Physicians Practice - February 2008 - (Page 64)

ADMINISTRATOR’S DESK appointed supervisors to bring their own individual approaches to their new roles. Sometimes a fresh perspective is exactly what an organization needs. “I try not to micromanage,” she says. “If a job can be done in a different way and the result is just as good, I don’t have a problem with that.” 3. Should you always promote from within? Successfully promoting individuals to leadership roles begins with grooming the right person for the right job. According to Chapman, practice administrators should target candidates who are problem-solvers and independent thinkers: “Are they people who will run to you every ﬁve minutes and say, ‘Now what?’ or will they say, ‘This is what I think we should do.’?” Think carefully, too, about the merits of promoting from within versus hiring outside applicants. “I have come across a lot of people who deﬁnitely have the skills, but don’t have the desire to be a supervisor,” says Chapman. She adds that it’s prudent to caution employees you promote from within that their new position may change ofﬁce dynamics. “There are going to be days when coworkers are mad at them, and that’s the way it is,” she says. If they’re unable to confront former peers about mistakes or performance problems, they’ll end up correcting work themselves and resenting their staff in the long run. Naudascher agrees: “Sometimes people think they want it because there’s a ﬁnancial incentive and it sounds good, but then they ﬁnd out there are parts of it that they really don’t care for.” Finally, for everyone’s sake, ensure the supervisor you select is not a control freak. “I often have this problem when I promote from within because the [erstwhile supervisor] may have done something a certain way for X amount of years, and the person replacing them does it another way,” say Naudascher. When it comes to grooming new supervisors, there is no onesize-ﬁts-all guideline for how to proceed. Each situation is unique, requiring administrators to decide for themselves how much oversight their employees need — and when to step back and let their leaders lead. Remember, by delegating responsibility to qualified workers, you’re not only empowering your best employees, but you’re also freeing yourself to focus on the bigger picture. • Shelly K. Schwartz, a freelance writer in Maplewood, N.J., has covered personal ﬁnance, technology, and healthcare for 12 years. Her work has appeared on CNNMoney.com, Bankrate.com, and Healthy Family magazine. She can be reached via editor@physicianspractice.com. 64 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | FEBRUARY 2008 WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://www.hiredocs.com http://www.hiredocs.com http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Physicians Practice - February 2008

Physicians Practice - February 2008 Contents The Bigger Picture: Your Future is in Your Hands Letters Physicians Practice Pearls: Creating an A+ Practice Noteworthy Cover Story: Conquering Time: 5 Keys to a More Efficient Practice In Balance: A Family Affair Technology: Making EMRs Work in the Exam Room In Practice: "I've Got Some Bad News" The Tech Doctor - The EMR: Savior or Poseur? Ask the Experts NEW! Healthonomics: How to Handle Health Savings Accounts The Administrator's Desk: Finishing School for New Managers Human Resources: Is Your Partner Impaired The Great Practice Makeover: Too Well-Liked for His Own Good? Coding Idealab: 'Why I Blog' Classifieds Advertiser Index

Physicians Practice - February 2008

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