April 2004 Newsletter ********************************************** IN THIS ISSUE: Managing vs. Leading How Much is Rudeness Costing Your Organization? Factors that Drive Satisfaction in Nursing Homes Just for Fun: Riddles to Rack Your Brain ****************************************************** "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." " Confucius ===================================================== $30 OFF We're in the People Business III ===================================================== People business III is a comprehensive approach to improving customer service in your facility. People Business III consists of four video tapes, a Facilitator's Guide and Participant handouts. The topics discussed on the tapes include: @ Dealing With Today's Long Term Care Customer -- Learn how to develop an appropriate relationship with your customers and encourage even the lowest ranking employees to participate in Customer Satisfaction Initiatives @ Dealing With Turf Wars -- Learn how to avoid creating a situation of "them and us" in your facilities @ Surveys and Surveyors -- How to impress Surveyors and show them how great your facility is @ Positive Family Approaches -- Learn how to create a comfortable open relationship with the families of your patients If you're interested in this program, please visit the link below. http://www.ihnsolutions.com/pb3.htm ===================================================== ****************************************************** Managing to Lead" How Managers Can Go From Good to Great ****************************************************** Managers in the healthcare arena must fulfill a variety of roles and responsibilities" attending meetings, making phone calls, responding to emails, doing paperwork, and balancing budgets, are just a few items on their hectic schedules. And as if that weren't enough, a good manager is faced with the task of maintaining a cohesive and happy workforce. It's a heavy burden to bear, and it's no wonder why only a few individuals seem to be successful at it. Until recently, many professionals have viewed managing and leading as one and the same. However, in the rapidly changing world of work, the differences between these two is becoming more and more apparent. ---------------------- What's the Difference? ---------------------- Leading vs. Managing A Leader: A Manager: Creates futures | Maintains the present Sets directions | Monitors progress Does the right things | Does things right Plans from imagination| Acts from memory Motivates people | Manages things source: Jackson J, Stupak R. Editorial: Who Shall Lead Us? Medscape General Medicine 9/8/99 Perhaps the difference between managing and leading can best be described through this analogy: a manager runs a tight ship and a leader inspires the crew. In other words, good managers excel at keeping the ship afloat while good leaders excel at getting passengers to their destination. Healthcare managers may contain a wealth of information about how a facility is run, and are probably extremely helpful when questions or problems arise, but if you want to be a true leader, it takes more than just being the "go to person." A successful leader develops his/her employees. As a manager, your first instinct may be to help an employee whenever he/she needs it. However, at times it might be better to have employees discover the answers themselves. Even though you know the answer, pushing employees to find solutions on their own will not only help enhance their professional growth, but in the long run it will help build a more self-sufficient team. Below are three ways good managers can become great leaders. -------------- Talk the Talk. -------------- Good leaders motivate their staff and set an overall positive tone for the facility. Furthermore, good leaders believe in the products and services they are providing. Make it clear that you trust the level of care the facility offers. For example, if your friends and family utilize the facility, make it known to customers and staff. Actions such as this will speak volumes to the amount of pride you have in the workplace and it will rub off on the staff as well. ------------------- Always Have A Plan. ------------------- Write a development plan with each member of your team. This plan should include a list of areas that an employee needs to improve on, a timeline for such improvement and the specific methods to be utilized for training. Good leaders provide their employees with increasing levels of responsibility coupled with the appropriate training" this helps create and sustain an environment in which employees are more self-sufficient. --------------------- Show a Sign of Faith. --------------------- Your faith in people is critical to your success as a leader. Showing a sign of faith can come in the form of permitting employees to take a more hands-on approach in regards to the care they provide. For example, you could grant employees permission to negotiate preferred hotel rates for the family and friends of sick patients. By unleashing the decision-making power of the staff, the morale of both the caregivers and the patients can improve tremendously. It won't happen overnight, but after continuous practice, these skills will become embedded in your daily routine. In turn, you'll set yourself apart from the "status quo" managers and be placed among the top echelon of leaders. "The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says, 'Go!' - a leader says, 'Let's go!'" " E.M. Kelly *********************************************** How Much Is Rudeness Costing your Organization? *********************************************** According to a recent survey, the majority of Americans think the lack of respect and courtesy in society is a serious problem. Even more, half of those surveyed said they have walked out of a store in the last year because of poor customer service. Rudeness, even if unintentional, is serious business. And the healthcare industry is no exception. A survey of 645 medical professionals conducted by Eticon, Inc. indicated that some medical practices spend an average of twenty-nine percent of their time resolving problems, conflict, and miscommunication with employees and patients. In the Eticon survey, the rudest behavior reported by seventy-four percent of respondents was being ignored upon arrival by indifferent staff. The second was rudeness on the telephone, and the third was disrespecting people's time with long waits, overbooking, and rushing care. When treated with rude behavior, most respondents said they would become rude back. In addition, almost forty percent said they would just take their business elsewhere and tell others about their experience. The data above illustrates that rude behavior can ruin business. However, if your facility can analyze and act on items such as: " the level of alertness and interest employees show to patients " the level of expertise displayed on the phones and " the level of respect employees demonstrate in regard to customers/patients' time, you will have a firm handle on the source of many frustrating, time-consuming problems that prevent a facility from enjoying profits and more importantly, providing good patient care. Source: Saurage Research ******************************************** This Just In" The Driving Factors of Customer Satisfaction ******************************************** According to a national survey conducted by Press Ganey: " Of all service issues surveyed, customers are most satisfied with staff courtesy. " Of all service issues surveyed, customers indicated they were least satisfied with nursing aides' responsiveness to call lights. " The number one factor driving a customer's likelihood to recommend a facility to others is management's responsiveness to customers. " Overall, families are more satisfied than residents and there are significant differences between the perceptions of these two groups: " Residents are less satisfied with admission, room, dining and nurses than are families. " Families are less satisfied with housekeeping than are residents. This information highlights the importance customers place on receiving complete, useful and timely information about their care and feeling like staff is responsive to their input. Quite simply, if nursing homes desire customer satisfaction and high referral rates in the future, they must be responsive their current clients' needs. *************************** Just for Fun Riddles to Rack Your Brain *************************** Think you're a master at riddles? Then try these on for size! (Answers are on the bottom of the page" no peeking!) Riddle # 1: If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now? Riddle # 2: A man was born in 1955. He's alive and well today at age 33. How is this possible? Riddle # 3: What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away? Answers: #1: A common answer is first place, but it's wrong" you passed the guy in second place, not first. Therefore, you would be in 2nd place. #2 He was born in the hospital with the room number 1955. #3 Charcoal |