 IN THIS ISSUE: Employees Matter: Signs that an employee is leaving Communication Corner: Essential people skills News You Can Use: Putting people first in healthcare Just for Fun: Error messages
Are Your Employees Planning to Leave? High
employee turnover is an unfortunate reality at many healthcare organizations.
Employees may leave for a variety of reasons including money, job
dissatisfaction, or perhaps personal conflicts with other employees. Regardless
of the reason, there are some instances in which an employer can do nothing to
dissuade the employee from leaving. In these situations, the best an employer
can do is watch for the warning signs, prepare for replacement, and ensure that
the employee doesn’t sabotage the company in any way. How can you tell if an employee is
preparing to leave? Below are
some of the most common signs that an employee is looking elsewhere: They start dressing better. This could indicate that they are
interviewing at other organizations. They take lunches at different times. Human beings are creatures of
habit. So, when an employee starts taking his/her breaks at drastically
different times, it could be a sign that they’re job hunting. Their production drops off. Some employees may put forth a weak
effort if they know they won’t be at the company much longer. They display a change in
temperament. Strong
emotions are often an indicator that an employee is unhappy and under stress. They make several requests for
vacation, one day at a time. This could be another signal that an employee is actively
interviewing—especially if they’re asking for time off in the middle of the
week. They are "sick" more often. Frequent absences can indicate
that the employee is distracted, disgruntled, or actively interviewing for
another job. They stop volunteering for
projects/tasks. If
an employee doesn’t see a future at your healthcare organization, they’re not
going to go out of their way to volunteer for upcoming projects. They get more incoming phone calls
than usual. Again,
this could be another indicator that other organizations are calling to talk to
the employee. If you
notice any other odd behavior, but don’t have solid proof, you still shouldn’t
be afraid to confront the individual. Tell them that you’ve noticed the
out-of-the-norm behavior and then ask if there is anything they’d like to
discuss. Perhaps at this time (if they are indeed seeking to leave) there is
something that can be worked out that will persuade them to stay. Although
you may feel a little uncomfortable addressing the issue, you can never go
wrong by confronting employees who may be planning to leave. When done
properly, addressing the issue straight on will have a positive impact on the
organization as well as employees. “The best thing about
the future is that it only comes one day at a time.” —Abraham Lincoln
6 Essential People Skills You Must Master Effective
communication is essential in any and all professions. Good communicators are
not only able to get their own thoughts and agendas easily across, but they are
also able to listen and learn from others. To be an effective communicator, you must be good
with people—after all, communication is all about conveying messages to other
people. Below are six critical people skills you must master. People Skill # 1:
Understand and read people People Skill #2: Express
yourself clearly to others People Skill #3: Tell
others when you object People Skill # 4: Ask
for feedback and give quality feedback in return People Skill # 5:
Collaborate with others People Skill # 6: Adapt
to the environment The whole idea of being
people skilled is knowing how to bring out the best in others in any situation.
By mastering these essential people skills, you dramatically increase your
chances of achieving the best outcomes out of your interactions and business
challenges. “The more elaborate
our means of communication, the less we communicate.” —Joseph Priestley
Putting People First: Successful
healthcare organizations are all about putting people first. The care and
services they provide are all centered around the needs and priorities of
patients and their families. These organizations ultimately place a big
emphasis on establishing and maintaining healthy patient relationships. Indeed, a caring
and healing environment is vital to quality patient care. Therefore, organizations
should strive to be caring and attentive in all patient and family interactions.
Below are five actions that every healthcare professional can incorporate into
their daily routine in efforts to provide more caring, attentive patient
relationships.
The steps
above help ensure that you place people first in every circumstance—and if you
do that, you’re certainly doing your job well. “When you discover
your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a
burning desire to get to work on it.” —W. Clement Stone:
“What the ?????” We’ve all
most likely experienced our fair share of error messages on our computers at
work and home. Below are some comical takes on these messages. "The
world will end in 5 minutes. Please log out..." |