Medical teams are called upon to respond to some of the most extreme situations known to man. Their job demands the execution of expert knowledge in split-second timing several times a day. Miscommunication and the wrong information can cost someone their life in this setting. The COVID 19 pandemic has only brought home the importance of having medical teams properly trained and resourced. They also need to be properly managed.
As the person managing a multi-function medical team, your responsibility is double. You have to perform your role as a medical professional, but you also have to direct and supervise the performance of others on that team.
Here are some tips that will make performing your role as a leader easier.
1. Set the example
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If you want to see your team exhibit certain behaviors, it has to start with you. You want your team members to be professional? You have to be a model of professionalism along the way. You want them to be constantly upgrading their skills and integrating their new learning into their practice? Again, that starts with you.
Your behavior cannot be inconsistent with what you say. You cannot arrive to work late without good reason and expect your team not to do the same. Once you have established this as office behavior, expect your team to follow.
Your team will be as strong or as weak as you show them to be.
2. Communicate
Communicating to a team is hard enough in an ordinary office setting. When there are lives on the line, a lack of proper communication is a high risk, with dire consequences. It is critical that you as the manager of a medical team let your staff know what is going on. Have regularly scheduled meetings to let your team know what are the goals and objectives and what’s expected of them in terms of delivery of patient care.
That communication has to be two-way. Your team has to feel comfortable coming to you with problems and solutions, even when they know you might not agree with them. They may actually have a better way of performing a procedure or setting up a process that costs less time and money. You would never know this if you didn’t listen to your team.
3. Use technology to help you with administrative tasks
A medical practice, whether it is a hospital in a major city or a small doctor’s office, generates paperwork. There are patient records, prescriptions, insurance forms, information on medications patients are taking, and schedules for medical procedures. The professionals behind Flow Healthcare heavily emphasize the need to outsource these duties to help free you up from unnecessary stress. You are already managing a team and have several responsibilities on your plate. Don’t find yourself overburdened with administrative tasks that you can have someone else handle for you.
4. Delegate where you can
Tied to tip number three, you are one person and only human after all. When you try to do everything yourself, it ups the possibility of mistakes being made. If the task doesn’t require your specialist knowledge, consider delegating it to another member of the team.
This will free up your time to focus on your core responsibilities, that is managing the team, helps team members acquire skills, and shows that you trust them to accomplish the delegated task.
5. Support your team
Medical work is hard in ways other jobs are not. The hours are long. It can be difficult and stressful. On the occasions where patient outcomes are not successful, your team can be devastated by the blow.
Your job as a manager will involve boosting morale. It will involve getting to know your teammates well enough to know when they need a break, whether they need you to assign some extra help from colleagues or whether problems at home are beginning to affect their on-the-job performance.
Being a manager doesn’t just mean being a “boss”. You also have to perform the role of mentor. You need to provide the team with the environment and the tools they need to grow as professionals.
6. Build your team
The best medical teams did not come together by guesswork. They were brought together with making the best matches in terms of personality, work ethic, and skillsets. As a manager, you are the person tasked with the responsibility of pulling together the best team you can and making sure they work together as well as they can.
Your role as a manager of a medical team is a pivotal one. Lives will depend on the decisions you and your team make. Make the best decisions using these provided tips to guide you.
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