Finding the Coach: Managers might feel that the act of praising employees is too “touchy-feely” for the workplace. Skilled leaders understand that this is vital to the success of their practices, institutions, and departments. They do this often, they do it in multiple ways, and they do it well. By understanding the importance of saying, “I see the good things you have done, I value you and your work here, and I want you to feel appreciated,” skilled coaches re-assert themselves as leaders, while validating the work of their staff.
Redirection
One major difference between a manager and a leader is how they give feedback. A manager might allow an employee to go through the entire year with little to no feedback—only providing this at the official annual review. A leader, on the other hand, will use the fourth R—redirection—to revisit job expectancies and provide feedback and guidance to encourage positive work and behavior, discourage and correct negative work and behavior, and identify new opportunities. This is beneficial not only to the employee, but to the physician leader as well. Taking this approach will help maximize performance and make it easier to manage a marginal performer.
Redirection allows you to coach your staff to the next level, and is arguably the most effective way of managing a marginal performer, or someone who is struggling to meet expectations. In his article, “Coaching … A Management Tool for a More Effective Work Performance,” G. Eric Allenbaugh explains that, by receiving ongoing feedback, “employees know where they stand with their supervisor and are generally more receptive to interactions of a developmental nature.” Redirection can come in many forms, but the two most common forms are:
- Ongoing Feedback: This is the answer to waiting until an annual review to discuss issues that may arise with an employee. By offering an open-door policy and providing feedback and instruction in real time, you are able to work with an employee to make sure he or she is moving in the right direction throughout the year.
- Official Annual Review: Just because you are providing ongoing feedback doesn’t mean you should cease your official annual reviews. This is your time to discuss both the positives and negatives of an employee’s previous year of service; plus, the review offers the employee the opportunity to communicate with you regarding his or her position as well as his or her future in your practice, department, or institution. Finally, the annual review will give you both a chance to plan and set goals to move forward in the coming year.
Finding the Coach: Managers often perform annual reviews by providing feedback on areas for improvement, and this feedback is often based on “what you are doing wrong.” A skilled coach will provide both positive feedback and feedback on areas for improvement. He or she will also be respectful of the employee’s feelings and point of view because doing this will help in creating buy-in.
