Time for a culture check

If I asked you to describe the culture at your practice, would you be able to? And would you be able to tell me why it’s important?

First, let’s agree that it is important. Very important. Why? Because your practice culture informs decisions, actions and behaviors in your office. Your culture informs how your physicians and staff interact, how the physicians and staff interact with your patients, how your billing office interacts with payers and patients, and on and on.

Your practice culture is based on your behavioral norms, your values, mission and vision.

If you have a strong and positive practice culture, you’ll attract a better employee. You’ll have better employee satisfaction, and a better patient experience. Your office will run more efficiently, you’ll have less absenteeism, fewer employee issues, and a more profitable business.

What’s the secret sauce for this kind of culture? It’s a simple recipe.

• Develop a clear and motivational mission and vision, and a strong set of core values. Embody it in your behavior every day. Secure buy-in from the physician leadership and ensure that they embody it in their behavior every day. Talk the talk, and walk the walk. Every single day. Establish what’s acceptable, and what’s not, and why.
• Communicate. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s not. Communicate clearly, thoughtfully, and often. Communicate timely and accurately. Work to improve channels vertically and horizontally. Embrace open and transparent communications. Be direct. Be clear. Be thoughtful.
• Build your team carefully. Hire new team members that embrace your culture. Skills are important, but they can be learned. The adage, hire for attitude, train for skills, applies here. One of the biggest challenges any administrator faces is the ability to staff the office with people who “fit” the culture. Hire for attitude, train for skill. It matters.
• Be a learning organization. Constantly focus on learning from everything you do. Learn what processes work, and those that don’t. Learn what communication approaches work, and those that don’t. Learn what hiring practices work, and those that don’t. Learn. Learn. Learn.
• Respect people and celebrate. Mary and Sally are people, not “billers.” Billing may be their task, but they are people. Treat every team member and every patient as a person first. Respect each person. And celebrate successes and accomplishments. Create a safe and fun environment in which to work.

Your culture is critical to your practice’s success. In many cases, your culture defines your practice more than anything else. Your culture informs every decision, every action.

Have you checked your culture lately?