, honesty and maturity. Work to help your staff have proper dialogue with each other to share their ideas.
- Problem-solving situations where you pull them together into a meeting and each person is involved and shares their viewpoints can help them achieve collective success.
- Doing certain extra-curricular or social activities together as a group can help them learn more about each other and develop respect for who each of them is in a fuller sense than just in the practice.
- Cross training where feasible between team members can result in a better appreciation for the different positions within the practice. They can pitch in and help each other when there are time crunches or stressful situations. This is not job sharing.
- Having a strong purpose or mission statement for the practice that all staff can really get behind can truly pull the team into a tight knit group working smoothly and effectively together to achieve that purpose.
- A weekly staff meeting where everyone has a turn briefing ensures that everyone in the practice is on the same page. Goals can be set for the next week and the team can work out how to achieve them.
Show you Care
Nearly every healthcare practice owner will claim that his/her people matter the most. But do you really mean it, create it, show it?
