In some cases, you may have a genuinely toxic employee
on your team.
A toxic employee can sap the energy right out of your
practice. These staff members tend to be overly negative;
blame other people for their problems or shortcomings;
have an "It's not me, it's you" response to all concerns;
and may even withhold information or assistance that
would help coworkers. The toxicity is insidious, and can
drag you and your staff into an abyss of low morale and
decreased productivity.
If you can change a toxic employee's behavior through
agreed-upon behavioral standards and coaching, you will
demonstrate your leadership to all your staff, and it will have
a huge, positive impact on the patient experience. Following
are fi ve steps for working with a toxic employee:
1. Set clear expectations for the behavior modifi cations
that are required, and provide a timetable within which
those changes must be implemented.
2. Document the discussion as well as your expecta-
tions, and email those notes to the employee after your
conversation. Be straightforward about the behavior(s) that
need to change.
3. Have weekly coaching meetings with the employee to
provide feedback on progress and give the employee an op-
portunity to discuss progress from his or her perspective.
4. Be prepared to terminate the employee if there is no
progress and the behavior expectations are not met. "Three
strikes and you're out" is a simple but effective approach. Af-
ter the fi rst discussion, give the employee a written warning.
If the behavior is repeated, give a fi nal written warning after
your conversation. Termination follows a third strike.
Remember two things: Toxic staff members typically
fi re themselves because they are resistant to changing their
unacceptable behavior; and your staff and patients will thank
you for resolving problems with a toxic employee.
Every member of your staff plays a critical role in the
patient experience, and your daily behavior guides your staff
more than any other factor in the practice. Your example
will lead your employees to become better team members
and help them deliver the outcomes your patients seek.
David J. Waldron is executive director of the Der-
matology Business Accelerator, a business community
dedicated to helping physicians develop their leader-
ship skills and business acumen. Contact him at david@
dermaccelerator.com.
medestheticsmagazine.com | MAY/JUNE 2017 53
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