 IN THIS ISSUE: Employees Matter: Self-Discipline The Leading Edge: Succession Planning Fast Facts: The Changing Landscape of the American
Workforce Just for Fun: Dr.’s Chart Bloopers There’s No Discipline Like Self-Discipline Most
supervisors dislike taking disciplinary action, and most employees dislike receiving
disciplinary action. So, if everyone dislikes disciplinary action this much,
why have these procedures become routine at so many healthcare organizations? Why
is a framework for disciplinary action even necessary? In a
perfect world, such a framework wouldn’t be necessary. However, employers must
have something in place to help ensure that employees are treated consistently
and fairly. When rules are broken, it’s important to have documented policies
in place. This provides legitimacy to a supervisor’s actions, and also helps
protect the organization against any possible litigation. But,
wouldn’t it be nice if managers and supervisors didn’t have to rely on such
polices and procedures? Wouldn’t it be nice if these policies were just a mere
formality that rarely have to be enforced? Despite what you may be thinking,
this scenario isn’t that far-fetched. It all becomes possible when employers and
supervisors foster an environment of self-discipline. When
employees practice self-discipline, they demonstrate appropriate, ethical
behavior because they want to—not because they’re fearful of what may happen if
they don’t. When people practice self-discipline, the need for supervisory
intervention or discipline is greatly minimized. Supervisors get to spend their
time on the fun stuff: encouraging, developing, and building great
relationships with their employees. How to Create a Self-Discipline
Environment There are
several ways to create a work environment that encourages employees to develop
and practice self-discipline The following ideas will help you create an
environment in which people practice self-discipline. Make your expectations clear. People need to know exactly what is
expected of them. If you want to see continuous improvement, initiative, and
problem solving, let them know. Present the basic job description which is
informative, yet not all encompassing, as you want to encourage some
flexibility. In addition, spend time with new employees talking about what is
important to you and your organization. Praise initiative and
self-discipline when you see it. Tell the person how much you appreciate their contribution
and that you hope the contributions continue. Reward the person in ways that
are important to the individual. Consider options such as more pay, time off, a
special assignment, a committee leadership role, or a training and personal
development opportunity. If you want employees to act like
adults, treat them like adults. Think about how adults want to be treated. They want
minimal rules and guidelines—only the policies necessary to ensure an ordered,
fair, and consistent work environment. They want to provide input about any
decision that involves themselves or their work. Encourage open communication between
you and your employees. Communicate all of the information that is available about your
business, your customers, your profitability (if applicable), and your mission
and vision. The more people know, the more they can act independently to help
you. Use a coaching approach to encourage the development of each person in
your organization. When a staff member asks you what to do, or how to approach
an assignment, ask him/her what he/she thinks is best. And when all else fails… It goes
without saying that the workplace is populated by human beings; as such you
will most definitely have staff members who will not practice self-discipline.
In these instances, address unacceptable behavior immediately. Almost nothing
lowers the morale of your contributing employees more quickly than seeing
inappropriate work behavior go uncorrected. “We have too many high
sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.” —Abigail Adams What You Need to Know About Succession Planning With the
impending retirement of baby boomers and increased demands for nursing and
healthcare staff, leading healthcare organizations are aggressively
implementing succession planning. Succession planning is a process whereby an
organization ensures that employees are recruited and developed to fill each key
role within the company. Through succession planning, healthcare organizations
can better recruit superior employees, develop their knowledge, skills, and
abilities, and prepare them for advancement or promotion into even more
challenging roles. To effectively
implement succession planning at your organization, take note of the following
tips: Monitor Future Needs |