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Creating a Culture of Respect Medical providers tend to place a lot of focus on patient diagnosis, treatment and outcomes—and that is a good thing. But what is often overlooked is the proven connec- tion between a patient's experience with her provider and the quality of her result. Patients who have a great experi- ence—from the front desk through recovery—are more engaged in their treatment, leading to better outcomes. Creating a positive patient experience throughout the continuum of care requires every employee to bring his or her "A" game to the offi ce every day. You can help your staff accomplish this by creating a set of standard operating procedures for employee behavior. Following are some examples of behavioral goals—or expectations—you can implement with your staff. • We commit to respect and support each other. • We will always greet patients with a smile and positive eye contact. • We will always introduce ourselves by name to patients. • We will always explain to patients our role in the practice and in their care. • We will answer all questions and ensure that our patients understand the answers. • We will be considerate and tolerant with one another. • We will not engage in gossip or the spreading of rumors. • We will bring concerns and problems to the weekly staff meeting to discuss and resolve. In order to get the most buy-in from staff, I recommend creating a list of behavioral standards during a staff meet- ing—with employee input—and having everyone agree to them. This way each employee has the opportunity to contribute suggestions, share concerns and make a personal commitment to uphold the desired behaviors. You can then create a poster with your standards and have everyone, including the physicians, sign the poster on the wall. Do be prepared for some pushback. Inevitably the ques- tion will arise, "Why do we need to do this when we've been working just fi ne for the last number of years?" Let your team know that your decision to introduce behavioral standards is just one piece of improving the patient experi- ence. It is not a refl ection on their behavior or a punishment. Setting an Example As the leader of the practice, it is imperative that you fol- low all behavioral standards. This will affect the behavior of your employees and help them fi nd their best selves to share with patients. How can you do this? • Employ the power of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is infectious. When your staff sees you enthusiastically em- brace the behavioral standards, they will follow your lead. SETTING THE STANDARD Your example will lead your employees to become better team members and help them deliver the outcomes your patients seek. 48 MAY/JUNE 2017 | MedEsthetics © GETTY IMAGES