Lynn E. Lawrence, CMSgt (ret), CPOT, ABOC
Faye Wattleton- “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.”

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This lecture is designed to educate Office Managers and employers and techniques used to resolve issues with a troubled employee.
Documentation and counseling techniques will be discussed and sample forms will be provided.
A tool to develop “Traits of a good team player” will be highlighted. Points from
Federal Labor Laws will be discussed.

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Define Toxic Employee
Impact upon team
Hiring
Office Leadership
Position description
Performance feedback
Documentation
Follow-up actions
Termination point

 Is it the employee or the environment
 Does the office have rules and borders
 Is office leadership visible
 Has every effort been made to reform employee

 Do you have a formal training program?
 Does the employee know and understand their responsibilities
 Is it written down (PD)
 How do you correct performance deficiencies with your employees
 Is your feedback candid and specific (not about feelings)

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 Someone who consistently brings the team down
 Great effort has been made to reform this individual
 The individual does not understand that they are on a team
 Refuses to work synergistically with others, always involved in drama (usually at home too)

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Mission
Goals
Vision
Lines of Authority
Standards
Leadership Sync
Accountability
Equity
Employee Buy-in
Ken Blanchard-“ None of us is as smart as all of us.” Synergy is what makes the team invaluable.

 If you make an attempt to establish goals and direction for the office and you have an employee that refuses to give the change a try…this is a sign that the employee has confusion with their role in the office…you need to re-direct…

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 have a body of knowledge, scope of practice, agreed upon values, oath or code and accountability to our society for their profession and their professional behavior.
 What conduct do you allow in your office?

What is a profession?
 An occupation requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation
 Conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession
If you own the practice, you shouldn’t feel like the matador

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Span of control
Set high standards for your staff
Describe acceptable behavior for your office
Post your standards
Reward openly, correct in private
Set the bar for
“Becoming an expert”

 Listen to your staff!
 Make sure they listen to you!
 Jesus Story:
- Learn good listening skills
- Don’t prejudge

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From the beginning set the bar high
 The interview
Clear and tangible rules
 Office goals that are posted, easy to see
 Only post those you will enforce or it will devalue all the other rules
Develop a feedback system
 Formal feedback
 Regular basis…they know it is coming

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PERFORMANCE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES
 Quality and Quantity of work:
 Timeliness of Work:
KNOWLEDGE OF PRIMARY DUTIES
 Technical Expertise:
 Knowledge of Related Areas:
 Applies Knowledge to Duties:
COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS
 Customs and Courtesies
CONDUCT
 Responsibility:
 Support for Organizational Activities:
 Respect for authority:
 Maintenance of Facilities:
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SUPERVISION/LEADERSHIP
 Sets and Enforces Standards:
 Initiative:
 Self Confidence:
 Provides Guidance/Feedback:
 Fosters Teamwork:
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INDIVIDUAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
 Upgrade Training
Professional Education:
Proficiency/Qualification:
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
 Verbal:
 Written:
ADDITIONAL FACTORS
 Values: Demonstrate Integrity:
 Service to Others Before Self:
 STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ALL THEY DO:
Education:

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Set clear standards
Observe behavior
Conduct the interview
Give honest feedback
 Positive
 Negative
 Corrective
Monitor progress
 Positive
 Negative

 If an employee feels they can get away with something, they will push until they get what they want or someone in leadership puts a stop to the foolishness
 Office behavior is dictated by those in leadership, not by those in subordinate situation

Norm
Teamwork/Communication
Leadership/Supervision
Customer Relations
Profitability/Cost Effectiveness
Innovativeness/Creativity
Training/Development
Positive
Organization and personal pride - People see themselves as a part of the team
- They display ownership
-People are open
-Information freely shared
-Rewards/recognition shared
-Open door policy active
-People come to the boss for advice
-Work gets done without the boss present
- Attitude that everyone’s time/ mission is of value and treated with respect
Effects on Norm
-High work standards
-Pride in accomplishments
-Workers feel stake in outcomes
-Shared information and expertise more effectiveness
-Cooperative atmosphere
-Open communication maintained
-Less psychological gaming
-Supervision f0cused on leading, helping, and developing
-Satisfied customers
-Customer feedback is seen as a motivator by workers and supervisors
-Funds available for priority items
-Essential items last longer
Negative
-People quick to criticize
-Show little concerns for problems
-Treat job as a 8-5
-No after-hour involvement
-People hold vital information
-People go out of their way to make themselves look good
-Always looking out for himself
-Cats away, the mice will play
-Subordinates only communicate when forced
-Subordinates get quiet when boss enters room
-Boss trying to catch workers doing wrong
-Complaints from patients
-Lack of respect shown by workers
-Rudeness, apathy, anger, displayed
-Keeping others waiting
-Blank checkbook mentality
-Trash can always full
-Funds outlive budget
-Little waste
-Workers question cost
-Workers experiment with new ways
-Active suggestion program
-Unit fully supports training (OJT,
PME, off-duty education
-Training is vital part of job
-More effective methods surface
-Creative people motivate to improve output
-More qualified people to do tasks
-Experience workers free to take on tough taskings
-Able to adapt to new technology
-People criticized for new ideas
-Nothing new in years
-Listening is not an acquired skill
-Training program routinely miss target dates
-High qualification failure rates
-Slow to adapt to new systems

