Office Management: How to Create a Positive Work Environment

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Lois L. Bready, M.D.
• Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
• Professor Vice Chair, Dept of Anesthesiology

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Who and what do you have to manage?
• What are the challenges?  

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right place for YOU
• Is this setting a good fit?  
• Is it still a good fit?

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right attitude
• Be positive
• You can control your mood
• Change is certain
• Figure out how to really make change an
  opportunity
• If you are in charge, you are in charge
• The outcome is your responsibility
• Dont blame, and do give credit
• Dress, act, talk, and email like a person in
  charge
• Be the kind of boss you would want to have
• Maintain professional boundaries  

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right boss(es)
• Principled
• Vision
• Communication styles
• Support

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right boss(es)
• Manage up
• Understand expectations meet them
• Listen
• Help
• Stay organized
• Meet regularly, make an agenda, take notes
• Forewarn of trouble
• Ask for input
• Be value-added
• Dont create problems

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right people working for/with you - 1
• Bus concept
• Hire them and/or already in place
• Communicate clear expectations
• Delegating and checking
• Starbucks approach and written
• Timeframe for draft
• Expected products format, style, etc.
• Email is wonderful (keep hardcopies)
• Develop your people

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right people working for/with you 2
• Giving feedback on performance
• Use Outlook for reminders
• At assessment points, check progress
• Midcourse corrections if needed
• Dont micromanage
• Ensure enough time tools
• Software classes (excel, powerpoint, etc)
• Keep notes for progress, staff evals

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right people working for/with you 3
• Giving feedback on performance
• Ego sandwich
• What meets/exceeds expectations
• What needs to be improved
• Expression of confidence
• Set next assessment point
• Give appropriate credit for work done

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Dont be excessively stupid.

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right goals
• Knowledge is power
• Must, want, wish
• Be proactive educate your boss(es)
• Introduce goals so that you have alignment of
  missions
• What has to be done anyway be evaluated on

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right time commitment
• How are you your staff spending time?

urgent
important
D, R, V
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right time commitment
• Re-evaluate annually
• Adjust
• Responsibilities
• Compensation
• Assistant(s)

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment
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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right rules tools
• Know the regulations
• Are you making hiring/firing decisions?
• Get help legal, EEO, HR
• Department Administrator
• Well organized documentation is good

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Right rules tools
• Hire intelligently

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Office ManagementHow to Create a Positive Work
Environment

• Questions/discussion