What to Do When Your Boss Criticizes You in Front of Others: A Three-Pronged Approach Do you have a boss who likes to publicly tell you how you've screwed up? If you do, then you know how intimidating this situation can be. But how is an employee supposed to handle this? After all, your boss has the capability of retaliation if you make him or her mad. Here is a three-pronged approach for handling the situation: 1. Pump up your boss's ego a bit. Tell her you know that she's busy and has a lot of responsibility, but you have a problem that you'd like to address. 2. Talk to the boss in private and tell him that you respect him and what he says, but that the way he is saying it is counterproductive for you. 3. Tell your boss that it's hard for you to accomplish your workload when you feel inadequate, and that her criticism makes you feel inadequate. Then appeal to her for help in solving the problem. Remember, you have to work for your boss, and you don't want to damage the relationship. So, consider the options above before you do anything rash. "Though we can't always see it at the time, if we look upon events with some perspective, we see things always happen for our best interests. We are always being guided in a way better than we know ourselves." " Swami Satchidananda Managing and Leading: How to Accomplish Both You're probably well aware of the differences that remain between managers and leaders. According to current wisdom, managers are principally administrators" they write business plans, set budgets, and monitor progress. Leaders on the other hand, get organizations and people to change. Essentially, management is a function that must be exercised in any business, while leadership is a relationship between the leader and the led that can energize an organization. Of course, most managers wish to be both" a manager who also happens to be a leader. So how does one achieve this? How does a manager effectively execute his/her day-to-day tasks while also attaining true leadership? There are four things that managers can do to display leadership, and hence, make their team and organization more successful. They are: selecting talent, motivating employees, coaching your staff, and building trust. Let's take a closer look. Talent Leaders of great teams pick talent on the basis of excellence and ability to work with others. Good leaders are not afraid to hire people who know more than they do. Remember, surrounding yourself with the best people will make you look more competent, not less. Motivation Employees become bored when they feel their work is unnecessary. Good leaders motivate their employees by convincing them that their job is vital for the organization to succeed. A manager can accomplish this by assigning responsibilities that engage an employee's competence and values. Responsibilities are motivating when they are challenging and meaningful. Allowing team members to create something new, provide value to customers, and/or help others are all great examples of motivational responsibilities. Coaching Healthcare professionals don't want to be told what to do all the time. Rather, they want to be encouraged so they can develop their skills and figure things out on their own. A leader can coach his/her employees by asking hard questions, and regularly challenging the employee. The goal here is to improve a specific aspect of their workplace performance. And the employee isn't the only one who will benefit from this relationship" the return on investment in developing people through coaching can result in employee retainment, higher morale, and increased productivity. Trust It is not always easy to keep promises in today's unpredictable work environment. A volatile market, new competitors, and technological breakthroughs often force management to rethink company strategy. In this turbulent climate, leaders can increase trust by being clear and promoting involvement. Clarify the reasons for your decisions, and be open about items such as policy and strategy. Healthcare workers also want a say in decisions they are expected to implement. They want to be sure their views are heard and taken into account. Even when they are disappointed by the decisions, knowing they have been heard increases trust. The Bottom Line Many healthcare organizations today are over-managed and under-led, resulting in bored, unmotivated employees. While management is essential, the need for great leadership should never be overlooked. By focusing on the items above, you will not only be managing a great team, but leading them to victory. "I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours." " Jerome K. Jerome Kiss the Clipboards Goodbye! Innovations in Healthcare Traditionally, patients wishing to check into a clinic or hospital have had to sit down with a clipboard and complete several forms before they were allowed to see their physician or care provider. While this tried and true method has worked for decades, many organizations have tossed their clipboards out the window" and they're not looking back. Patients at healthcare facilities across the country have sat down with wireless e-clipboards to enter personal and/or insurance information. These gadgets have resulted in decreased registration times. Furthermore, facilities implementing these devices have seen expenses on paper, printing, and storage dramatically decline as the registration procedure has dropped from several sheets of paper to just one. Another benefit? Customer service agents can now devote their time to being more than just mere paper pushers. Convenient Kiosks "Health Kiosks" are another product finding their way into healthcare facilities. Visitors arriving for an appointment can use an onscreen keyboard to enter their name and date of birth before receiving a confirmation of their appointment. They answer a question about workers' compensation, make any changes in personal information, sign off on HIPAA releases, verify their insurer and, if they wish, handle their co-pay with the swipe of a credit card. These kiosks can be placed near the reception desk, where patients confused by the process can easily ask staff for help. Practical Web Portals Web portals are another technology being utilized by facilities across the country. These web sites offer a broad array of resources and services, such as e-mail, forums, and search engines. With web portals, patients can email their provider with questions rather than calling a help line or making an office visit for an ailment they can solve with self-care. Patients can also receive normal lab results via portals. The privacy of email also allows some patients to unload important details they don't feel comfortable telling during an actual visit. For example, some patients disclose depression in emails, which can often be a source of other health problems. Moreover, a study by IDX" a leading provider of software, services, and technologies for healthcare organizations" showed additional advantages of web portals, such as 21,000 fewer phone calls over a six-month period and a 65 percent decrease in appointment no-shows, for an annual average savings of about $114,000. To be sure, technology is bringing about a host of new applications to improve patient services. This technology is helping patients manage their care and gives them a little more control over their own health, while reducing paperwork and saving valuable clinical time. For More Information Below are just a few sites you can check out to learn more about these technologies. http://www.galvanon.com/ http://www.friendlywayinc.com/ http://www.kis-kiosk.com/index.html The New CEO A large healthcare system hired a new CEO. A stickler for the rules, and somewhat of a power-monger, this new CEO wanted his employees to know that he was "the man in charge." So, everyday he made his rounds, making sure everyone was hard at work. One day, he walked into the company break room and saw a man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, talking to an employee. Disgusted at this man's lackadaisical attitude, the CEO walked right up to him and asked, "Hey, how much do you get paid a week?" A little surprised at the question, the man replied, "About $300." The CEO took $900 out of his wallet and said, "Here. Take this. You're fired. Get out of here." The man took the money and left. The CEO then looked at the other employee in the break room and asked, "Who was that anyway?" The employee replied, "That was Earl" the pizza delivery man." |