Do you ever feel like you are in a pressure cooker with too much going on and that everything seems to require your (and only your) attention or help? This may even be a combination of things at work as well as at home, adding up to one BIG headache.
How do you let the steam out and de-stress?
10 PRESSURE POINTS:
Let’s have a look at some possible sources of the pressurized feeling:
-
You have someone on your team who is not doing their job to the level needed.
There is someone in the practice whose job it is to do certain functions but they never fully do what is required, if they even do it at all. Consequently, you are always having to check over their work to find out what they shirked on or what mistakes they’ve made.
Three possible answers are to (1) train them properly, or (2) put a bonus system in place that rewards fully done jobs with no mistakes, or (3) fire.
-
No time set aside for wearing your exec “hat”.
Look in your schedule and find a 2 hour weekly window of time (ideally in the morning before you start seeing patients), block it out and keep it sacrosanct for dealing with your executive issues (finances, legal matters, answering emails, dealing with personnel issues, etc.).
-
No systems in place to make everyday issues run smoothly.
Training your staff on booking ideal days (blocks of time for various types of actions or procedures) so that you can concentrate on one thing at a time often changes your whole outlook on life. Efficiency is a big must for preventing too much pressure. Having checklists of things that the staff must do and report to you once a week on can also help with accountability and keep you from micromanaging.
-
Hate your job (for real, not momentarily or one specific part of the job).
If it has become that bad, you ought to be seeking help on how to either put the fun and games back into it, or else, build up the practice with some outside consulting and then sell it for max profit so as to help you find your REAL game.
-
Nobody around you taking responsibility for things except you.
This usually comes down to you not taking bits of time as needed in order to train and apprentice your team so they know and perform their duties to your standards. Or replace them with people who WILL.
-
No mentor or consultant to talk to about problems that need solving.
This one is quite interesting because everyone needs someone knowledgeable to talk to, and your spouse mostly isn’t that person unless they work in the practice or are in the same profession. They usually have their own job and also don’t have the hands-on reality about your practice. Having a friend who is highly successful in your profession and willing to meet every few weeks or take occasional calls is often helpful. Having a management expert in your back pocket (such as our consultants who work day in and day out solving practice problems) is the best resource for help.
-
Need to figure out how to do something but no help available.
Sometimes you don’t know how to do something, such as how to do payroll and submit source deductions, and neither does anyone on your staff. Call a friend who is in business, or hire an expert (in this case, a bookkeeper), or even consult Mr. Google (you may be surprised at what you can find out on the internet).
-
Taking on tasks that should have been delegated.
You really must break yourself of this habit. You need to practice giving positive orders or directions to your team so that they carry out your wishes. Sometimes it is a matter of better training of them so they do things to your high standards. Micro-managing is an easy trap to fall into and increases your feeling of pressure.
-
Your production hours are too long and you get tired.
If your hours are too long you may find that you are less productive towards the end of the day and it is wasting your time being there anyway. Look for more efficient ways of getting your work done in less time and shorter hours.
-
Life/work balance long gone.
You need to work out what hours would be best for you and your family or leisure time, and try working those hours. Because you will feel happier, you may find yourself going faster and being more efficient and getting all your work done within these new hours. Happy life!
ZING!!!
Put the ZING back in your life by fixing the above pressure points. Love your job, love your life!
For help in running an efficient, happy, rewarding practice,
Call us at 416-466-6217 or click here
