Are You a Great Boss?

by Ray Foxworth, D.C., FICC • 

President & Founder, ChiroHealthUSA • 

All business owners want to get the most from the people on their teams. Yet, the most common topic of conversation I’ve had with many business owners lately is the difficulty in hiring and keeping people who are willing to work. Often, we are guilty of hanging on to the wrong people on our teams for far too long, thus damaging the relationships with the right people on our teams. As a result, it becomes a cycle where we see less and less productivity in our offices. As a result, people issues are one of the most common frustrations of business owners.

The book, How to Be A Great Boss by Gino Wickman and René Boer states, “to have a highly motivated workforce – you, in your role as boss, must create an environment where your people will thrive.” (Wickman & Boer, 2016) To be a great boss, you must have the right people on your team, people who want to succeed, and people you want to work with every day. If you have a people problem and everyone on your team does not meet those criteria, then you must ask yourself why that person does not. Have they always been a problem, or is this a recent issue? Have you done everything to make them successful? In asking yourself these questions, you may need help knowing where to start in helping your team be successful.

Step 1: Communication

Most business owners believe they effectively communicate with their teams. However, an Interact/Harris Poll stated that 91% of 1,000 employees said their bosses lack this critical skill. (Schwantes, 2017) You must communicate clearly defined goals and expectations for your practice and team members to succeed. One of the ways that we do this is by keeping a company scorecard with the metrics that impact our short and long-term goals. Each team member is responsible for reporting on numbers that are directly affected by the work they do. This level of accountability gives them a sense of ownership and pride in their work.

Step 2: Training and Development

Now that you have clearly stated the clinic goals for the year and assigned responsibility to metrics that impact those goals to your team, how do you help them be successful? According to Ottawa University, Training and development help companies gain and retain top talent, increase job satisfaction and morale, improve productivity, and earn more profit. (OU Online, 2021) For example, I strongly emphasize personal and professional development at my company. Therefore, each team member is encouraged to request books, training, seminars, etc., to help them succeed personally and professionally. I happily pay for the books and the training because it makes them happy and improves their skills in various areas.

Step 3: Get Out of the Way

You’ve established goals and provided training and resources to help your team succeed; now, you must let them take responsibility and be successful. Trust them to get the job done. If someone struggles to meet their goals, it will be reflected on the weekly scorecard and allows you to put your heads together and find a solution. I urge you to read the book Traction by Gino Wickman. It will not only help your clinic thrive, but as a business owner, it will help you to focus on the things that matter and give you the freedom to delegate other responsibilities to your team.

Step 4: Work on the Business

You are responsible for determining where the practice will be in 1, 3, and 10 years. To have a clear vision, you must take time away from the day-to-day a few times a year to think. I like quarterly breaks to see where we are in reaching our current goals and reevaluating our future plans. Getting away from the office and evaluating myself, my team, my goals, and our processes helps me to clearly outline what is and is not working. So, make a date with yourself and keep it.

So how does all of this make you a great boss? In Matthew Kelly’s book, Off Balance: Getting Beyond the Work-life Balance Myth to Personal and Professional Satisfaction, he points out that the most successful employees feel respected by their bosses, feel their work is contributing to their customers (patients) lives, and find the challenges of their work match their abilities. (Kelly, 2015) Implementing the steps above will help your team achieve personal and professional satisfaction, making you a great boss.