Have you ever wondered why some individuals with average talent achieve great success while others with exceptional talent see their careers derail? In sports we witness this all the time. Players with great talent often find themselves on the bench orout of the game. It may be a lack of commitment, desire or emotional intelligence.I have always appreciated the dedication and commitment of New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter. He clearly has talent, but his desire to continuously improve, his love of the sport, and his respect for all is why he will always be admired for his achievements.
What about the world of business? Do you feel that you have reached your full potential? If not, why not?
The following are a fewsuggestions to assist you to reach your full potential:
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To get our readers ready for National Nurses Week, we wanted to share a great new video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that asks the question “What is a Nurse?”
The traditional view of the nurse as direct caregiver and bedside attendant to patients is really a limited view of the expansive and critical role nurses play in our healthcare system. As more and more change arrives in our system, nurses have taken on a myriad of other roles in the care process: research, community outreach, education, counseling – all of these represent departures from a “stereotypical” view of the role of nursing, and the video highlights the growth in these and other areas.
At Manage My Practice, we would like to thank all of our readers in nursing for delivering quality patient care in so many of our healthcare settings. Happy National Nurses day on May 6th, 2013!
History is full of marketing disasters, and some are funnier than others. One addition to the ranks is the recent Cheat Death campaign created by North Carolinas Caromont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia. Intended to promote healthy eating and increased exercise, the medical marketing campaign backfired badly when local government leaders had to step in and ask the hospital to reconsider the slogan. Apparently community members responses ranged from amusement to outrage, with some thinking it was silly while others considered it blasphemous. We have no way of knowing how much the failed campaign cost the hospital but one thing is certain: the money would have been better spent on market research and testing ahead of time.
Step #1: Conduct Market Research
Some organizations will use the terms essential and non-essential workers as a way to distinguish between who needs to be on site in the event of an emergency, and who does not. I do understand the purpose of this distinction, however, it’s very important that businesses not give the impression that some employees are more important or valuable than others. (more…)
Many colleagues I speak with have a sense of or some experience with the tenets of “Lean.” But how does it really apply to healthcare – and is it really a way for medical practices to do more with less and maximize their resources? I recently spoke with Lean Healthcare Expert Mark Graban about where the rubber meets the road in healthcare.
Mary Pat: Most people have heard of Lean or have had some experience with it – can you explain what Lean is? (more…)
NOTE: this series will be repeated in the near future – click on the Webinars tab above for the latest information.
“We’ll start with the money.”
We say that a lot in client meetings at Manage My Practice. Whatever issues might exist in the practices that contact us looking for advice – financial problems will typically need to be addressed first before anything else can be corrected. No matter the size, specialty or type of practice – private, non-profit, and everything in between – the financial foundation of the organization must be built (or remodeled) before choosing strategic partners, determining new service lines, or recruiting physicians.
With no money, there is no mission – or at least no reason for hanging the shingle.
For anyone interested in implementing a credit card on file program in your practice – to increase collections, improve cash flow, and eliminate sending statements altogether – you’ll want to register now for Manage My Practice’s Webinar: Starting a Credit Card on File Program in Your Practice.
Tuesday March 5th, 2013 at 1 p.m. EST 10 a.m. PST join Mary Pat and I for a 60 minute session that will prepare you to plan, prepare, negotiate, and execute your Credit Card on File Program. Your patients and your staff will be happier – and so will you!
Register here for Tuesday’s Webinar.
Also, special thanks to Brandon Betancourt of Pediatric Incfor his very kind words about our webinar. Check out his blog!
And if you are interested in learning more about core practice operations, or just want to increase your knowledge and understanding of medical practice management, be sure to check out our new Revenue Cycle Management Webinar Series – a great way for anyone to strengthen and refresh their skills!
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that she plans on spending a lot of time getting rest and relaxation. She had an extensive travel schedule and was feeling burnt out from a very demanding role.
How are you feeling right now? Do you feel that your work is controlling you or you are in control of your work?
As a consultant, I have been asked to go into many organizations where I have found important projects lingering or causing such stress for a supervisor that they feel paralyzed. No one is happy. Not the leader asking for results or the supervisor who is feeling overwhelmed.
Regularly scheduled meetings with your leader should be your norm.
Make an agenda for this meeting so that you are sure to cover all important issues. Use this time to go over project lists, comment on what you feel are your priorities, and give project updates. Having a discussion on the priority of the work will help you gain insight to the “bigger picture” and how your work affects the overall organization.
The following steps provide a framework for supervisors having difficulty moving forward with a project.
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One of my favorite books of all time is “Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals, A Guide to Successful Evaluations” by James E. Neal, Jr. I have purchased many editions of this book through the years and I typically supply a copy of it to everyone in my practice who performs evaluations.
The contents of this book include:
- Effective Phrases (in 63 categories including accuracy, development, interpersonal skills, and motivation)
- Two Word Phrases (such as competing priorities, diversified approaches, fully prepared and team performance)
- Helpful Adjectives (such as adaptable, capable, perceptive, and systematic)
- Helpful Verbs (such as accomplishes, adheres, determines, and establishes)
- Performance Rankings (such as exceptional, unsatisfactory, and distinguished)
- Time Frequency (such as always, usually, rarely and seldom)
- Guidelines for Successful Evaluations (rate objectively, use significant documentation and factual examples, plan for the appraisal interview, emphasize future development, and emphasize the positive)
