Managing People: getting the best out of your staff

Robert Cusack, General Manager, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Presentation to Emerging Health Managers, ACHSE,

12th July 2007

Introduction• People• Jobs• Environment• Feedback• Rewards and Recognition• Performance Appraisals• Performance Management• Managing People Older than yourself• Managing Clinicians• Scenarios – Groups and discussion

People

• An issue in all organisations

• Health – Service industry – all about people

• Teams

• Recruitment – vital process. Select the right person for the right job

• Development and motivation of employees

The job

• Position (Job) descriptions

• Involvement of the employee in development of the PD (if possible)

• Ensure they understand their role

• Clear KPI’s. The ones that have the greatest impact on the responsibility of the role

Environment

• Culture – positive or negative

• Values – eg respect, honesty Organisational/Society

• Communication – keep people informed

• Training and Development

• Pride, enjoyable, safe

Feedback

• Informal recognition

• Formal – including performance appraisal

• Power of a thank you note or letter

• Celebrate success

Rewards and Recognition

• Staff awards

• Peer recognition (or Family)

• Tokenism? Staff lunch, movie tickets

• Attitude – how is it treated?

• Financial and other motivators

Performance Appraisals

• Importance – ACHS experience• Have an agreed plan with the employee• Review the plan with the employee• No surprises essentially a positive session. • Any unsatisfactory performance issues should

have been raised at the time (see The One Minute Manager)

Performance Management• The most challenging area• Needs to be tackled• Other employees do not have respect for a

manager who does not effectively deal with an employee with performance problems

• Needs to be done in the correct manner• Empathy – if you were in their place• Sometimes necessary for the greater good• Not at the expense of time with good employees

Natural Justice

• Also known as procedural fairness• The Aphorism - ‘Justice should not only be done,

but should be seen to be done’• 3 rules of natural justice

• Hearing rule – the right to be heard, which means the right to have a fair hearing, with the opportunity to present one’s case

• Bias Rule – the right to have a decision made by an unbiased decision-maker

• Evidence rule - the right to have the decision based on evidence , not speculation or suspicion

Performance Management - Process

• Seek expert HR advice if available on both the approach and process

• Records – file notes, formal letters• Empathy• Common mistakes

• Not crossing t’s and dotting i’s• Not providing prior warnings• Not documenting warnings and process• Employee not fully aware of both the issue and the implications• Allowing appropriate support in the process• Unions will want and expect this• No follow up

The One Minute Manager• Set the rules ie people know your approach to feedback• Do it immediately – avoid procrastination

• "Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." --William James,

• “Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.” -- George Claude Lorimer

• Be specific• Let them know your feelings about the situation• Remind them of the positives• Reaffirm that you think well of them, but not about this

situation• Separate the reprimand from other interaction ie know when it

is over

Managing people older than yourself

• ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ – Mitch Albom

• Respect

• Empathy

• Be yourself

• Treat them as you would others, praise, discipline etc

Managing Clinicians

• Don’t pretend you know

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions

• They need your strengths ie business management, resources

• Treat them as you would others, praise, discipline etc

• Non employees

Scenarios

1. Well liked, but not good at their job

2. The person no one wants to work with

3. Performance plans for people not coping

4. Problem person you have now

Three take home messages

• People issues are essentially the same no matter what the organisation

• Values and Empathy should provide the framework for effective staff management and motivation

• Performance Management – Get the process right and don’t procrastinate about it

Providing a productive environment for an

employee(s) to develop and see them flourish and excel at their job or in their career

development is one of the most rewarding things that can happen for a manager