About midway through my Navy career I was put in charge of a large pharmacy operation that had far too many patient complaints. The top 2 complaints were long patient wait times (to get their prescriptions filled) and rude behavior from the pharmacy staff. Both were legitimate and I was told to fix ‘em.
I was super busy both at work and at home. My wife (Kris) and I had 3 young children and time management was a big challenge. To make it all work, I vowed to be more efficient with my time.
I was about to learn the hard way that you can’t be efficient with people.
The solution to the long waiting time was new equipment – namely robotic technology. I diligently scheduled 30-minute meetings with staff members to research, discuss and debate specifications and prices of different products. We eventually purchased equipment that worked well. After installation, patient complaints regarding long wait times quickly decreased.
People have needs and concerns. They harbor a range of emotions. Equipment – specifications, prices, etc. – don’t.
My solution to the rude behavior problem was to communicate my expectation that all patients are to be treated with respect, model that behavior, and hold staff accountable. Pretty standard stuff. Being rude to our patients had evolved into acceptable behavior among many staff members. It was the culture. To change it I started scheduling 30-minute one-on-one meetings with staff members who didn’t meet my expectations.
Was I flexible regarding the length of time of these one-on-one meetings? Absolutely not. These meetings were treated like any other meeting. Efficiency being my mantra, regardless of the tack these one-on-one meetings took, I never exceeded my 30 minutes time cap. I had a schedule to keep. I needed to be efficient.
While we eventually decreased the number of complaints regarding rudeness, the process was frustratingly slow. I’ve thought long and hard about that experience. What could I have done better? What did I learn? Don’t be efficient with people.
Not surprisingly, almost all of those one-on-one conversations were difficult. Many were emotional.
People have needs and concerns. They harbor a range of emotions – fear, anger, stress, hostility, sadness, guilt, among a host of others.
Equipment – specifications, prices, etc. – don’t.
No one can predict what emotion…or emotions…will be triggered during a difficult one-on-one meeting. Allow for that unpredictability. You may be near a breakthrough. Allow time to reach that breakthrough. Here’s a practical tip: Ensure your next scheduled meeting (the one immediately after the one-on-one meeting) can be delayed or canceled with little consequence. For example, the next meeting probably shouldn’t be a phone call with your boss.
…don’t sacrifice expediency for effectiveness. Don’t be efficient with people.
When I finally learned this lesson – don’t be efficient with people – many difficult conversations I had with staff members would continue past their scheduled time. I kept my schedule flexible for this eventuality. Often, they’d mention that we were beyond the scheduled time. I’d respond by asking that if their schedule permitted (it almost always did), we could continue the conversation. I’d make sure to add that I considered this to be a very important conversation – because it was. Think of the strong message of respect that is conveyed – you’re willing to invest as much time as needed to resolve the issue. It shows that you care.
Be a great leader and don’t sacrifice expediency for effectiveness. Don’t be efficient with people.