Identifying & Dealing with Workplace Favoritism
If there is anything that employees can usually agree upon, it is that favoritism drives them all crazy. And who can blame them? Favoritism tells employees that it's all about who you know, not what you do. Seeing workplace favoritism can be one of the most discouraging things employees experience because they feel that no matter how hard they work it won’t matter or be recognized.

Favoritism in the workplace might result in “the favorite” being promoted faster than others, being paid more to do the same job as others, being given more leeway to come and go during the day, etc. In each case, work favoritism appears to correlate less on their abilities and more because they know the right person or people.
Therefore, it follows that a workplace that allows favoritism will become victim to several consequences, including decreased moral and productivity.

What You Can Do About It
Identifying, dealing with, and preventing workplace favoritism falls on the shoulders of management and administration. If you think workplace favoritism is occurring, try following this two-step plan:

1. Identify the behavior. Managers and administrators need to hold each other accountable. If you witness a particular manager displaying favoritism, you need to confront him/her on the issue. Perhaps the manager isn’t aware that he/she is playing favorites. Tell the person the behaviors you have witnessed, and inform them of any complaints employees have voiced. As long as you explain in an objective and non-confrontational way, the manager should appreciate your honesty.

2. Familiarize yourself with policies and procedures.  Management must be willing to carefully go over the company's policies towards favoritism. If no policies are in place, meet with HR to devise one. Documented processes will help guide you as well as employees so that any favoritism can be quickly detected and resolved before it gets out of hand.

Employee satisfaction is a key factor for healthcare organizations striving for success. Therefore, identifying and removing favoritism from your business is one of the best ways to make your employees feel valuable. It will ultimately encourage them to work their best.







Managers Can Motivate
5 Tips that Work

Healthcare organizations can have the best, high tech equipment available, but without the people to operate the equipment and treat the patients, you have no business. As we all know, our greatest resource is our people. Yet, all too often, we treat equipment and gadgets with the same or more care as our employees. This, of course, can be very discouraging for employees. You can show your employees that you care, and thus increase their motivation by following these five strategies:

1. Keep it fresh. When people join your organization they are fired up and ready to do great things. Over time, however, many employees will inevitably loose that enthusiasm. Try to keep that flame alive by giving your team new tasks and projects, and/or by investing in additional training that will keep them engaged in their work. 

2. Go to the light. In management, there’s the saying, “don’t treat people like mushrooms.” Why? Because mushrooms grow very well when kept in the dark and fed horse manure. People, on the other hand, function better when they are kept in the loop and given straight information.

3. Treat employees as you would treat your customers. Quality customer service is based on three essentials: respect, value, and a human approach. By applying these ideals to your own people, you can achieve both superior customer service and an exceptionally motivated staff.

4. Be mindful of your own actions and words. Your job as a leader is to get and keep your people motivated and working toward a common goal. However, you may be demeaning them without even noticing it. A sly comment here or a smart remark there can erode their motivation. Watch your actions and words to be sure you aren't defeating your own efforts by demeaning your people.

5. Provide a sense of security. Want more innovation and motivation from your staff? Reassure them that their employment is secure. People worried about losing their jobs tend to find ways to cut corners in their work, not innovative ways to do it better.

Keeping employees motivated is not easy, which is why so many managers and administrators struggle with it. However, you can motivate your staff. It just takes persistence. You can show your employees you’re committed to their satisfaction by following the tips above.




Keeping Your Emotions In-Check
As a healthcare professional, you may witness surgeries, see cancers get diagnosed, or perhaps see babies with life-threatening illnesses and deformities. This can all take a huge toll; especially if you become emotionally involved with a patient.

Plain and simple, if you let yourself feel for patients in the same way you feel about your own family and friends, you’ll be a wreck. So, what is the best emotional stance a healthcare professional can take to prevent any emotional complications? In a word: distance.

Keep Your Distance
If you catch yourself worrying or thinking about patients when you’re not at work, chances are that you have become emotionally involved. However, healthcare workers must be emotionally distant, or they burn out. You can still be compassionate, caring, professional, friendly, and sympathetic, but you do not have to (nor should you) become emotionally involved.

Remember that sick and dying patients often have family and friends who care for them and who can provide emotional support. You are there to provide physical care, not comprehensive emotional care.



Why One Woman Didn’t Go to the Doctor’s
At a primary care clinic in the Midwest, an elderly woman found one reason or another to visit daily. She had few friends and liked chatting with the staff, which treated her with respect and compassion. They treated all of her medical complaints with care.

Showing up one afternoon after being absent for a week, one of the nurses asked where she had been, and why they hadn’t seen her for so long.

The woman replied, “I’ve been really sick all week.”