practice management
Sourcing and Accountability
by Jennifer Surette
How many times have you delegated something to your office personnel only to find that it never got done ? How many times have you sat through yet another staff meeting , and although many great ideas came up , nothing ever came of it ? How many times have you taken responsibility for something because you felt you couldn ’ t count on your team to follow through ? As business owners and leaders , we want to build a team of intelligent , competent , dependable , and accountable people so that we can accomplish more in our businesses and get bigger , better results year after year . Yet the challenge most encountered is the accountability factor .
There is a big difference between people who do as they are told and people who , on their own , do what needs to be done consistently and effectively . Let ’ s examine how you can build accountability into your culture so that you can experience less stress and greater success than ever before .
A culture of accountability begins with team selection . In selecting the “ right ” individuals to help you build your organization , a great attitude is a critical characteristic . Skill can be trained , but it is difficult to train attitude , and even if you can do it , it takes a long time . So select people who already possess a great attitude : positive , supportive , genuine , gracious , and respectful . Second , look for people who bring value to your business and are willing to grow and become better and more effective in their job field . Last , consider someone ’ s belief about the role they will play , the industry itself , and the importance of their role in meeting practice goals . The most important decisions you will ever make in your life are about the people who will surround you . True , “ one bad apple can spoil the bunch ,” and this is especially so when it comes to team dynamics . If the “ bad apple ” has a stronger , louder voice than any other in the practice , that person will have a profoundly negative impact on
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