“SHE WON’T SMILE when greeting patients, she’s monotone, and patients complain about her.”
“So why do you keep her then?” I asked.
“Because she’s reliable. She always shows up on time and stays late when needed.”
I’ve heard different versions of this countless times. Leadership tolerates fuddy-duddy behavior because they feel a warm body with a heartbeat is better than nothing at all. This could not be further from the truth. ECPs think their only options are put up with the behavior or fire them, but there is another option. I have helped leaders guide team members into charismatic and energetic contributors to the team. It leads to office morale sky rocketing, happier patients, and increased capture rates. You read that right … capture rates improve!
Many have not learned simple communication cues that make human interaction pleasant. I have studied influential communication and the power each team member has to influence your patient purchases. It is significant! Almost as significant as the cues your team unintentionally give patients every day to not purchase eyewear. Yikes! The influence each employee has on the patient experience is very real.
Advertisement
Here’s the great part: Lackluster behavior is just a behavior. Behaviors are actions learned over time. Therefore, they can be relearned and adapted. So, rather than feeling stuck with a dud, and before you fire them, try these three steps to see if they can adapt:
1. Bring it to light. Have a private conversation with the team member. Make them aware how their behavior is perceived. Be gentle and understanding because the discomfort they cause is likely unintended. Give examples. Say, “I feel like I don’t understand everything going on in this scenario. Tell me your thoughts at that moment.” Listen to what they are struggling with and acknowledge their response. Share your confidence in their ability to adapt. Let them know that they carry a lot of influence in how the patient perceives their visit.
2. Provide resources. Calling out a behavior without providing a solution or a resource to learn from is bad leadership. Offer examples of optimal behavior, cues, and verbiage to replace the unintended behavior. Keep in mind, these will not come naturally to them. Keep your examples clear and concise and provide them with resources. Scan the QR code for a video with great communication resources for everyday life and optical life.
3. Set proper expectations. Schedule a time to follow up with the team member every day for the next few weeks. Don’t police their interactions, instead inquire. During these visits, ask questions about scenarios they ran into, what changes they are making or noticing, and how you might be able to help them. These daily conversations create a level of self-awareness they never paid attention to. Plus, giving the team member your undivided attention shows them how important they are to you. This nurturing approach has proven successful over the common fallback of ultimatums and reprimanding.
Reliable employees are valuable, but the cost of their behavior negatively influencing your patient experience is directly impacting your sales. Though hard to quantify, it is very real. I know it is real because I’ve seen the inverse rapidly impact capture rates. Tolerating employee’s dud behavior is unacceptable but be a great leader and educate them before you get rid of them.
Advertisement
