Eyeworld

which tends to negate or de-empha- size the compliment you just gave. Being aware of your choice of words keeps the communication construc- tive and invites the employee to lis- ten with a more open mind. Reward Never assume praise alone is enough. Superior performances over time deserve more than mere com- pliments. Given without construc- tive feedback and direction, praise can start to sound hollow. Bonuses, raises, interesting and challenging assignments, and increased responsi- bility are absolutely essential at some point. Monetary rewards are appreci- ated in a tough economy. Al- though many employers have been cautioned not to rely solely on mon- etary rewards for their practice teams, it's fine to give out bonuses for excellence. Also, yearly raises keep good employees happy and working hard for the practice. Allow employees to set their own schedules. Once a stellar em- ployee shows that he or she is a con- sistent contributor, relax some of the more inflexible supervisory struc- tures governing his or her work life. Let these trusted employees use their own judgment for flexible break and lunch schedules, or let them experi- ment with a varied work week. Try this type of reward on exceptional performers, but allow it to be open to all who meet the criteria and have earned it. Find or create advancement opportunities for your employees. If openings for advancement are limited within a job, look for excit- ing new opportunities in other areas of the practice. Is a particular indi- vidual management material? Could someone take over as the practice trainer for new and existing hires? When you go the extra mile to re- ward your employees with career satisfaction, they will realize you care about their futures as much as you care about your own. Give them plum assignments. Whenever possible, consider delegat- ing some of your responsibilities to your outstanding performers. Of course, these assignments would still be performed under your skilled and watchful eye. Or you might create and assign new roles for high per- formers to give them a heightened sense of ownership in the practice. These new assignments can bring a welcome change of pace for the em- ployee and serve to open up possi- bilities for your practice. Praise the employee in front of peers. The staff meeting is a good place for staff recognition. Reserve this powerful weapon for excep- tional performance. It can lose its power and weaken its original intent with excessive or indiscriminate use. Stay focused, and do not wane in your efforts to consistently reward your staff members for excellence. Additionally, and perhaps most im- portantly, sharing an employee's success with co-workers presents a great opportunity to use it as an ex- ample to motivate others to produce their own successes. Emerging as a true leader Be sure to have a plan that shows fairness and consistency across the board in your efforts to recognize, praise, and reward your employees. Becoming an effective leader isn't easy. You need to treat each em- ployee fairly and attempt to build trust. You will be under scrutiny by those who work with you and for you. Having a solid plan of action to build a strong practice and develop an exceptional team demonstrates to your employees how to lead by ex- ample. Taking people to the next level is what differentiates a great leader from a good manager. To replicate a successful result, a manager must recognize it, praise it, and reward it. Then, by using that result as an ex- ample to motivate others to produce their own successes, a leader will emerge from someone who began as a well-intentioned manager. EW www.ASOA.org The Physician's PERSPECTIVE I trust my business to ASOA. In today's economic climate... day o In t onomic clima c s e 's e day ... e t onomic clima ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mr. Teale is a senior medical consultant with the Eye Care Business Advisory Group of Allergan, Irvine, Calif. He can be contacted at teale_bob@allergan.com.

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