Do you have team members that need to be replaced? Do you find it difficult to replace them? Do you know how to replace them? Maybe this pearl can help.
WHY replace a team member:
- They are disruptive, reducing team morale and possibly running off patients
- They can’t do all of the procedures in their position and can’t or don’t want to learn
- They are no longer needed in that position and there is no other position for them to work in
Every doctor feels bad about taking away someone’s livelihood, even when they are disruptive, but sometimes it must be done for the good of the practice and its patients. And it isn’t easy to terminate a team member, no matter what the doctor’s personality:
- Strong relator doctors don’t want to experience the sorrow of disconnection when firing a team member, even when they already are disconnected
- Strong socializer doctors want everybody to be happy, even when that team member (and the rest of the team) are obviously unhappy
- Strong analyzer doctors don’t want to feel that they made a mistake letting that person go, even though they have much evidence to do so
- Strong director doctors want the situation resolved and have the least remorse when letting someone go, but it still isn’t easy to do it until they get angry
Many of my clients have endured months, sometimes years of anguish when a team member becomes disruptive, brings down the team morale and/or tarnished the practice’s reputation. But once they replace that disruptive employee their practice became heavenly in comparison.
The best way to avoid a disruptive employee is to never let them get past the conditional employment period (typically 90 days) if they are not working out. If they later become a problem you need to terminate their employment, but it isn’t easy. Also refer to “Vaccinating Against The Dismorale Virus” management pearl for additional protocol for dealing with disruptive team members.
HOW to terminate a team member’s employment:
- Decide that their employment is no longer tolerable
- Document about two months of disciplinary problems and actions taken (see attached “Employee Termination Documentation” PDF)
- Tell them that they have 30 days to turn the situation around or else they must seek employment elsewhere
- Have them partake in an “Exit Interview” (see PDF)
- If they are not negatively disruptive, but still need to go, see if you can get them a job elsewhere if possible.
- Give her two weeks severance pay, but at the end of eack week, as long as she doesn’t badmouth the practice.
HOW to REPLACE them…use the “Organization & Hiring” Management Kit and avoid future situations like this.
