The Balanced Physician Weblog

5 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Attitude

irisgrimm — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:51:50 +0000

As a physician, your attitude influences all segments of your professional world: your staff’s fellowship, collaboration and performance; the follow-through of your patients; and the amount of your goals that will be accomplished. It also influences personal response when you face new challenges, handle setbacks, and recover from mistakes.

No one can control your attitude unless you voluntarily surrender that control. People can affect your attitude by misinforming you or making repetitive errors, but no one else “makes you angry.” You make yourself angry when you surrender control of your attitude. What someone else may have done is irrelevant. They merely put your attitude to the test. If you choose a volatile attitude by becoming hostile, angry, or disruptive, then you have failed the test.

Here are strategies to follow when you find your attitude declining:

Recognize when you are having a bad day. Everyone can have a bad day, even a physician. If you feel you are about to explode, leave the situation. Step into your office for a few minutes, and let your nurse or assistant cover for you until you return. Be kind to yourself and the well-being of your patients and practice.

Recognize before you are burning the candle at both ends. Behaviors typically decline when you don’t get your personal needs met, like getting proper rest, or when the amount of commitments and problems are larger than your energy, time and resources to handle them. Taking time off, putting work in perspective, and ensuring that you have a fulfilled personal life will automatically lift your attitude.

Recognize your practice is a team. You are both leader and member of a team with integrated systems to ensure that everyone can accomplish their job smoothly. You rely on your staff to keep the practice going so you can deliver quality patient care. Hold yourself to the same team standards that you require of your staff. Not only will your staff and patients benefit, but so will you.

Recognize there are several solutions to any situation. Many physicians can be high-strung, dominant personalities that overpower with their opinions, attitudes and aggressiveness. Remind yourself that team work requires team effort and team input for staff buy-in on office changes. The effective team leader allows others to shine for a brighter team and better results.

Recognize when to let go of control. Control can kill your energy, time and flexibility. When you delegate a responsibility, let go of your need to control and influence. Instead, empower your staff with sufficient information and space to expand their potential. You both win.

Maintaining a healthy and positive attitude is a basic requirement for success. The combination of a sound mission, personal philosophy and positive attitude about yourself and the people you work with provides you an inner strength and a firm resolve that influences all the other areas of your life.

Take the fear out of malpractice lawsuits

irisgrimm — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:31:05 +0000

Being an excellent clinician is no guarantee against malpractice claims. An article in the American Medical News last month reported that even though most physicians will be sued at least once during their career, the majority of cases are without merit. According to a study issued in the New England Journal of Medicine, 7.4 percent of physicians experience a medical liability claim each year, while 1.6 percent of those sued make payments to plaintiffs.

Whether this information is good news or bad news is in the eye of the beholder. It is a fact that being sued causes a tremendous amount of stress on the physicians, costs money regardless whether they win or lose the case, affects their self-esteem and their confidence in practicing medicine, and determines their decision how much longer they will sustain their medical career.

Reading this could almost mean that you are susceptible to your patients decision to sue without having any influence. But this is not the case. Research has also proven that malpractice lawsuits can be avoided or minimized, and here I mention two suggestions:

1. Stress control and self-care
Research and experience have shown that increased fatigue and sleepiness were associated with increased odds of reporting an error. Whereas an increased quality of life was associated with a decrease in the odds. Taking good care of yourself, controlling stress in your life, and being content with life have a lot to do with how you show up in your practice and how focused you are with each patients. The more you live in the present moment without any distraction, the less likely you will cause errors that lead to major complications.

2. Be an excellent communicator
Malpractice insurers and attorneys have long said this, and researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have proven that there is a strong link between the number of patient complaints filed against doctors and their bedside manner. In other words, nice doctors get sued less. Open and direct communication, empathy, and being present with your patients and their families during visits builds a strong partnership and can dramatically reduce your susceptibility to lawsuits.

Even though patients do what they do and many times you have no control over their actions, you do have control over how well you take care of yourself and how effective you are in the communication with your patients.

Iris Grimm is the creator of the Balanced Physician programs. She provides physicians a comprehensive support system to meet their unique work, life, and leadership challenges. For more information visit www.BalancedPhysician.com.

Self Care at Practice – Part 2

irisgrimm — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:00:02 +0000

It is a myth to believe that working long hours at a hectic pace makes you productive and a more caring physician. By now most of us recognize that overwork and stress cause everything from decreased performance and irritability all the way to increased medical errors. Taking better care of you makes good patient sense.

Below I am sharing with you a couple of ideas to get you started. But, of course, there are no limits. Incorporate some of the suggestions for the next month and see what happens. You’ll find that you not only are more attentive to your patients, but you will also create more joy and time for your life.

