“My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.” – Jack Welch
If you are the owner of a counseling practice and have other clinicians working in your practice, you can relate to the above quote. If you someday want to have a group practice then take note! One of the many important aspects of your business will be the clinicians you bring on board to work with your clients and the administrative help you pick to support your business operations.
This blog post is amended from a piece I wrote in a 2013 newsletter. It’s such an important message that I have added more to it so that I can drill this message into your mind for 2014.
THE WRONG TEAM CAN SINK YOUR BUSINESS SHIP
What are the top factors that I think contribute to a poor team?
(amended for 2014)
1. Hiring out of desperation – Maybe you need help NOW and you’re turning potential clients away because you don’t have enough counselors to see them. This can cause you to rush to hire anyone interested or overlook important details that would normally disqualify a potential contractor or employee. If you hire just to fill the space instead of hiring the right qualified person, even if it takes longer, you are inviting trouble into your business.
2. Passive management – Do you get nervous when it’s time to confront people about certain challenges or patterns of behavior? Do you normally take the path of least resistance and hope it will all work itself out? A passive management style can corrode your business slowly over time. I have even seen colleagues face possible legal trouble because they failed to address issues with clinicians in their practice. Passivity and fear of confrontation is not a good management model for your business. You may need to either seek help developing a better managerial style, hire someone else to manage, or not have contractors and employees at this time.
3. Not knowing when to say goodbye – Letting someone go from your business can be difficult. Who wants to be the one to terminate a persons contract or employment? Knowing when it’s time to part ways is a major factor in reviving a sinking ship. It’s really not about having to say goodbye. It’s really about what you believe goodbye means. Let’s try this quick exercise.
First – Imagine you are giving your clients higher quality services and re-claiming your name in the community. The atmosphere in the practice is calm and you can’t wait to come to work. How do you feel thinking about this?
Second – Imagine avoiding certain parts of your practice so that you don’t have to encounter challenging contractors and/or staff at your practice. You tend to have clients who do not stay long and it may be because of their experience with clinicians and/or office staff. How do you feel thinking about this?
By saying or not saying goodbye, you are saying “Hello” to something else. Which of the above scenarios do you want to say hello to?
Choosing the right professionals for your team can take time. Removing the wrong professionals takes confidence. Again, it can be difficult but it can also be the difference between the life and death of your business.
All the best!
*Camille*
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