3 Things to Know About Motivation

When you and your staff are engaged, motivated, and connected to your work, you’re happy, they’re happy, and most of all, your patients are happy.

Keeping a team motivated is more complex than it might seem- it’s an intrinsic thing, and so what works for one individual might be a turnoff for another. Some people thrive on public recognition, while others prefer nothing more than pride in a job well done.

Most articles you’ll find will suggest material solutions- team outings, monetary rewards, and so on. We think motivation requires going deeper:

Know What’s Important – Setting goals for a medical practice can seem like a no-brainer. It’s still important to provide guidance to your staff on what work is a priority. Making sure priorities are clear helps you establish what’s important, what’s expected of your team, helps them visualize what success in their role looks like, and also helps you make sure things are running smoothly. It also gives you the opportunity to celebrate your team when it’s earned, and who doesn’t like that? Healthcare and medicine can feel like thankless work sometimes, whether in clinical or non-clinical roles, and so it’s important to recognize and appreciate one another for all you do.

Know Your Purpose – People are motivated when they know what they do matters. When everyone on the team understands their role in providing not just great patient care, but also in supporting one another, it’s deeply satisfying. The phenomenon of burnout is essentially a loss of connection to the purpose behind the work that’s done every day, and a loss of interpersonal connection between colleagues and staff. Regular conversations (not formal meetings) about how what you do makes a difference in peoples’ lives will help you and your team reconnect to what drives you.

Know Your Team – Get to know your people, both one-on-one and as a group. Find out what inspires your team, and rediscover what inspires you- you’ll find yourselves coming together as a team by learning what all of you value, and what you have in common. You’ll be able to encourage creativity in yourself and those around you, as you learn everyone’s strengths and talents. Open communication will also help you create and keep a positive environment in your office- it’s not just good for business. It’s good for the overall health and well being of yourself and your staff too, and at the end of the day, it leads to a better experience for your patients.

Managing motivation isn’t something you do once- it’s something you need to work on over time, and there’s no real finish line. Each day is an opportunity to experiment and learn what works (and what doesn’t work) for you and your team.