The Keys to Building a High-Performance Team

Office and staff management is a constant challenge. Coupled with the ever-changing health care market and frustrations with managed care, running an efficient, clinically sound and profitable office requires tremendous focus. Despite the continuing decline in insurance reimbursement and the stagnant economy, there are several key concepts that need to be continually addressed to survive, much less succeed in today's health care world: embrace a united mission, not only for patients, but also for office staff; and understand the characteristics of a high-performance team.

Your practice mission should primarily focus on your patients. Our mission statement is: "To change the world's view on health by providing exceptional care, one patient at a time." Our office mission is: "To maintain our patient mission and to create, with our colleagues, a high-performance team." A high-performance team, according to communications expert and consultant Debbie Pearce, has many important characteristics, and it is necessary to review these frequently. A high-performance team is:

• Mindful, i.e., considerate of others
• Awake, i.e., alert to the needs of colleagues
• Conscious, i.e., fully engaged in workflow
• Self-editing, i.e., consistently trying to improve
• Self-disciplined
• Understanding of the "power of pause" (see below)
• Able to prevent "crazy" from becoming normal

The "power of pause" includes four easy steps to take when making a decision that will affect the team: 1. Pause (think); 2. Step back (keep thinking); 3. Collect (your thoughts); and 4. Act (respond maturely).

It is important that your office staff and doctor(s) have regular staff meetings - not only to review day-to-day operations, but also to review various concepts related to a high-performance team. We suggest weekly staff meetings. Keep the meetings structured and positive; don't allow them to become "gripe sessions."

A high-performance team has members who are constantly striving to improve personally and professionally. All staff members should think about and know the following: why they are working here; that it is the right kind of work for them; that they are compatible with the office mission and purpose; and that they are working with a purpose.

It is important to determine if an office is in conflict. Each team member needs to be aware of the signs of a staff in conflict and be ready to quickly communicate that there is a problem. You know you have a staff in conflict when, for example, you observe gossiping or rudeness.

All offices go through stages of development and these stages repeat every time a new staff member is replaced or added. For example, when a new employee arrives, the entire office dynamic changes and a transition period follows. Simply put, staff members have to get to know one other. That is why it is critical to have weekly communication meetings and review the characteristics of a high-performance team frequently.

An excellent tool for staff meetings is to occasionally survey the entire group/staff by asking them the following questions:

• What are our current strengths?
• What areas of the practice need attention and improvement?
• What is getting in our way of performing smoothly?
• What else can we do to improve?

We suggest praising the strengths found from surveying the staff. Try to keep comments and suggestions in a positive tone. If there is a concern, talk directly to the person involved. Get a third person to sit in on your meeting if that helps, especially for those who dislike confrontation.

A high-performance team will lead to practice success, improved patient care and less stress, but it requires consistent and routine attention. Good luck!