Despite the medical profession being one of the most reputable careers, it comes with a heavy toll. Working long hours and enduring enormous stress are just a few things that doctors have to deal with every day. The mental and physical exhaustion quickly sets in, forcing many practitioners into an early retirement or, even worse, sickness.
However, things don’t have to be that gloomy. Regardless of the obstacles, the medical profession is still highly fulfilling, especially if you consider some of the alternatives. Among others, doctors can take comfort in the fact that they’re saving lives and helping people with debilitating chronic conditions.
If your staff is struggling to cope with all the daily challenges, we suggest you read this post. We’ll share a few small tricks to keep your employees’ morale up when things get tough. While you might know most of these tricks, they can still serve as a health reminder!
1. Avoid being understaffed
Even if you’re the best manager in the world, your staff will feel frustrated if the clinic is understaffed. In other words, you are the one who has the biggest impact on their job satisfaction and performance. So, if employees start complaining about the workload, it’s best to hire some help before some of them leave.
One of the best tricks is having several part-timers who can always step in during holidays and sick leaves. These periods are the toughest as the work will fall on a now reduced team. And, as it usually goes, a few top-performers will feel most stressed during this time.
2. Improve your hiring
When we talk about employee motivation, people rarely think about the hiring process. However, the truth is that your HR is every bit as responsible for staff’s satisfaction as the incoming patients. Ideally, you should find someone who is flexible enough to take on the daily challenges and yet doesn’t have a negative impact on other employees.
The best way to prevent lousy hiring is by performing extensive background checks for every applicant. Aside from interviewing previous managers, we also suggest you have a sit down with the staff. That way, you can discover some juicy details about how a person behaved toward their peers and if they respected the practitioner.
While the conflict is inescapable, and there will always be some frustration between team members, you can significantly alleviate the issue by hiring the right people.
3. Introduce mental health days
Another reasonable concession is introducing mental health days. While this concept might sound counterintuitive, as every absence puts more burden on other employees, these short leaves can still help practitioners on the verge of burnout.
The best way to determine if a person is ready for a mental health day is by analyzing their behavior. Anxiety, forgetfulness, irritability, and avoidance of other people are good indicators that a doctor needs some well-deserved time off. You might even suggest a short paid leave if the fatigue affects the practitioner’s performance.
4. Remind staff of their goals
One of the best ways to keep your staff motivated and to stave off fatigue is by reminding them why they’re in this business. Medicine is the most selfless profession, with many practitioners having no problem sacrificing their well-being in favor of their patients.
Another cool trick is taking photos of challenging but successful cases. You can gift these pictures to your doctors so they can keep them in their offices. That way, they will never forget all the lives they’ve changed during their careers.
Keep in mind that this trick can work once every so often. It can provide a short burst of motivation when someone is feeling blue, but it can’t address major exhaustion. In these cases, it’s much better for a practitioner to take a few days off.
5. Introduce awards and rewards
Perhaps the best way to show employees you care is by giving out medical awards and rewards. In the end, the fact that you’re willing to spend money on practitioners shows how much you appreciate them.
Ideally, you should create an annual award event during which you can praise some of the best performers. The great thing about these shows is that they give you a lot of room for creativity, so you can even be goofy. As if that isn’t enough, it’s an excellent opportunity for staff to relax and enjoy some quality time with each other.
6. Use their feedback
There are lots of reasons why your employees might feel frustrated. From excessive work to low pay rates and complex interpersonal relationships, you can never be sure what’s truly bothering them. Because of that, you might want to create an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their views.
Most importantly, you should never use their feedback against them and only utilize it to improve internal processes. Keep in mind that a single complaint doesn’t necessarily merit a reaction, especially if it’s a minor issue. Nevertheless, you should consider everyone’s opinion because that makes everyone feel like they’re a part of the team.
Conclusion
For the most part, employees’ motivation correlates to the organization’s internal processes. Clinics and hospitals with poor management usually have lower practitioner satisfaction, so it’s best to start from yourself if you want to make a change.
