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Achieving Harmony, Motivation in the O&P Workplace
By Sherry Metzger, MS Successful managers and company owners know the
importance of employee motivation. Fostering an encouraging work
environment leads to increased productivity, enthusiasm, and
employee retention.
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Joyce Perrone |
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"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
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Kelly Smith |
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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 
Table Of Contents - November 2005
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