January 14, 2012

3-Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice – Part 3

Filed under: General — admin @ 7:19 am

strategy success block crossword 800 150x150 3 Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice – Part 3

Plan for Success

3.  Performance Appraisals:

Practical: An opportunity to have a one-on-one discussion with an employee about            what they are doing well & what they need to work on. Nothing changes without this knowledge. If you want more of the good & less of the bad, this is the ticket.

Legal Perspective: An accurate, signed performance appraisal is the most valuable             legal defense you will have if a former employee files a claim against you. These             document(s) are proof of : 1-poor performance 2-your intent to communicate clearly            3-your willingness to work with the employee toward improvement 4- the former employee’s awareness of your concerns & the consequences if performance was not improved. 

 

January 13, 2012

3-Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice – Part 2

Filed under: General — admin @ 10:17 am

2.  Job Descriptions:

life saver2 150x150 3 Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice – Part 2

Protect Your Practice

Practical: When customized for each person and position, sets crystal clear expectations for job performance. Have employees review, update and sign each year.

Legal Perspective: When edited or prepared by employees themselves, then acknowledged with the employee signature, this is your best defense of each employee’s understanding of what was expected of them. Dust off those old job             descriptions and put a working guide in place for each employee.

 

January 11, 2012

3-Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice – Part 1

Filed under: General,HR Compliance,Practice Leadership — admin @ 3:36 pm
win lose draw 150x150 3 Prong HR Strategy to Protect Your Practice   Part 1

Don't Just Roll the Dice!

With employee related lawsuits continuing to rise at an alarming rate, it is critical to shine a spotlight on your responsibilities as an employer and get your HR house in order.  Lawsuits are often more about perception than the truth. Commit to a proactive approach to HR compliance, rather than a reactive one and you will not only protect your practice assets, you’ll enjoy a practice that runs much more smoothly, effectively and happily.

1.  Policy &Procedures Manual:

Practical: Management framework for your practice spelling out how you run your practice. A much-appreciated guide for the team to prevents misunderstandings.

Legal Protection: When done well, comprehensively and kept current, it is your best defense of your positions and your good faith attempt to stay on top of your legal responsibilities to your employees. Guided by an HR Professional, you will be aware of all state and federal requirements and your policies and procedures will be compliant. Don’t take chances copying someone else’s manual; the rules change according to number of employees, your state and your type of business.

 

 

November 16, 2011

The REAL Sales Lesson from the Netflix “Debacle”

Filed under: Strategic Planning — admin @ 12:45 am

Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic™

The REAL Sales Lesson from the Netflix “Debacle”

November 15th, 2011

netflix logo The REAL Sales Lesson from the Netflix “Debacle” Much has been said and written about Netflix’s decision over the summer to raise their monthly full-service subscription fee from $10 to $16. Journalists, bloggers and a wide variety of  sales and marketing “experts” criticized the price increase, terming it everything from “unwise” to a “debacle,” pointing to the fact that Netflix lost 800,000 subscribers in the following months.

From all the hand-wringing and finger-pointing, you’d think Netflix only had 900,000 customers to begin with and was now on the verge of bankruptcy.

But here’s the reality: Before the price increase, Netflix had 24.6 millionsubscribers.

Which means Netflix raised their price by 60% and only lost 3.2% of its customers.

Let’s do the math.

24.6 million customers at $10 each is $246 million. 23.8 million customers at $16 each works out to $381 million. In other words, even with the loss of nearly a million subscribers, Netflix has increased its monthly revenues by $135 million! A whopping 54%!

And those results could’ve been even better. What caused most of the subscriber defections was not the price increase, but rather, the attempt by Netflix to divide itself into two companies, forcing customers to have to deal with two completely different accounts. People don’t like complicated, they like simple. In fact, they’ll pay more for simplicity, as Apple has proven repeatedly over the years. (Netflix executives wisely reversed that decision in the wake of the outcry from their customers.)

So what’s the real sales lesson here? Don’t be afraid to raise your prices.You won’t lose as many clients as you fear you will. In fact, you may not lose any. And even if you do lose some of your customers, you’ll still come out ahead thanks to the larger profit margin.

Too many people and companies undervalue what they sell and undercharge as a result. Insufficient profit margins will doom your business. If you produce a quality product or service, charge appropriately. People will happily pay it.

