Pull Your Practice’s Weeds

Your team is truly your greatest resource, but when you have the wrong person, it’s detrimental to the rest of the team. You’ve worked hard to create your business and team, and preserving that team morale is crucial to your business’ existence. Like Kirk says, “Nothing frustrates a great team member like you consistently tolerating a bad one,” so keep an eye out for team members who exhibit harmful behavior:

• They do not align with your core values
• They consistently fail to meet your expectations
• They exhibit toxic behavior that impacts the practice culture
• They resist feedback or growth 
• They have a negative impact on patient relationships 

Firing a team member is an experience that no one enjoys doing, but if you avoid the conflict, it’s only going to eventually turn into a crisis for your practice. Think of your practice like a garden: when the weeds start growing, you have to weed the garden, or else the weeds will take over. A day will come when you have to tell yourself that today is the day, and when that happens, you can make the firing process easier on everyone by following these steps:

• Prepare. Preparation is key, so make sure you have sufficient documentation of the team member’s performance issues. It’s also useful to review policy, to ensure compliance. Finally, choose a location for this conversation that’s both private and neutral.
• Be direct and professional. Clarity is the key when stating your decision, so keep your explanation brief and factual, making sure to focus on the key reasons.
• Provide closure. Remember, this is also a difficult conversation for the team member, so give them closure by explaining the next steps like final pay and benefits, before respectfully ending the conversation by thanking them for their contribution.

Even though these tips help, it’s never truly easy to fire someone. Just like in oral health, prevention is the best practice, and the keys to preventing this situation are to become better at the hiring process and to develop a system of regular check-ins that keep you connected with your team. Cultivating a flourishing team environment is crucial to a great practice, so join us at our summer session of our To The Top Study Club, where we will focus on this very subject!

To learn more about ACT and how we can help you build a Better Practice and a Better Life, reach out to Courtney!

Tune in next time and learn about four areas you need to focus on to prevent profit drain!