Do You Lower Your Standards When You Leave the OR?

Last week we looked at the need for different management strategies for your practice and the OR. We discussed why micromanaging works in the OR and does not work in your practice. This week we’ll explore what should be similar between the two which is maintaining your high standards in managing both.

Maintaining your standards has driven your success, so when someone tells you your standards are too high, it is not about your standards but how you manage them. Having high standards requires that you provide the support necessary to achieve and uphold them.

The goal of an OR team is well established in advance of a procedure. The effort that the surgeon and staff put in ahead of the procedure ensures that everyone is aligned to deliver a safe and healthy outcome. Utilizing this same thought process in managing your practice includes routine communication of goals to your staff, open dialogue around successes and failures and full accountability.

Having elevated standards can inspire your employees to grow professionally and personally and when they grow your practice grows. Implementing consistent routines around preparation and communication to manage your practice will ensure healthy practice outcomes. This is accomplished by building a practice infrastructure that provides a framework for your staff and supports your standards. Key components of an infrastructure include a communication strategy and practice goals.

Goals provide a level of on-going organic accountability, allowing you to celebrate successes and promptly identify process breakdowns that indicate that your standards are not being achieved. When your practice is focused on growth and learning, employees readily admit their mistakes and provide process-based solutions. Conversations around performance will continue to be required but the expectations of those conversations are clearer.

Demonstrating compassion during a conversation ensures that you are providing employees with a safe environment to admit their mistakes and will help them to see a path forward. Addressing an employee’s performance in a timely and compassionate way will positively impact your practice.

Not addressing the performance or doing so publicly will have a negative impact on the employee, their peers, and your practice. So please do not modify your standards but rather modify how you support your staff to achieve those standards.

If you are ready to match your OR standards and your practice standards, contact me at smays@impactpracticeconsultants.com.