What Makes a Good Boss?

Are you a good boss? Having a clear idea of what’s important to your practice and “where your team needs to be” is the starting place in this flow chart infographic from Headway Capital, a small-business focused company.

Answer the questions in the flow chart to see if you’re great, good — or need to work on your leadership and management skills — plus, pick up a few good tips for becoming a better boss.

Blogger Dike Drummond, MD, aka The Happy MD, has this advice for leading your staff, in ways that are good for you and them:

  • Don’t micromanage. In the administrative area, work with your staff to find solutions to problems instead of giving orders. Give them as much authority as possible so they don’t have to inundate you with questions all day long. In an interview with Slate, Dr. Drummond advises doctors to “take off the doctor hat” when they’re asked an administrative question. It’s not your area of expertise.
  • Remember that multitasking is inefficient and distracts you from patient care. It also leads to physician burnout. Instead of answering questions and giving orders all day long, work with your staff to systemize office processes where you can, and delegate tasks to staff matched to their skills and experience.
  • Energize your team. Use your daily huddle not only to plan the day; also take a minute to find out how everyone is doing, say thank-you for specific jobs well done, and ask the staff to share personal accomplishments. Dr. Drummond recommends twice-daily huddles (and delegating to a staff member responsibility to make that happen).

Many factors go into managing your staff so your practice runs smoothly and profitably. Visit www.texmed.org/HRHelp for all the ways TMA can support you as the leader of your team, including TMA Practice Consulting’s human resources consulting services and TMA’s customizable policies and procedures manual.

Published May 16, 2017

TMA Practice E-Tips main page

Last Updated On

May 17, 2017

Originally Published On

May 16, 2017

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Human Resources | Leadership