Q: Two members of my staff don't get along with each other—at all. The constant bickering and other childish behavior have me at my wit's end. Sometimes I feel like I'm an elementary school teacher as opposed to a manager. This isn't what I signed on for, and it's really affecting my attitude toward the job. Any suggestions you can offer will be appreciated. A: Employee … [Read more...] about Resolving employee conflict
Managing staff
How to write a policy
By Cheryl Toth, MBA bio Written policies have a reputation for being tedious to develop and boring to read. Creating them is often last on a manager's to-do list. But written policies can do a lot for your practice. They establish ground rules, set expectations, and reduce confusion among your team. Here's a straightforward framework for writing them. Before you … [Read more...] about How to write a policy
10 essential tips for new managers
New managers face a number of challenges, but which challenge is the most daunting? According to a recent survey, the most difficult part of becoming a manager is balancing individual responsibilities with time spent overseeing staff. Supervising friends or former peers ranked as the second greatest concern. The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and … [Read more...] about 10 essential tips for new managers
What are you doing for MARWeek?
We hope this won't come as a surprise to you, but next week is the third full week in October, which means that it's Medical Assistants Recognition Week. (MARWeek), with Wednesday (October 17) being the big day: Medical Assistant Recognition Day. Organized by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), the objective of MARWeek is to recognize the invaluable … [Read more...] about What are you doing for MARWeek?
Six security tips for Cybersecurity Awareness Month
To help raise awareness in support of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Ivanti recently shared the following top cybersecurity tips and best practices. "October is Cybersecurity Awareness month, and while following security best practices are important every month of the year, it's a good time to remember that we should all take a collective role in organizational security and … [Read more...] about Six security tips for Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Patient collections ‘bonus incentive’ program increases patient payments and staff pay
An Indiana practice recently established a bonus incentive program for its support staff that has been a huge help to patient collections. "I had managed an office prior to joining this practice where I was able to track patient collections percentages each day," Leanne Craig, office manager at Hendricks Therapy, tells Medical Office Manager. "I had a report within our … [Read more...] about Patient collections ‘bonus incentive’ program increases patient payments and staff pay
Not enough time in the day? Here are four good ways to find new minutes
When responding to Medical Office Manager's readers' survey, many managers said the most difficult part of their job is finding time to get all the work done. So here are four good time management recommendations from workflow advisor Jason Womack of Ojai, CA, author of "Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Make More." These recommendations cover … [Read more...] about Not enough time in the day? Here are four good ways to find new minutes
The four aces of hiring: work attitude, willingness, know-how, and personality
To choose the right job candidate, look beyond the hard skills of education and experience and place heaviest emphasis on four soft skills. They are: the performance mindset willingness know-how personality Miss any of those four, and the hire is going to be a disaster, says business consultant, trainer, and coach Patrick Valtin, author of the book,"No-Fail Hiring." It's … [Read more...] about The four aces of hiring: work attitude, willingness, know-how, and personality
Surviving seven types of nightmare personalities
They may do good work but their obnoxious personalities spawn resentment and negativity. Don't hesitate to strike hard at negative staffers, says Blaine M. Loomer, a management consultant and author of the book, "Corporate Bullsh*t: A Survival Guide." Let them carry on and the office can get more unpleasant every day—for both management and staff. He lists the seven most … [Read more...] about Surviving seven types of nightmare personalities
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Are you and your staff getting the most out of each paycheck?
Sixty-eight percent of employees are not sure how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will impact their finances, according to the 2018 "Getting Paid In America" survey conducted by the American Payroll Association. "With recent changes to tax laws, it's more important than ever that employees review their current tax withholding," said Dan Maddux, executive director of the APA. … [Read more...] about The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Are you and your staff getting the most out of each paycheck?