But, what have you done for me today?
By Stephen W. Earnhart, MS
CEO
Earnhart & Associates
Austin, TX
A common issue, complaint, concern, and frustration that most of us in healthcare share is the implied "But what have you done for me today?" The flashpoint usually comes after you have gone out of your way to provide some service, favor, exception, or "outside-the-envelope" courtesy to your physician, staff member, anesthetist, patient, or family member of a patient.
It’s frustrating because it seems like you can never get ahead. Seemingly every day you are being pulled to go above and beyond the normal scope of services or relationships with your staff or surgeons. If it doesn’t bother you, I am impressed, but I believe you are not the norm.
Many of us in healthcare understand that we are in a service industry and a relationship business. It might be you don’t realize that. If you don’t, then it might explain your frustrations.
We can function in our jobs only based upon the relationships we have with others. We have relationships with other staff, vendors, patients, family members, and visitors of patients, and many others to deliver our product. We have only three goals:
• Provide a safe environment for ourselves and patients.
• Ensure that our patients, staff members, and physicians have a positive experience every time we have an encounter with them.
• Know that we are not only profitable, but that we continually increase our profitability, because there will always be issues of "But, what have you done for me today." Like it or not, service — good service — has a price tag.
I, probably more than most, used to really get frustrated when I would give my very best, go out of my way to resolve an issue, especially for a surgeon or a client, and the very next day he/she would want something else. Then, I would really get frustrated when I would point out what I just did for them yesterday. They actually would say, "Yes, and I thanked you, but that was yesterday. What are you going to do for me today about this situation?"
Is it that they are never satisfied? Am I being taken advantage of by them?
Spending lots of time in hotels and on planes gives me the opportunity to analyze (often over-analyze) events that happen during the day. I started to obsess with this issue until I broke it down. The hypothetical surgeon/client came to me to get something done for them. When I did it properly or gave them the outcome they was looking for, they came back to me for something else, another favor, if you will. Isn’t this really a compliment? We often hear that if you want something done, seek out a busy person. If you want something done right, do it yourself. So in a way, I guess I am that busy person who does things right. That’s you, too, if you share this frustration.
The more people ask you to do something, they are doing it because they trust you. Somewhere, I am sure, there must be a line you can cross that will make you an "enabler," but right now I’m OK with doing something else for others today. Probably even tomorrow. [Earnhart & Associates is a consulting firm specializing in all aspects of outpatient surgery development and management. Contact Earnhart & Associates at 5114 Balcones Woods Drive, Suite 307-203, Austin, TX 78759. Phone: (512) 297-7575. Fax: (512) 233-2979. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.earnhart.com.]