 

November 3, 2011

Unleash Your “Inner Steve Jobs”

Filed under: Practice Leadership,Team Development — admin @ 9:02 am

Steve Jobs and the Seven Rules of Success

Great article from  www.Entrepreneur.com BY CARMINE GALLO Love Carmine’s advice to unleash our “inner Steve Jobs”

Steve Jobs’ impact on your life cannot be overestimated. His innovations have likely touched nearly every aspect — computers, movies, music and mobile. As a communications coach, I learned from Jobs that a presentation can, indeed, inspire. For entrepreneurs, Jobs’ greatest legacy is the set of principles that drove his success.

Over the years, I’ve become a student of sorts of Jobs’ career and life. Here’s my take on the rules and values underpinning his success. Any of us can adopt them to unleash our “inner Steve Jobs.”

1. Do what you love. Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” Asked about the advice he would offer would-be entrepreneurs, he said, “I’d get a job as a busboy or something until I figured out what I was really passionate about.” That’s how much it meant to him. Passion is everything.

2. Put a dent in the universe. Jobs believed in the power of vision. He once asked then-Pepsi President, John Sculley, “Do you want to spend your life selling sugar water or do you want to change the world?” Don’t lose sight of the big vision.

Related: Steve Jobs’ Surprising First Business Venture

3. Make connections. Jobs once said creativity is connecting things. He meant that people with a broad set of life experiences can often see things that others miss. He took calligraphy classes that didn’t have any practical use in his life — until he built the Macintosh. Jobs traveled to India and Asia. He studied design and hospitality. Don’t live in a bubble. Connect ideas from different fields.

4. Say no to 1,000 things. Jobs was as proud of what Apple chose not to do as he was of what Apple did. When he returned in Apple in 1997, he took a company with 350 products and reduced them to 10 products in a two-year period. Why? So he could put the “A-Team” on each product. What are you saying “no” to?

5. Create insanely different experiences. Jobs also sought innovation in the customer-service experience. When he first came up with the concept for the Apple Stores, he said they would be different because instead of just moving boxes, the stores would enrich lives. Everything about the experience you have when you walk into an Apple store is intended to enrich your life and to create an emotional connection between you and the Apple brand. What are you doing to enrich the lives of your customers?

Related: 10 Things to Thank Steve Jobs For

6. Master the message. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can’t communicate your ideas, it doesn’t matter. Jobs was the world’s greatest corporate storyteller. Instead of simply delivering a presentation like most people do, he informed, he educated, he inspired and he entertained, all in one presentation.

7. Sell dreams, not products. Jobs captured our imagination because he really understood his customer. He knew that tablets would not capture our imaginations if they were too complicated. The result? One button on the front of an iPad. It’s so simple, a 2-year-old can use it. Your customers don’t care about your product. They care about themselves, their hopes, their ambitions. Jobs taught us that if you help your customers reach their dreams, you’ll win them over.

There’s one story that I think sums up Jobs’ career at Apple. An executive who had the job of reinventing the Disney Store once called up Jobs and asked for advice. His counsel? Dream bigger. I think that’s the best advice he could leave us with. See genius in your craziness, believe in yourself, believe in your vision, and be constantly prepared to defend those ideas.

 

September 20, 2011

On My Bookshelf…

After speaking at the AADOM meeting in Nashville this month, I’ve received several requests for a list of books I recommend. Here is a list of what’s on my bookshelf right now:

  • A Sense of Urgency by John Kotter
  • Delivery Happiness by Tony Hsieh
  • Drive by Daniel Pink
  • Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry, Jean Graeves
  • First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham
  • Good to Great by Jim Collins
  • It’s Called Word For a Reason by Larry Winget
  • Leading Change by John Kotter
  • Louder Than Words by Bob Kelleher
  • Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  by Dr. Stephen R. Covey*
  • The Discipline of Market Leaders by Traeacy, Wierseman
  • The Five Dysfunctions Of A Team by Peter Lencioni
  • The Hundred Percenters  by Michael Murphy
  • The Kindness Revolution by Ed Horrell
  • The Secrets of Six Figure Women by Barbara Stanny (this is for men too!)
  • Wooden – A Lifetime of Observations

*This has been on my reading list for over 20 years ~ and I’m not done with it yet!

September 18, 2011

Deja Vu?

Filed under: Practice Leadership,Team Development — admin @ 11:18 am

Employee engagement may be the biggest buzzword in talent management today and yet it remains more elusive than ever. Studies show that only 29% of employees are truly engaged in the workplace. For a practice with six team members, that means you’ve only got the hearts and heads of 2 of those 6 team members. It’s no wonder that 70% of change initiatives fail and most managers suffer from what I call ‘Meeting Déjà vu.” If you’ve ever been in a team meeting and wondered to yourself, “didn’t we just have this meeting a few months ago… why are we here again?, you too are experiencing ‘Meeting Déjà vu.”

