Eyeworld

N EWS 28 | EYEWORLD | MAY 2020 COVID-19 NEWS YOU CAN USE by Liz Hillman Editorial Co-Director "People need to know a leader is connected to and appreciates the very real emotions that they feel," she said. Once these feelings are acknowledged, she continued, you can begin to provide a plan that includes "reassurance, transparency, and com- mitment to doing what's right for the organiza- tion, its people, and patients served." "People are amazingly able to deal with reality, even if it has a significant downside. It's the unknown that is paralyzing," said Jim Haudan. "A leader's job is to bring the facts about 'exactly where we are' to their organiza- tion and teams. In times of economic trouble, not only can most people handle it, they crave it. Be truthful about job security. If there are no guarantees, tell them. Uncertainty and ambiguity can be more harmful than the bad news itself." As Ms. Baldwin put it, when people are left to wonder, they create their own narratives, often negative. So frequent communication with the team and patients at this time is vital. Though email and phone calls are easy modes of communication during social isolation, Kevin Denny, MD, stressed the importance of seeing each other. For example, he has moved what was a regular in-person resident check-in conference to a video chat. "There is a difference between the level of communication that takes places in an email vs. being in the room," he said. "Meeting regularly with residents and my practice staff, now virtu- ally, we're looking at one another, hearing each other's voices, and seeing expressions, which makes all the difference in understanding." Be there for patients While a practice leader might be focused inward on how to usher staff and business through this crisis, patients, even if they're not coming into the office, need communication, too. "Patients want to know they're not forgot- ten," Dr. Denny said. "Given our evolving understanding of the COVID-19 disease, we should present information in a way that conveys the limits of O phthalmologists are being looked at for leadership now more than ever within their practices. But how to lead effectively in the midst of a pandemic affecting not just global health status but also the economy is a challenge. EyeWorld reached out to experts for their advice on how MDs can man the helm during this crisis with the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. Bruce Maller said in a March webinar offered by BSM Consulting that this is "how leaders should act all the time but even more so during a crisis." "Leaders will have everything to do with success as we come back out the other side," he said. Remain calm, create a task force Laura Baldwin said it is important for physician business owners to "remain calm and be seen as someone who can and will lead the practice through these turbulent times." The first step is to get educated: about the situation, about the financial health and operations of the practice, and about programs and government stimulus that could offer aid. "This is more than one person can manage, so it is essential that a core team is assembled to assist with the many moving parts," Ms. Bald- win said. "Create a task force of essential team members that will be instrumental in helping to create and implement your plan. Engage with experienced and trusted advisors to ensure you are thinking about the right things. Deliver frequent, transparent, empathetic, and hopeful communication. Now more than ever, people need to hear from the physician leaders, and they need to know 'we've got this.'" Communicate often, acknowledge fear Ms. Baldwin said it is important to acknowledge the uncertainty and stress employees might have during this time. Being a leader in a time of crisis continued on page 30 About the sources Laura Baldwin Principal, senior consultant, and certified professional coach BSM Consulting Phoenix, Arizona Kevin Denny, MD Frank Stein and Paul May Director The Pacific Vision Eye Institute Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology California Pacific Medical Center San Francisco, California Jim Haudan Founder and chairman Root Inc. Sylvania, Ohio Bruce Maller Founder and CEO BSM Consulting Incline Village, Nevada

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