Orthotown November 2022 - 24

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junsui
Member Since: 10/23/10
Post: 7 of 14
Ha-ha, perfect sentiment!
So, to answer Diane's questions, this is my own practice. The employee was a front desk
person when I took the practice over, and after the original offi ce manager left (a few months
after I took over), I moved her to offi ce manager. I might be able to work without an offi ce
manager-it's tough to say.
I have 13 employees, so there is a lot of human resources stuff to do. It's tough because I agree
with the offi ce manager's recommendations the vast majority of the time-but the few times I
don't, she gets angry, possibly because it feels unusual for me to disagree. But I need to have the
fi nal say! I appreciate her passion and concern for the practice, but although she's free to try to
persuade me I'm wrong, she must do her best to implement whatever my fi nal decision is.
She is concerned that when I disagree with her, I am undermining her authority and the staff
will not respect her. I don't know how to get around that and how to keep her happy and feeling
like she's got authority and respect. ■
6/13/2011
dhmjdds
Member Since: 11/16/04
Post: 8 of 14
The only reason to keep this person on your staff is if she is producing more than she is costing
you, or letting you produce more because of her presence. Thirteen full-timers is a lot of staff
for a one-doc offi ce. You should be producing at least $125K per staff member, so you should
be producing $1.6 million annually minimum. Of course, maybe some of these are part time?
If her complaint is that you disagreeing with her is undermining her, then why are you
disagreeing in front of the rest of the staff? The two of you need to set up specifi c times, daily
or weekly, to discuss these issues apart from other staff members. Never, ever discuss anything
in front of the other staff.
You are the boss, but you don't seem to feel like you should be. Never forget that the only
person this offi ce really matters to is you: You have all the liability and all the responsibility, and
get all the profi ts and risks.
Perhaps the two of you need to go to Charlene White's Mastering Management workshop.
(I always liked the tagline for this one: " For offi ce managers, almost offi ce managers, and sort-of
offi ce managers. " ) This would help you defi ne your offi ce manager's rights and responsibilities. ■
6/14/2011
jwilliam
Member Since: 07/25/03
Posts: 9 and 10 of 14
If the situation is as you described, this person is toxic and has to go. You can't afford to have
a staff member who does not fully support you. I learned this through bitter experience.
This kind of employee will undermine you with the rest of the staff, cause discord and kill
morale in the offi ce. They will oppose, openly or passive-aggressively, changes or systems you put
in place to move your practice forward, and they will drive patients from your offi ce. Charlene
White will tell you this herself, because she told me about a person I tolerated for too long because
I mistakenly thought she was irreplaceable. Charlene was right: All of those things I mentioned
above happened and it really hurt the practice. Trust me: The rest of your staff is watching to
see how you handle this. It will set the bar for the rest of them if you let her get away with this.
It's easier to say than do, but if you drop the hammer quickly and decisively, they will know you
have zero tolerance for insubordination and non-team players.
Edit of the previous post:
Just read your separate post under Offi ce Managers and the plot thickens. I stand by the
previous as far as toxic employees, but your post over there indicates the problem may be partly
due to you. If you're going to give someone the job description of offi ce manager, you don't
undermine them, either. Of course, they can accuse you of this to put you on the defensive when
you disagree with them, as mine used to do, but if you want to change something they told the
staff, have a meeting with the OM, tactfully explain why you want the change and have her tell
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