Inspect What You Expect | Tips to Hold Employees Accountable

How many times have you told a staff person(s) you want something done – only to find out a month later it never happened? What the heck?!?#

Why wasn’t it done? Maybe they didn’t understand the task? Maybe they forgot about it. Or they were hoping YOU forgot about it ??

You might be saying to yourself,?“Why can’t they just do their jobs?”

HOW TO HOLD EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE AND ENSURE TASKS ARE COMPLETED

I wish it were that easy but it’s not. If you have a driven rock star you rely on that makes it happen and she never disappoints – good for you. Please take good care of them and compensate them well so they never leave.

However, overachievers are few and far between.? The majority of your staff may not share the same mindset or level of dedication as you. The harsh reality is that most of your staff are B and C-players.?They will do the basics but will not go the extra mile to think ahead, troubleshoot or ponder practice improvements.

This concept could be a difficult one for you to accept because you are cut from a different cloth than your employees. You got where you are because you have the drive to succeed, and you do what it takes to make it happen.

Your staff has a much different mindset than you do. They don’t have as much skin in the game so you can either wish it were different or try these 3 steps to hold employees accountable instead:

STEP #1: DECIDE ON THE TASK’S IMPORTANCE TO YOUR SUCCESS

The first step to hold employees accountable and ensuring your tasks are complete is to make a conscious decision about their significance in achieving your goals. It’s easy to overwhelm your staff with the barrage of assignments, some more critical than others. So, to avoid confusion and prioritize effectively, first decide if these tasks are genuinely essential to your success.

Once you have a main list of crucial tasks prioritized, this goes a long way in streamlining your staff’s efforts and improving their understanding of your expectations.

For example, new leads coming in from interested prospective patients is vital. So, it makes sense to know HOW you get leads and WHERE they are coming from. For example:

# Website Leads???????????????????? # Pay-Per-Click Leads

# Social Media Leads???????????? # Directory Leads

# Blog Leads?????????????????????????? # Word-of-Mouth Leads

STEP #2: ASSIGN RESPONSIBILITY TO A SINGLE STAFF MEMBER

One common mistake is scattering tasks among multiple staff members leading to a lack of accountability. This saying says it all:

To address this issue in your own practice, choose a single staff member to take ownership of the task. Designate them as the responsible party, making it clear that they are accountable for its completion.

The task may take 3-4 different team members to complete, but one team member owns it. It’s their responsibility to get it done and on time, no matter what.

By assigning tasks in this manner, you eliminate ambiguity and ensure there’s a dedicated individual responsible for seeing it through.

STEP #3: CLEARLY COMMUNICATE EXPECTATIONS, DEADLINES AND MONITOR PROGRESS

Communication is key to getting things done and getting them done right.

Take the time to explain your expectations thoroughly. Clearly define the task, provide any necessary context and preferences you have, and establish a deadline. Now ask your staff if they have any questions.

Better yet, ask them to repeat back what they heard you say to be sure you are on the same page. It’s shocking how different what you said and what they heard can be.

But it doesn’t end there. To hold employees accountable and ensure things are right and on time, check their progress. Meet with your staff regularly to go over the crucial tasks and numbers you need to know.

These meetings don’t need to be long, but they do need to happen regularly. They reinforce your commitment and that solidifies your staff’s commitment since they are following your lead.

These get-togethers give the staff an opportunity to feel their value to the success of the practice and to share their questions, thoughts, as well as ideas for improvement.

I guarantee the time it takes to do the above is 10X LESS than the time it takes to fix mistakes, miss crucial tasks that cost you money and reputation, and staff turnover that creates havoc in your practice.

If you are interested in a simple way to hold employees accountable and have peace of mind things are getting done like you expect, set up a strategy call – let’s talk. I can make your life easier when it comes to running your practice more like a business than a job ??