How to Strengthen Your Practice from the Inside

As we wind down the first quarter of 2021, we have been discussing the significance of a strong staff. We have looked at the connections of a staff in physician burnout and reputation.

This week we will look at a key characteristic that impacts our personal and professional lives and allows us to live a more balanced life and that is the ability to be our authentic selves.

When a person is encouraged to be who they are, an environment is created that provides a safe space to learn and grow. Individual growth is the impetus for practice growth. When I started my career, professionals were encouraged to leave their sense of humor or anything that defined you as an individual at home. As I transitioned into various leadership roles, I learned the value of embracing myself and my staff for our authentic selves and success followed.

A study from the London Business School notes that organizations with employees who feel they can be themselves at work have increased performance and lower turnover. Think of the patient who selectively shares areas of their life with their physician. The physician does not have an opportunity to know the whole patient and therefore is unable to help the patient reach a healthy outcome.

Optimizing your practice starts by optimizing your staff and that begins with building an environment where the staff feels safe to be who they are. Leaders inspire staff members to bring their whole selves to work by being their true selves. The demonstration of honesty and vulnerability inspires employees to be more open and ultimately makes then happier and more productive.

Once a staff feels safe, they will develop a growth mindset – learning from their mistakes. The great golfer Bobby Jones is famous for saying he never learned anything from a tournament he won – only those he lost.

Being who you are inspires your staff to be themselves, feel safe to make mistakes and learn and grow. If you are ready to strengthen your practice and would like support. Please contact me at smays@impactpracticeconsultants.com