Would You Rehire Yourself?
One of the hardest decisions you have to make as a supervisor is letting someone go from your company. When the time comes to make this decision at our clincs, we revert back to zero-based thinking and ask ourselves, “If I knew then, what I know now, would I have still hired this individual?” But the answer to this question shouldn’t have to come from a supervisor. If you are the owner of the company, there isn’t a supervisor to evaluate you. So how do you know if you’re doing well in your role? At the end of each month when I look back at the things I accomplish, I ask myself, “If I were my supervisor, would I be happy with the work that I accomplished?” If the answer is no, I come up with a new strategy for the following month. Doing this ensures I don’t become complacent in my role while simultaneously re-motivating me to conquer new opportunities. Dr. Reynolds regularly asks our administrative team, “If I were to follow you around for a day, would I keep you on our team, or would I let you go?” As a business owner, he also asks himself the same question. Reflecting on this question helps ensure your integrity in your role. Get Excited When You Hire Yourself Again When you look to fill a position at your Medical Practice, you are really looking for the right person to solve a specific problem you have. No matter the position, you evaluate them to see if they have the skills, drive, and motivation to solve the problem. When you take a new job (or start a new business) there is something exciting about starting over again. You have an outsider’s view and the optimism that you can make a difference. But over time you fall into a rut, things get mundane, and you stop looking for innovative ways to bring new life to the organization. Basically, you become unengaged at work and content with the status quo way of doing your job or running your practice. This can kill your business in the long run. To avoid complacency, rehire yourself! As you do that, ask yourself “If I were competing against myself, would I be glad I hired myself, or would it be better if I worked for my competitor?” Doing this will allow you to take a new look at the challenges of your role. Then rehire yourself with enthusiasm to address those challenges. Redefine Your Roles When was the last time you rewrote the job descriptions at your Medical Practice? Having your staff participate in a “Rehire Yourself” Activity will cause them to rewrite updated versions of job descriptions. Even if you’re not responsible for writing job descriptions, updating your roles and responsibilities from time-to-time is a good thing. To do this, ask yourself questions like:
- What challenges are different than when I started this position?
- What new skills have I acquired that are required for this position?
- What do I spend the majority of the time doing?
- What should I spend the majority of time doing?
- What past experience do I have that has helped me work through current challenges?
Challenge for This Week Before you do anything else, ask yourself right now, “Would I rehire myself?” If the answer is yes – keep going! If the answer is no, what will you do differently starting today to ensure you are working to grow your medical practice?
Article By: Tina Bell