 Why do you call yourself a leader?
 Doc, office manager, are you afraid of coming out of your exam room because of staff drama?
 Afraid of getting involved?
 Doctor/Office Manager do you wait until things are on your last nerve?
 Do you allow shouting matches
 You need to turn the staff away from negative behavior

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Identify leadership
Polite
Why we are here
Eliminate chaos…bid for power…who is in control
Constructive criticism
Esprit de corps
Team concepts
Continual improvement processes
Conflict resolution
Professional treatment

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Specific
 Focused on critical items
Measurable
 Concrete deliverables
Achievable
 Produces highest performance and motivation
Relevant
 Currency on important issues
Time based
 Must have deadlines
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An apprentice period
Probationary period
Don’t trust the interview
Check “Facebook”
Check with previous employers
Check letters of recommendation
Don’t trust a feeling

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Review job description
Document strengths
Document weaknesses
Document concerns
Document tangible plan for change
Document next followup date
When things are not following the plan, be the bull

 A systemic, two-way discussion between supervisor and subordinate concerning duty performance as compared to established standards and goals
 Feedback supports individual growth…directional progress
 Upward
 downward
 Always have previous evaluation available

 Values: Demonstrate Integrity: Do they so what’s right even when no
one is looking? Can they be trusted? Do they tell the truth? Do they cut corners?
 Service to Others Before Self: Do they try to avoid work? Do they put in extra hours when needed without complaining? Are they willing to go to the extreme or do they try to get out of assignments?
 STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ALL THEY DO: Do they do the best job possible? Are they committed to dong it right? Do they pass the buck or not accept responsibility?
 Education: If they’re finished their standard training requirements, are they trying to improve themselves? (education/away from the office) Are they involved in any professional organization?

 Be clear on expected outcomes
 Plan what you will say
 Have the strategy in your mind
 Use the “I” message, it demonstrated responsibility and authority
 Have the employee repeat back expectations

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Get rid of the workers that won’t work as a team
Cut the cancer off of the team
Assist those who find it difficult conforming to the plan to transition into another environment more conducive for their personal growth

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Deal in specifics
(tangibles)
 Avoid general statements
 Behavior, effect, thoughts
 Quality, quantity, timeliness, cost
Focus on actions
 Must be non-threatening
Determine time/place
 Give FB ASAP/avoid waiting
Refrain from including other issues
 Avoid topics not FB related

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Make every effort to reform employee
Document, document, document
Document some more
Let them know they are being monitored
Be specific
Be clear

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They never use my name
They ask me to repeat info already given
They never admit mistakes
They are not well groomed
They talk to their friends instead of the patients
They talk on the phone while the patients wait
They act condescending
They lie about what they have done
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They give rules with no explanation
They blame the computer
They won’t look me in the eye
They make stuff up in their answers
They smile and don’t mean it
They give a smart flippant answer
They don’t listen to what I have to say
They question my honesty

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Punctuality
Poor communications
Feedback/follow-up actions
Poor accountability
The “Blame Game”
The “I told you so” attitude
Turn down opportunities
Spreading rumors
Drama Queen/King
Never satisfied

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1000mg
Kaboom
1000mg
Fruit of the
Spirit
800mg
Suck it up
500mg
Happy Pills

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Outline acceptable steps:
 Be firm and respectful
 Describe specifically the behavior or situation
 Express clearly what the concerns are
 Suggest alternatives for agreement
 Consequences for negative impact on team performance, strive for consensus
 What do you practice at home?

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Staff members must know the negative impact of unnecessary drama
Communicate expectations of professional maturity
Provide opportunity to improve
Take action ASAP when there is a disruption that negatively impacts the office
Get all of the facts
As long as there are people the will be conflicts

U.S. Department of Labor
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Interview question
Question: What notices must be given before an employee is terminated or laid off?
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Answer: The Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) has no requirements for notice to an employee prior to termination or layoff. In certain cases, employers must give the workers advanced notice of mass layoffs or plant closure. The Warn Act provides specific information on advance notice, employer responsibility and workers rights during mass layoffs or plant closure.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/state.htm

 There is no reason to have rules that you will not enforce
 Failing to enforce any rule, devalues every rule
 Accountability enforces leadership

 An office with high standards will have high motivation
 An office with loose standards will have plenty of drama
 Leadership will have to set the example of the standards

 When every effort has been made and the risk is not worth the investment…terminate the relationship
 A new work environment may be just what the person needs to appreciate their job!

 An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said,
"OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan". All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A... After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.