What Consistent Leadership Looks Like in a Dermatology or Medical Aesthetic Practice
Aug 01, 2023
What Consistent Leadership Looks Like in a Dermatology or Medical Aesthetic Practice
Staff pay close attention to what happens after a physician owner makes a decision.
A policy may say one thing, but an exception from the owner teaches staff what will actually be allowed. A manager may be responsible for operations, but direct answers from the owner teach staff who still has the final word. A priority may be announced at a meeting, but it loses importance when no one asks about it again.
These moments determine how the practice operates.
Decisions can change. Consistency comes from explaining what changed, communicating the new direction and making sure everyone is working from the same answer.
Staff Receive Different Answers
A staff member asks the manager a question and receives an answer. Later, the same question is brought to the physician owner between patients and receives a different answer.
The owner may not know that the question has already been addressed. The response may be given quickly without considering the policy, the previous decision or how the answer will affect other staff members.
Now the practice has two answers.
Before responding to an operational question, find out whether someone else has already made the decision. If the matter belongs with the manager, direct the staff member back to that person.
Staff should not have to determine which answer to follow.
Responsibility Is Assigned but Authority Is Not Protected
A manager cannot lead effectively when staff can bypass that person and receive a different decision from the physician owner.
Every time the owner answers a question that belongs with the manager, changes the manager’s decision without discussion or handles an issue the manager was expected to resolve, the reporting structure becomes less clear.
The manager remains responsible for the outcome but loses the authority needed to produce it.
Physician owners should discuss disagreements with the manager privately. Once the decision is made, both people need to support the same answer in front of staff.
An Exception Quietly Becomes the New Standard
Practices make exceptions. A patient has an unusual circumstance. A clinician needs a temporary schedule change. A staff member asks for flexibility during a difficult period.
The problem begins when the reason for the exception is never explained or its limits are not defined.
Other people see what was allowed and reasonably assume the same option is available to them. Staff are then left trying to explain why one person received something another person cannot.
When approving an exception, clarify why it is being made, whether it applies only to that situation and who needs to know. The original standard should remain clear.
Priorities Change Without Anything Coming Off the List
Physician owners see opportunities and problems throughout the day. A new marketing idea, staffing concern or patient experience issue can quickly become urgent.
Staff may already be working on several priorities when another one is added. Without clear direction, they have to decide what should be delayed, what can be left incomplete and which request matters most.
When a new priority is introduced, explain where it belongs among the work already underway. Identify what should move, who is responsible and when progress will be reviewed.
Otherwise, every request sounds equally urgent and important work competes with whatever was mentioned most recently.
Standards Disappear Under Pressure
The busiest days reveal which practice standards are firmly established.
A full schedule, an upset patient or an unexpected absence can create pressure to skip a step, answer a question differently or abandon a process that was put in place for a reason.
Sometimes an exception is necessary. Staff still need to understand what changed for that situation and what remains the standard going forward.
When processes regularly disappear under pressure, staff learn that following them is optional. Consistent leadership means returning to the standard after the immediate situation has been handled.
Consistency Reduces the Decisions That Return to You
Staff work more independently when they know who has authority, which answer applies and what remains true when the practice gets busy.
They also become more confident bringing the right questions to the right person.
Your staff watches which decisions are supported, which exceptions are allowed and which priorities receive follow through. Those moments determine whether the practice can operate from clear direction or whether routine decisions continue to return to you.
Ready to Strengthen Your Practice?
If staff are working from different answers or operational decisions continue to come back to you, I can help you clarify authority, strengthen follow through and make sure the practice operates from one clear direction.
Connie Kurczewski is the founder of Elevated Practice Consulting and Strategic Advisor to Dermatologists and Aesthetic Physicians. She advises physician owners on staffing, leadership, operations, marketing, sales and patient experience.
