Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Show your staff you care. Here’s how.

Phil Boucher, MD
Physician
July 24, 2019
90 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Have you heard of the book The 5 Love Languages? My wife will tell you my love language is “words of affirmation,” and I agree. I feel most appreciated when I’m told that I’ve done something well or when my hard work and efforts are recognized, as is the case with most of us.

Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, also wrote a book called The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. This book, geared towards employers, discusses empowering your employees through encouragement and appreciation.

If you look at the workplace research, the number one cause of employee disengagement and turnover isn’t working too hard or not making enough money — it’s not feeling appreciated or affirmed. If you’re dealing with a staff that isn’t motivated, inspired or going above and beyond — part of the reason is you. I’m sorry to put it so bluntly, but it’s true. The good news is that there is hope.

You don’t have to worry about changing each and every one of your employees or hiring completely new staff if you’re looking for a better work ethic. If you change yourself, you will watch your employees transform around you.

So how do you do this?

Well, it’s important to show your appreciation for your employees frequently.

An annual bonus doesn’t cut it. In fact, most employees expect an annual bonus — it’s pretty much just considered a part of the salary at this point. Randomly springing for lunch or bringing in the occasional box of donuts is a nice thing to do to care for your staff, but it doesn’t incentivize them in the trenches to give that extra customer experience that will propel your business.

If you want your employees to feel valued and appreciated truly, I have two words for you — tell them. And tell them again. Tell them over and over that the tiny things they do that you appreciate. It is hard at first. It feels awkward. When I tell fellow physicians this, the most common response I get is: “You want me to thank them for doing their job?” The short and long answer is yes. Your staff doesn’t get affirmation as you do. You, as the physician, make a lot of smart moves each day, and your patients tell you. Your staff doesn’t see or experience that.

Some doctors I talk to prefer to send praises over email because it feels a little personal at first, but two simple things can make all the difference in employee morale.

  • Tell them what you noticed.
  • Tell them why what you noticed is helpful.

So, for example: “Hey, Shawn (my nurse’s name is Shawn). I noticed yesterday that you helped that mom carry her car seat out when her hands were full with her screaming baby. That really helped to make her day better, and actions like that make our office so special for our families. Thanks!”

That’s it.

Your employees are going above and beyond in small ways. If they aren’t — start with the little things they do get right and watch those little things blossom into more significant wins. As you notice and attend to those through positive affirmation, you’ll see it more and more.

Phil Boucher is a pediatrician and founder, Private Practice Matters.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The suffocation of social isolation

July 24, 2019 Kevin 0
…
Next

5 things I learned from being a "high-maintenance" patient

July 25, 2019 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The suffocation of social isolation
Next Post >
5 things I learned from being a "high-maintenance" patient

More by Phil Boucher, MD

  • If you want something done right, have other people do it

    Phil Boucher, MD
  • Be Bowser, not Mario in your medical practice

    Phil Boucher, MD

Related Posts

  • Why health care replaced physician care

    Michael Weiss, MD
  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • More physician responsibility for patient care

    Michael R. McGuire
  • Health care needs more physician CEOs

    Alexi Nazem, MD
  • Denying payment for emergency care: a physician defends insurers

    Michael Kirsch, MD
  • The health care system will cause its own physician shortage

    Advait Suvarnakar and Aashka Suvarnakar

More in Physician

  • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • The shifting landscape of gastroenterology manpower and compensation

    Brian Hudes, MD
  • Surgical procedures for inpatients: Addressing socioeconomic urgencies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

    Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD
  • A message of hope for physicians

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Dying is a selfish business

      Nancie Wiseman Attwater | Conditions
    • Navigating medical decision-making: Embracing limits and growth

      Benjamin Wade Frush, MD | Physician
    • Empathy and compassion in palliative care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Navigating the broken medical system: challenges faced by foreign medical graduates

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
    • The essence of medicine: genuine connections in practice

      Jennifer Tillman, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Why patients write: stress relief, self-care, and sharing experiences

      R. Lynn Barnett | Conditions
    • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Physician
    • Misinformed claims and the offensiveness of discrediting COVID-19 vaccine development

      Angel Garcia Otano, MD | Conditions
    • Bitcoin’s role in diversified portfolios [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • 1 in 5 doctors will become disabled. Are you prepared?

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Fentanyl Death Trends; Food Additives and Heart Disease
  • What If the Doctor Is Out?
  • Reduced Mortality Seen in Cancer Survivors Who Meet Exercise Guidelines
  • CDC Advisors Endorse Maternal RSV Vax to Protect Newborns
  • Amoxicillin Alone for Acute Sinusitis Holds Up Against Broad-Spectrum Cousin

Meeting Coverage

  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • Stopping Medical Misinformation Requires Early Detection
  • AI Has an Image Problem in Healthcare, Expert Says
  • Want Better Health Outcomes? Check Out What Other Countries Do
  • ERS Roundup: Cell Transplant Boosts Lung Function in COPD Patients
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Dying is a selfish business

      Nancie Wiseman Attwater | Conditions
    • Navigating medical decision-making: Embracing limits and growth

      Benjamin Wade Frush, MD | Physician
    • Empathy and compassion in palliative care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Navigating the broken medical system: challenges faced by foreign medical graduates

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
    • The essence of medicine: genuine connections in practice

      Jennifer Tillman, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Why patients write: stress relief, self-care, and sharing experiences

      R. Lynn Barnett | Conditions
    • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Physician
    • Misinformed claims and the offensiveness of discrediting COVID-19 vaccine development

      Angel Garcia Otano, MD | Conditions
    • Bitcoin’s role in diversified portfolios [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • 1 in 5 doctors will become disabled. Are you prepared?

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...