Management in physical
therapy
Becoming a Manager
 Pursue management roles at many levels.
 Private practice physical therapists often divide their
time between their business and patient care
responsibilities.
 CORPORATE HEALTH CARE LADDER
 UPPER LEVEL MANAGER
 MID LEVEL MANAGER
Transitioning From Patient Care
to Management
 Lombardi identifies these transitions as moving from
 Self-direction to selfless service.
 Autonomous control to circumstantial control.
 Quantitative to qualitative outcomes.
 Definitive clinical criteria to overall comprehensive
goals.
Mentoring
 Important consideration in transitioning from
clinical care to management responsibilities is
to identify mentors who can help in the process.
 IMPORTANCE OF MENTOR
 CLINICAL POSITION
Roles of a Mentor
 Sponsor: to open doors for the new manager
 Coach: to show the “the ropes” of the new
position
 Protector: to buffer negative experiences
 Exposer: to create new opportunities
 Challenger: to stretch the manager’s new
skills and their scope of work
 Role model: develop new behavior
People Management
Be kind and respectful.
Be fair.
Do as you say and mean what you say.
Guide and give inspiration to people.
People yearn to be loyal.
People want to be trusted.
Foster “know thyself” so people can self-manage.
Ask this important question often, “Why do you
work?”
 Focus on the results of work rather than how
hard someone is working.
 Hang together even if there is disagreement.
 Managing is about tradeoffs not compromise.
 Managers can’t be all things to all people.
 Stay the course of the organization.
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Things to Delegate and Not to Delegate
DELEGATE WHEN. . .
✦ All necessary information is available for the task
to be delegated.
✦ The responsibilities are more about operations
than about planning and organizing.
✦ Others are more qualified or have the necessary
skills that are not your strengths.
✦ Responsibilities can be provided that allow
people to grow and challenge them.
✦ Assignments require evaluation and recommendations.
✦ The tasks are more routine requiring only minor
decisions.
✦ There are clear job descriptions and work
expectations.
✦ A follow-up plan upon completion is in place.
DO NOT DELEGATE WHEN. . .
✦ The team needs leadership in determining
priorities and setting goals.
✦ The task involves planning and solving new
problems.
✦ The task is developing teams.
✦ Coaching and motivating are needed.
✦ Evaluating performance of subordinates.
✦ Rewarding or disciplining personnel.
✦ The assignment was given directly to you to
complete.
✦ The work had already been assigned to someone
else; do not overlap assignments.
Horizontal Communication
 Determination of which other mid-level managers
are most important to their work is a concern for
new managers.
Vertical Communication
 Communication vertically also is important to mid-
level managers.
 First of all, communication with their immediate
superiors must include a clear understanding of
responsibilities, priorities, and the level of authority
for duties that they are assigned.
 frequency of communication is vital