Managing any type of business is tough. You must be organized, efficient, and be good at making sure a variety of personalities feel like they’re staying on track. But managing a rheumatology practice is even harder—you must do all the above while also serving patients dealing with their individual worries, and concerns.
The managers of rheumatology practices are aware of this phenomenon because they deal with it every day. While each manager has different strategies and systems to help their practice run productively and profitably, new tips and tricks are always a welcome addition.
In this article, we’ve rounded up some advice you’ve probably given a colleague and a few tips you may have overlooked.
Know everyone’s duties at your rheumatology practice.
Every single person in your office contributes to your overall success. If you make understanding their duties part of your job, you can ensure they’re accomplishing their responsibilities to the best of their ability.
You’ll also be in a better position to train, motivate, and support your staff, which is excellent for morale and productivity.
Keep your calendar under control.
At any rheumatology practice, each month brings a new set of responsibilities, deadlines, appointments, and reporting. Stay on top of this by creating a carefully curated calendar, accessible to everyone in the practice, that clearly lists these due dates and events. Some tips for creating a calendar that drives productivity include:
- Start by filling in all monthly activities and dates.
- Include time buffers on your schedule.
- Make important dates and deadlines stand-out.
- Be flexible.
Make sure your schedule isn’t all business—include staff birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates. This will encourage people to look at it more often, which will make it more effective!
Work on your communication skills.
Once you know everyone’s duties at your rheumatology practice and what their day-to-day looks like, you’ll be in a good position to communicate your rheumatology practice’s expectations and feedback. Whether you choose to correspond face to face, in staff meetings, or via email, make sure you’re able to say what you need to say, clearly and with compassion.
When your staff feels comfortable coming to you with issues and problems, you’ll know you’re doing something right!
Become a cheerleader.
Quality communication isn’t just about problems in the workplace. It’s also about celebrating the accomplishments of your colleagues! Positive reinforcement is a great way to keep your staff motivated. Avoid negative feedback and try to focus on praise and recognition but remember that words are just that.
Eventually, your employees will want to see a monetary reward for their hard work, so make sure that raises and promotions are part of your long-term plan. Finding good employees is hard but keeping them around is even harder.
[Click here for tips on how to keep your staff motivated!]
Don’t be a slave to mail.
Mail—electronic and otherwise—can quickly consume your day. With messages regularly pinging your inbox, you could make sorting through spam into a full-time job! Don’t allow the siren call of that inbox notification to distract you from more pressing matters.
Designate a specific time to go through your messages with a fine-toothed comb. Prioritize what needs an immediate reply, what can be delegated, and what you should delete. If possible, aim for “inbox zero” by the end of each week. This will keep your email under control and ensure that everyone who needs a reply gets one promptly.
We hope these tips help you run a more effective, efficient, and economic rheumatology practice. For more helpful tips, follow our blog and “like us” on Facebook!
Tags: medical office management, medical offices, national organization of rheumatology managers, office management, office managers, rheumatologists, rheumatology, tips for office managers Posted by
