The Issue
The other day I was speaking to a physician colleague about some of his current challenges. One of his main concerns was finding an associate for his practice. It seems that he had hired four over the last several years but only one worked out. Two of them were gone inside of 24 months and the third was on the “way out”. He had selected well-trained, experienced competent people. He is an easygoing, nice guy, who offers exceptional compensation and is considered a “great boss”. So he understandably was having difficulty with why his associate batting average was only .250! There was one glaring reason that his success had been so limited. He made the mistake that only physicians hiring physicians seem to make. I am about to share that mistake with you as well as a simple remedy.
The Mistake
If physicians picked their spouses the way they pick their associates, there would not be a single medical marriage in existence! Spouse selection is a drawn out ritual that covers months to years; we meet, we date, we get to know one another, we see each other under stress and in joy, we problem solve and come to understand who they are and in the process a bit of who we are. Associate selection is a variation of the old army physical: available, well trained, has license…hired! OK so that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but only a bit.
In his book, Good to Great, author Jim Collins is adamant that the first thing a leader must do is get the “right people on the bus”. To ignore this rule is to invite doom. And yet after reading and rereading that book I cannot find where he tells us how to select the right people. So what is a doctor to do?
The Remedy
In finding the right person as your associate you need to know three things:
• Do they have the skills necessary to do the job
• What behaviors do they bring to the job
• What values motivate them to do the job
My son recently applied for an entry-level management job with a national office supply company. He talked with an assistant store manager and before he was given any further time or attention he had to take their version of a personality inventory. His resume told them he had the skills for the job but they wanted to know whether or not he would be a good fit; a “right person” to ride on their bus. It is long past time for physicians hiring physicians to do the same, especially since it is so easy to do.
Putting It All Together
You will know based on a Curriculum Vita whether or not your potential associate has the necessary skills. So, how do you uncover the behaviors and values?There are hundreds of personality inventories available that cover multiple aspects of human behavior. There are even some that can be created specifically to match a particular job description. However, I prefer the DiSC and the PIAV. They are both widely available, easy to administer over the Internet and come complete with understandable evaluations. The DiSC reveals your behaviors: how you work with others, solve problems, the pace you prefer and how you respond to rules and procedures. The PIAV illuminates your values and leads to an understanding of the drivers of your behavior. The information gleaned is all the more valuable if you take the tests first. By discovering or rediscovering your own behaviors and values you will be defining the culture of your practice and help insure that you not only get the right person on the bus, you also get them in the right seat!
