Continuous learning critical for quality leadership
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I must admit to some envy when reading the success stories in this issue’s cover story of small practices as they successfully navigated these challenging times with an intact and motivated staff.
I remember 3 decades ago when I founded Minnesota Eye Consultants as a solo practitioner with one office, three experienced certified ophthalmic technicians, one nurse, one front desk person, one billing and finance manager, an administrative assistant and a single MD fellow. I knew every employee in depth, both professionally and personally. Practice management was straightforward and employee loyalty high. Leading this small band of employees who were dedicated to me and our mission to provide the highest-quality care possible while performing meaningful clinical research and teaching our colleagues was totally ingrained in every employee’s soul.
Then, I decided to grow the practice. Mission and culture remained relatively straightforward until we passed four doctors and 40 employees. A four- to five-doctor practice working out of a single office with an owned ASC and one doctor away from the office pursuing other opportunities and pleasures is the ideal size I have experienced; 39 to 42 weeks of work in the practice with 10 to 13 weeks away pursuing outside interests and a manageable size team remain a fond memory for me. Once one passes that “small practice” designation, we encounter a larger set of management challenges.
The prudent physician leader of a large practice is wise to hire a competent and experienced practice administrator and quality consultants. For me in the evolution of Minnesota Eye Consultants, that was Candy Simerson, Bruce Maller at BSM Consulting, John Pinto of J. Pinto & Associates and Kevin Corcoran at Corcoran Consulting Group, along with an experienced local health care attorney and accountant.
I believe leadership and management are learned skills, not innate in select individuals. To be a quality leader, lifelong education and leadership experience are required for the physician who chooses to serve as a managing partner. I grew up in a family construction business and followed my father to work starting at age 12, which provided a basis for my business education. During a decade-plus serving as chief medical officer for 3M Vision Care, I was introduced to Six Sigma, which at the time was a popular management system. There are many books written on Six Sigma, and if interested, start with looking it up on Wikipedia. In Six Sigma, data is king in making decisions.
Next, I read many business books and would encourage every physician manager to read the classic Jim Collins’ books: Good to Great and How the Mighty Fall. Working to support and develop startup companies with my colleagues Bill Link, PhD, and Andy Corley, I was introduced to the high-performance management system. More can be learned by reading the book Cutting Through by Bernie Haffey of Haffey&Co. In the family construction company that I now own and my son manages, we have found Traction by Gino Wickman to be our guide to success. The recently published Simple: The Inner Game of Ophthalmic Practice Success by John B. Pinto is a must read for the practice leader. John has nine other books also worthy of one’s time and attention. I have read them all more than once. Finally, Shareef Mahdavi of SM2 Strategic has written a useful book on the patient journey called Beyond Bedside Manner: Insights on Perfecting the Patient Experience.
In the current environment, it is a challenge, especially for the large practice, to recruit, retain and motivate a quality and productive employee at every level. “Fortune favors the prepared mind,” by Louis Pasteur, is one of my favorite quotes. Another, by Mahatma Gandhi, is: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Continuous learning is critical to quality leadership. I hope one or more of the references and management systems I have mentioned above are of benefit to those challenged with the critical task of leading and managing their practices.
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