 

August 15, 2011

AADOM HR Sessions

Filed under: Practice Leadership — admin @ 9:21 am

It’s no secret that turnover is disruptive and expensive; working through it can also be a demoralizing experience for the entire team.  Did you know that 30% of new hires start looking for their next job after just 30 days? Or that 46% of new hires will fail within the first eighteen months?

These statistics may help explain why the leading human resource topic on The American Academy of Dental Office Administrators (AADOM) attendees’ minds for our HR: The Guts & The Glory session in Nashville is recruitment and hiring.

Join us in Nashville as we cover HR topics from recruitment & selection to training, performance management, leadership, accountability, practice culture and morale.  We’re shining the spotlight on best practices that develop your team members into your greatest competitive advantage while improving the bottom line.  (AADOM’s website is www.dentalmanagers.com)

 

July 18, 2011

Laser Like

Filed under: Practice Leadership — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 12:29 am

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”- Steve Jobs

Your focus determines the impact. It’s so critical that we don’t confuse activity with accomplishment or being busy with being productive. I remember hearing a story years ago about a man who was touring a corporate headquarters and remarked that one of the team was sitting with his feet up on the desk doing nothing. The executive leading the tour corrected the man saying ‘actually he’s doing exactly what we pay him to do.. he’s thinking.”

Do you make the time to think as you begin your week or your day? Do you clear your desk or do you clear your head? When is the last time you physically wrote down the top priorities you must be focused on? Urgent issues demand our attention, but they may distract our focus from where it must be if we are to achieve great results. Don’t permit someone else’s emergency to divert your precious time and attention. Your team is counting on you.

GinnyHegarty.com Dental Practice Development Inc.

July 15, 2011

That’s a Bunch of Baloney!

Bob Kelleher of Southwest Airlines knows a lot about the power of purpose and the value of respecting your employees and treating them well. His company has been profitable for 38 years in a row – unheard of in the airline industry. He say that “the customer is always right” is a bunch of baloney if you have any respect for your employees. He believes that your employees are more important than customers and recommends taking care of your employees so they are able to treat your customers with warmth and hospitality that will keep your customers coming back, loyal to your company. CNBC Titans has a great episode devoted to Bob Kelleher’s story if you want to learn more.

GinnyHegarty.com Dental Practice Development Inc.

June 28, 2011

Celebrating Dorothy Gale

Filed under: General — admin @ 6:30 pm

Heard a fabulous lecture today by Art Jackson, President of Eagles Nest Performance Management, Inc. at the annual SHRM conference in Las Vegas. Art started off strong explaining we have great leadership examples all around us, but he feels one of the best leaders ever was Dorothy Gale.

Miss Gale:
1- found the synergies and dependencies between the organization’s needs and the individuals’ needs.
2- She developed and implemented a strategic plan, making course correctly where needed.

You might be wondering who Dorothy Gale is… here are some clues based on her successful leadership:
She did it with: 1) one person with low self-esteem, 2) another who was emotionally disengaged 3) someone who was risk-adverse 4) a little black dog that was no help at all and 4) a narcissistic witch on her tail the whole way….down that Yellow Brick Road!

Next time I watch the Wizard of Oz, I’ll be looking at it from a human resources perspective. Very provocative and inspirational presentation Art!

GinnyHegarty.com Dental Practice Development Inc.

May 6, 2011

Zappos is the Real Deal

Filed under: General — admin @ 2:10 am

From the moment I arrived, every person within my view made it a point to say hello, give a cheer, do a dance or bang a tambourine. Every person! The facility is unlike any workplace I’ve ever seen – you just have to see it to believe all the wacky decorations that fall from the ceiling or rise from under desks. People are engaged and having fun – and – they are providing incredible service with a smile, and lots of laughter.

The management consultant in me couldn’t help but look for signs indicating results and boy was I impressed. Zappos may be all about fun and great service, but they are tracking the results too. There is a white board in the middle of the call center with all the key indicator metrics posted. Everyone is aware of the targets and performance results. Oh, and the tour started and ended precisely right on time. Great experience that I would highly recommend the next time you’re in Las Vegas.

Now, I’m looking forward to seeing Tony Hsiesh. He will be speaking at the annual SHRM conference in Las Vegas in June. It’s been a Zappos kind of spring….

GinnyHegarty.com Dental Practice Development Inc.

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