How can the manager improve morale? Here are five morale-boosters to try in your office:
1 Clinical education
One of the most effective morale builders is education in the clinical work the doctors do. At one practice, the doctors give staff regular instruction on the diagnoses they see and the procedures they perform.
In another office, the manager sets up sessions at the hospital for staff to learn about the procedures the doctors perform. Staff read and hear about the procedures in their daily work, but seeing how the procedures are done makes it easier for them to answer patient questions.
The trips are informal. The manager coordinates the event. The trips themselves are a bonus because they give staff time away from the office.
2 Personal interest
Another manager improves morale by keeping the doctors aware of any serious personal problems staff have and the milestones in their lives.
Doing so leads to better staff-physician interaction. Staff appreciate hearing the doctors mention birthdays or family events. They also appreciate the doctors recognizing the problems in their personal lives. In one instance, a doctor apologized to a staffer for having spoken sharply, saying, “I did not realize you had problem X going on.”
3 Speakers at meetings
Still another manager builds morale by bringing speakers to staff meetings. The topics aren’t focused on office operations but on topics useful to staffers’ personal lives, such as professional dress, women’s health, ways to maintain an upbeat attitude, and even table manners.
4 Hiring input
Some managers let staff participate in hiring decisions. They interview the final two or three job candidates and then give the manger their recommendations on which person to hire.
That gives staff a sense of participation in the office. In addition, it ensures that everybody gets along with the newcomer, because they choose the people they like and can work with.
5 Sticking up for staff
Standing up for staff is also a morale builder. When a physician is short with a staffer or makes an unkind remark, it is the manager’s job to say something like: “You said such and such to Staffer A. You can’t treat staff that way without losing them.”
Your staff members will appreciate your standing up for them.
