NEWS & OPINION 50 EWAP SEPTEMBER 2023 Contact information Pinto: pintoinc@aol.com, 619-223-2233 Wohl: czwohl@gmail.com, 609-410-2932 How physician leaders can harmonize with their management team W e are often asked by practice owners to evaluate and upskill their administrators. This is a reasonable request. And in many cases, it’s appreciated by the most ambitious administrators, who are always on the lookout for career coaching tips. But the reality is that a doctor’s concerns about administrative competency are as much rooted in a physician’s leadership and supervisory skills as they are in issues of administrative competency. This area of practice ownership can be a major communication hurdle for managers and physicians to work out. Here are seven rhetorical questions physicians can ask themselves to understand their role—as well as their managers’—in running a better practice together. 1. Am I a good listener? When the administrator is presenting facts or answering questions, am I focused on the information, or have I already formed an opinion and tend to ignore the answers to questions I have asked? A good listener is present and in the moment. They pay attention to the person speaking and ask questions when appropriate. They perhaps begin the conversation with an opinion but not with a closed mind to alternate views and approaches. We sometimes see managing partners and administrators talking past each other rather than talking to each other. A managing partner who is not open to hearing about options to address uncomfortable issues tends to create a practice culture of staff frustration, high staff turnover, and a level of mediocre customer service. Learning to be a better listener is possible. Be present. Stay focused on the conversation. Don’t interrupt or think about what you will say while the other person in the conversation is still talking. Be open minded and not defensive when you hear something you don’t like. Sometimes it helps to take a pause and absorb the conversation to consider the possibilities. 2. How do I know if the answers I receive from the practice administrator or mid - level managers are accurate and reliable? Follow the numbers. The strongest practice leaders, both physicians and managers, make data-driven decisions. Set the expectation that the use of metrics and benchmarking will be part of the decision-making progress. If your administrator says, “I think we need more staff because the techs are complaining about too much work,” that is a start but not enough. If your administrator says, “Our tech staffing ratio is 0.8 tech hours per patient visit, and the standard benchmark is 1.0–1.1 tech hours per patient visit, so it is understandable that the department feels understaffed,” you know they have studied the problem and provided a reasonable recommendation. 3. Is my administrator happy in their role? They seem stagnant in the position. Does this mean I need to replace them? First ask yourself, do I prioritize This article originally appeared in the July 2023 issue of EyeWorld. It has been slightly modified and appears here with permission from the ASCRS Ophthalmic Services Corp. by Corinne Wohl, MHSA, COE, and John Pinto Source: iStock.com/SDI Productions
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