Owning or managing a business (not only in the medical or aesthetic field, but any industry) is challenging and managing risks come with the territory. To get people in your corner to help manage / minimise those risks are very important, but often a challenge itself.
Dr Ryan Neinstein, Plastic Surgeon and owner of Neinstein Plastic Surgery in New York City, shares his secret of how he keeps his team motivated throughout the year.
1. Stop being the smartest guy/girl in the room
Because when you walk in a room you might not be as smart as you think you are and the people in the room may not be as dumb as you hoped they were. Empowering staff in all essence begins and ends with your attitude towards other people (this includes employees, clients, and other partners). Switch your “me” and “I” vocabulary to “we” and “ours”. See your employees as equals instead of inferior subjects.
2. Find your mentors
It is impossible to know or do everything. One would argue that you don’t even know what you don’t know. For this reason every person (including owners / leaders) needs mentors for different aspects of their lives. For instance, business mentors are important and can be anyone from lawyers, wealth advisors, financial advisors. It is also important to rely on them for advice. Having specialists assisting you, will empower you to be a better leader and consequently generate motivated staff.
3. Never stop learning
If you are passionate about making your practice a success, reading books or listening to podcasts on the topic of leadership, marketing, and business management is key. Functional literacy of a leader is based on the knowledge they own. Furthermore, these authors / experts have gone experienced what you are going through so why would you go through it in the dark.
It is important to establish a learning environment in your clinic and to have your staff understand that they, as yourself, should be committed to life-long learning is part of the job description. According to Dr Neinstein: “The best investment I have ever made, is to invest in my employees. If I can give someone the opportunity to be a better version of themselves, why will I stand in the way of that?” Eventually it leads to more skilled and determine staff.
4. Discipline is important
In this instance, ‘discipline’ does not necessarily refer to the behaviour of your staff. But rather your routine as leader. A common habit of highly successful leaders is to rise early in the morning to either self-reflect, meditate or exercise. The result of a stable routine is a clear mind.
This is a custom that will also eventually rub off on your staff.
5. No-velvet-gloves policy
In any aesthetic practice (or business for that matter) it is crucial to approach issues heads-on. How to implement this? Staff will always learn from their leader. If you correct an employer when a fault is made (in a kind manner of course), members will follow your example. It is good to have a “no-velvet-gloves policy”. If you see something is wrong, you say something and staff will need to learn how to take constructive criticism. Talking behind someone’s back has never gotten anyone far.
6. Value the things that matter
Take note on what type of behaviour you give kudos for. If you give recognition to certain behaviour like good attitude, good citizenship, and kindness (oppose to “who works the latest everyday”), it will be the type of behaviour your staff strive for and imitate.
You may read this thinking that a lot of this sounds like self-development instead of actually focusing on improving the staff. The fact is that studies have shown that there is a direct correlation. It is not that people don’t want to work, it is that they don’t want to work for a bad employer.
This may sound like a lot to take on at once. Start by greeting everyone on their names every morning and overtime you will see the difference.