Successful managers and company owners know the importance of employee motivation. Fostering an encouraging work environment leads to increased productivity, enthusiasm, and employee retention.
 |
| Joyce Perrone |
"You can only motivate yourself," says Joyce Perrone, practice administrator for De La Torre O&P and owner of Promise, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based consulting company. "But you can inspire other people." Learning how to properly manage employees, specifically how to inspire excellent work performance, is integral to any successful O&P facility, she says.
Positive Relationships
According to Perrone, employees are influenced by coworkers as well as by management. Positive coworker relationships play an important role in employee motivation. "Liking each other, supporting one another, an attitude of we're in this together,'" she says, "can make a big difference in working together effectively." For instance, she has seen staff members come up with a plan to take over a sick coworker's job while she was out, simply because they cared for her.
Achieving staff harmony begins with hiring the right people. "Take the time to hire the right employees in the first place," advises O&P human resource expert Kelly Smith. "It is important to concentrate on proactive and not reactive recruitment. This can be accomplished by constantly building a talent pipeline. A vast majority of O&P companies are small or family-owned; therefore it is imperative to avoid nepotism at all costs. The fallout from hiring neighbors, friends, and family members is astounding and may include increased gossiping, backstabbing, and/or laziness, because people need to earn a position of employment to feel a certain degree of respect for their duties and paycheck."
Effective Managers
 |
| Kelly Smith |
Both Perrone and Smith stress the importance of well-trained managers. "Have effective managers in place," says Smith. "Nothing destroys the morale of employees more than having to report to an ineffective manager." She continues, "Not all bad managers are overbearing, micromanaging, and mean. Some of the worst managers are complacent and do nothing at all to keep the department running smoothly."
Perrone warns against using fear tactics. "The dictatorship' path is a rocky one," she says, "Though fear can be a powerful motivator in the short term, it doesn't work in the long run. New talent will not put up with this approach, leaving you with [embittered] workers who might rob you and feel justified in doing it!"
Good managers are trained as leaders; therefore, Smith recommends not to "saddle a hands-on orthotist/prosthetist with management duties. Most orthotists and prosthetists did not enter the field so that they could deal with employee grievances and scheduling conflicts for department members. If an orthotist/prosthetist also happens to be able to handle management duties effectively, be sure to reward him or her financially for this additional skills set." She also recommends training and educating managers regularly.
Managers can influence employees' motivation by helping them understand their work has greater purpose as a whole than each individual piece alone. In O&P, there are many different aspects from start to finish of providing an orthotic or prosthetic device, so continuity of care is often missing. The technicians, clinicians, fitters, receptionists, and billers all provide an important piece of service, but may never see the end result. The bottom line is always to help a patient. "In our profession, we see people who are hurt and broken," Perrone reminds us. "They are not coming in because they want to, but because they need to. Therefore, they are often not happy."
When workers understand that the company exists to help these patients, often their piece of the whole picture becomes more meaningful, and they work more happily and productively. "The receptionist can do her part by being a pleasant face at the window or a joyful voice on the phone," says Perrone. "Clinicians and fitters can handle complaints about flaws and rubbing by finding ways to make the device more comfortable. The billing department can help set up payment plans. We run into certain glitches' in our field, like a doctor being short with you or a patient being mean. It is important not to take it personally. Understand they have other things going on, and it's not about you. Come at the problem logically rather than emotionally."
Value of Company Meetings
In addition, good managers know the value of a well-structured meeting in increasing employee motivation. Perrone acknowledges, "Meetings can be weird at first, but eventually people will start coming prepared to share." She recommends that meetings should not be just a lecture or running down a checklist, but should also contain fun, motivational, or inspirational aspects and provide a safe environment for employees to be open and honest. Meeting regularly provides opportunities for managers to understand their employees' needs, as well as to convey important company values. Meetings are a good way of acknowledging individual responsibilities. For example, the billing department can report on how it has managed accounts or the technicians can receive feedback and suggest ideas to produce better devices.
Incentives
Incentives and personal-growth opportunities can be powerful motivators. Perrone suggests employee incentives should not be forced and are most effective when they occur spontaneously. "Ice cream sandwiches on the first hot summer day or ending a work day early and having food brought in work well," she says. "You'll get different responses; some would rather have an extra five bucks in their pocket than lunch. It's all about listening to your employees and meeting their needs individually. Some people want to go to work, get paid, and go home. Others want to further their education, earn additional certifications, and be promoted within the company. Be careful not to invest in the wrong person. Invest in the person who's investing in himself or herself by taking classes, taking on extra work, or reading [educational] books."
Smith adds, "Show appreciation for employees and have employees feel as though they add value to the organization."
Both suggest sending thank-you notes and letters of appreciation. "Do not undervalue the simple thank-you' or job well done' when considering employee retention," Smith says.
Cross Training
Smith also recommends "cross training" as a valuable employee retention tool and way to "grow an invaluable talent pool of excellent employees." She says, "Cross training allows the employee to stay challenged while learning more about the big-picture business aspects of the company. There is so much one can do within a healthy O&P facility from call center, to billing, to marketing, to even learning how to be a lab technician. Cross training is not about having employees apply for transfers; it is about getting to know the employee and where his or her personality/skill set may fit best within the company."
There are many different approaches to inspiring and motivating employees. Listening to individual needs and accordingly supplying training opportunities and incentives leads to a healthy staff. No matter which techniques are employed, Perrone advises, "Managers must walk the talk. One of the most de-motivating things a company can do is to say, this is our value' and then not do it."
Joyce Perrone can be contacted via e-mail: joyce@fyi.net. KellySmith can be contacted via e-mail: kellystaffingexpert@yahoo.com. Sherry Metzger, MS, is a freelance writer with degrees in anatomy and neurobiology. She is based in Westminster, Colorado, and may be reached at metzgerfive@hotmail.com
