Monthly Manager meeting to discuss: focus areas, support center initiatives, etc.

Manager Development | April 2024

By way of reminder—yes, again:

Our 2024 Focus: The Patient Experience

·       Amazement is the category in which we want to live and work. We want to amaze our patients and we want to amaze each other. We do this by refusing complacency, by exceeding people’s expectations, and by committing to excellence over and over again.

·       Moments of Magic are above-and-beyond actions that surprise and delight, that raise the bar for both patient and employee experiences, and that create fierce evangelists on our behalf.

·       Consistency is the key to both #1 and #2. We do what we have been hired to do AND everything and anything necessary to take care of our patients/customers/employees in above-average ways on a consistent basis.

·       (If you haven’t had a chance to read The Cult of the Customer yet, the book that was the inspiration for our December offsite, I’d highly recommend it! Here’s the Amazon link.)

LAST MONTH’S PRACTICAL TOOL was a template for giving POSITIVE FEEDBACK. I asserted just how important this is—consistently, over and over again, and more than just “great job!” (Situation / Behavior / Impact) I’m hopeful you’ve been putting this into practice, learning as you go, getting better the more you do it. And if not (yet), there’s no time like the present to start . . . and continue.

THIS MONTH’S TIP is about feedback, as well. The harder kind: CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK.

Too often, when we see something going on with a person that bothers us, frustrates us, or makes us a bit crazy, we tend to chew on it, to procrastinate, to not say what needs to be said because we’re afraid it will come out the wrong way, be misunderstood, or make things worse. And all of this, ironically, just makes things worse!

Here’s the deal: Learning how to give constructive feedback is a hugely important aspect of your management and leadership. It is a way of offering guidance and support to improve performance and behavior. It boosts people’s confidence by acknowledging their strengths and highlighting the progress they have made. And it creates a culture of continuous improvement and growth. But even as convincing as all of this is, this article reports that one in five employees are not confident that their manager will actually provide regular, constructive feedback! Yikes! Let’s reverse that trend!

Some how-to’s:

Choose the right time and place

·       Schedule a meeting in advance: This will give everyone time to prepare for the feedback session and ensure that they have set aside enough time to discuss the issue at hand.

·       Keep the meeting short and focused: 30 minutes or less; speak to specific areas that need improvement rather than giving general feedback.

 

Focus on how to change 

·       Be specific: When you offer criticism, be specific about what you think could be improved and why. Focus on the behavior or action that needs to change rather than the person. Use concrete examples to illustrate your point and avoid generalizations or personal attacks. 

·       Use “I” statements: Start your feedback with “I” statements to show that you are sharing your own perspective and experience. For example, instead of saying, “You’re not communicating clearly,” try saying, “I found it difficult to follow your perspective because the key points weren’t clear.”

·       Speak to results and outcomes: Instead of just pointing out what needs to change, offer specific suggestions for how to improve. This shows that you are invested in helping the person grow and succeed. Emphasize the benefits of making changes and how they can lead to a positive outcome.

 

Encourage dialogue

·       Ask for permission: Before offering constructive criticism, ask the person if they’re open to hearing your thoughts. For example, “Can I offer some feedback that might be helpful?” This shows respect for their feelings and boundaries and can make them more open to what you have to say.

·       Encourage questions: After offering feedback, encourage the person to ask questions or share their own perspective. This helps foster dialogue and shows that you’re open to their input and ideas. It also helps create a collaborative atmosphere and ensures that both parties are on the same page.

·       Check for understanding: After giving feedback, ask them to summarize what they heard to ensure that they understand your perspective and specific suggestions for improvement.

·       Express appreciation: Articulate your gratitude for the person’s willingness to listen and engage in a dialogue.

·       Follow up: Determine when you will check back with them related to progress (specific date and time) and/or to see if they need further support.

 

Three constructive feedback examples:

1.     Be specific and actionable: “I have noticed that during our morning huddles you are less participative than some of your peers. I know you have valuable opinions and perspective. In order to strengthen and elevate your role and expertise within our team, I would like you to begin involving yourself more actively.” Additional questions/statements as follow-on: “What are some ways you think you might do that?” “I’ll look forward to seeing those things put into practice as early as our next huddle.”

2.     Highlight strengths and suggest improvements: “Your answer rate on the phones has gone up considerably, but I think you could show improvement when it comes to cancellations and no-shows. I’d suggest you do this by utilizing the PC scripts and focusing specifically on being cheerful and willing to go the extra mile in meeting patients’ needs.” Additional questions/statements as follow-on: “What makes this challenging for you?” “How can I support you?” Let’s set a date by when you’ll be ready to look at your cancel or no-show rates again.”

3.     Encourage growth: (For use with a doctor.) “I appreciate your effort in training our newest DAt. It’s clear that they are picking things up quickly. Moving forward, I’d like to see you talk with them specifically about what it means to do more than *just* their job—helping them understand how important it is that we all work together. This will help them assimilate quicker and ultimately helps you, as it lessens the tension among the team.” Additional questions/statements as follow-on: “What are your thoughts about this?” “How can I support you?”

I’d like to take credit for all of this, but a lot of it comes from this article. Believe me, there’s no lack of opinions and perspectives on the topic! Here’s another excellent article, a Youtube video that’s super-helpful, and a TED Talk on a scientifically proven method for giving effective feedback. Take the time to read/listen to all of them! The more you learn the better, yes?

 

At the upcoming manager call, we’ll talk about how you’re currently doing with constructive feedback, why it’s a struggle, and in what ways these tips and examples are already helping.

See you next week!

Ronna Detrick

Leadership Consultant, Coach, and Trainer