Why Stand for Staff Sabotage? by Sally McKenzie, CMC

Mom Still Calling the Shots?
If you’re anything like me, the one thing you probably hated about growing up was that somebody was always telling you what to do. First, it was stuff like ‘put on your hat and boots, it’s gonna be cold out’ … and do your homework … then there was your curfew … then you graduated to having your car keys taken away … and finally, threats of being grounded forever. No wonder you couldn’t wait till you’d be old enough to make your own decisions, right? So what happened?

You’re all grown, you’re a professional with a practice of your own. Can you honestly say, though, that you’re the one calling the shots in your office? Many of you actually are, some of you think you are, but plenty of you simply are not. By way of example, let’s pay a visit to a McKenzie Management client in Rapid City, SD … on second thought, maybe they should call it Vapid City.

Dr. Wishy-Washy has been in practice for five years and has known for some time that he should DO something about his staff. Empowered is one thing … but bossy’s another. Not too friendly with patients is one thing … kind of frosty is another. Confident is one thing … arrogant, another. Despite his staff being in positions they’re not suited for, the doctor hasn’t made a move that would cross any of them. Confrontation, he admits, is not his way of managing. No surprise that staff sees his wimping out as their invitation to call the shots.

Open Season on Managing the Doctor
After completing a practice analysis, our consultants recommended a major change in practice hours. This, of course, was not the only change suggested, but it’s the one we’re going to focus on for now. Here’s the story. The area where the practice is located seems to be blue-collar through and through. Nice folks, who all seem to work at the local mills, factories and the like. Considering the fact that the doctor’s hours were 8-5, Monday-Friday, it doesn’t take a military strategist to figure out that the practice was open when the majority of patients were at work, and closed when they were off. No wonder the doctor had a hard time getting any new patients and holding onto the old. When you have to punch a time clock – and it’s ticking against your hourly wages – you think twice about taking off for a dental appointment.

Here’s where the storyline turns dark. What Dr. Wishy-Washy wasn’t aware of, is over the years since he opened his practice, countless patients had asked Felicia, the snippy front-desk tyrant, if the doctor could stay open late some nights, or start early in the morning once in a while, or maybe even see patients on a Saturday. Guess how Felicia responded to such inquiries. You guessed it. She said, “No, that’s not possible.”

And so the McKenzie consultants made their recommendation about changing the practice hours as follows: Monday, Noon-8pm. Tuesday, 9am-6pm. Wednesday, 8am-5pm. Thursday, 7am-4pm, and alternating Fridays and Saturdays 9am-3pm. When the staff heard the recommended hours, they went berserk, saying to the doctor, “If you change to these hours, we’re outta here … all three of us.”

The Comeback Kid?
We all know some doctors who might have reacted to such mutiny by saying, “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” But, as expected, Dr. Wishy-Washy would never say such a thing, in fact, if we weren’t right there as instant reinforcements, he would’ve backed right down and said, “Okay.” The mere thought of running ads, interviewing, and training would’ve been waaaaayyyyy too much for this guy. But if he did back down then, they’d know for sure they owned him. He’d never again have the chance to do things his way. And the truth of the matter is, as afraid as he was of losing his staff, he wasn’t too thrilled about keeping them either!

We advised him to ‘call their bluff’ and inform his staff that the new hours would take effect six weeks hence. In two weeks, he’d be expecting an answer from each of them as to whether or not they would be able to accommodate the change. He said that he hoped they all would, but if not, he’d certainly understand and would write a letter of recommendation to help them find another job. This last bit was very gracious under the circumstances.

In the interim, the doctor was to run an ad for each position, with responses going to his sister’s fax. “Gee, that independence feels good,” the doctor confided. “I’ll never again let myself be so paralyzed by the thought of staff turnover that I overlook employee performance or conduct.”

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Sally Says: Control is one of those factors that will always find its way into somebody’s hands. If you don’t take control of your staff … you lose control of it.

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Sally McKenzie, Certified Management Consultant, is a nationally-known lecturer, author, and consultant to the Council on Dental Practice of the ADA. She is President of McKenzie Management and Associates, which provides in-office analysis of the business, clinical, and hygiene department; conducts on-site staff training; and offers a full line of educational management books, audio tapes, and videos. For more information call Sally toll-free at 877-777-6151. Visit her web sites at: www.mckenziemgmt.com   www.practicemanagement-online.com   www.dentalcareerdevelop.com