1. I schedule 10 minutes of silence in my day where I just sit quietly and focus on my breathing.
2. I take a work/lunch break everyday and do something unrelated to work. For example, I take a walk around the office, practice my 10 minutes of silence or listen to a relaxation tape.
3. I train myself to consistently look for ways to delegate tasks in order to empower others while I do what I know best.
4. I stop taking on more than I can handle. When asked to take on a new responsibility, I give myself time to check with myself whether I can fulfill this assignment without suffering or sacrificing my self-care.
5. I know my top five priorities, and I make sure I honor them consistently.
6. I do my best to allot sufficient time for charting in my work schedule so that I don’t take “paperwork” home. (Bonus: I also ensure I feel confident and proficient to use the EMR effectively.)
7. I do whatever it takes to create a healthy and clutter-free work environment.
8. I hire and work with only highly competent and talented people whom I get along with.
9. I always look for ways to improve my work flow and efficiency.
10. I consistently acknowledge myself and my team for a work well done.

Think of these suggestions as a major component for excellent patient care, and customize them to fit your need. Once you have your self-care list, print it out and look at it daily. Putting it into practice may be challenging at first since these suggestions do require a little time, which most of us think we don’t have. To ensure success, you may want to ask a colleague to join you in this change. I can assure you, once you practice them, you’ll be more effective at work and more relaxed at home.

Self Care at Practice – Part 1

irisgrimm — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:00:58 +0000

Recently I had a conversation with a primary care physician who started her private practice a couple of years ago. She was telling me about the long nights in the office, the worries about financial responsibilities, and the challenges she experienced with a couple of staff members. She asked me how she could keep her sanity and stay away from burnout. My advice to her was simple – since you call the shots, play by new rules.

Whether you’re running your own practice, transition into a new position, or are employed by a hospital / medical group already, you have a choice about how you work. You can make your self-care a priority and be more productive and effective, or you can continue to believe that a seventy-hour work week and a frenetic pace will bring you more success, recognition and better outcomes.

There are many goals that drive a healthcare organization: the primary goal of any business, any healthcare organization is to make money. Without money, excellent patient care isn’t feasible. That’s just a basic fact.

In order to provide good outcomes and keep physicians employed, the organization needs to increase its bottom line or at least break even on a consistent basis. That’s why most healthcare groups get worried when I talk about the importance of work/life balance or physicians request more support around balance. They make the mistake of believing that supporting self-care strategies for physicians will lead to selfishness, less productivity and reduced work hours. This may be true for some people, but experience has shown me that the best and most dedicated physicians always end up providing better patient care and producing better outcomes.

In my next blog I will share with you some suggestions that you can incorporate in your daily routine that will provide you more balance, energy and higher productivity.

Make time for fun events

irisgrimm — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:00:03 +0000

Last Sunday, my husband asked me whether I would join him training our dogs. We have two German shepherds and one Rottweiler. When we go out and train our dogs, we meet with other dog trainers at a dog club about 40 miles away from our house, and so typically we spend about 4-5 hours with the dogs.

When my husband asked me the question whether I would join him and the dogs, I weighted the time spent having fun with him and the dogs with the tasks that I could get done in the next five hours. I needed to work on a presentation that was due the next week, grocery shopping, filing papers, catching up with magazines – just so much to do! But then I thought, what about next week, could I go dog training next week? Sure I could, but I could also come up with a similar list of activities that needed to get done.

Work is a never-ending story. However, spending time with your husband, your children, your dogs, and friends is quality time that is rare and often neglected. We can always find work and excuses to bail out from fun activities but never arrive at a destination where everything at work and at home is complete and we feel we have the time for fun activities.

Last Sunday, I was made aware that I just have to make the time for the things that are important to me instead of contemplating whether I have the time. At the end, work doesn’t go anywhere but when I have less time available for work to get done, I’m typically more effective instead of perfective. And I still get it done.

The next time one of your family members asks you to join them for something fun, remind yourself that work won’t go anywhere, but fun times are precious and finite. Go ahead and enjoy yourself!

Schedule Play Time in Your Life

irisgrimm — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:46:23 +0000

Life is not about working every single minute. What a shame if you never have a single moment to enjoy what matters most to you. Yet, so many physicians work endless hours in their practice to keep up with their work and to get more tasks completed – long after everyone has gone home.

Life is not about working harder. It’s about working smarter. It’s about doing what you have to do in a way that leaves you with enough time to enjoy your life, your loved ones and the activities that interest you.

Therefore take 5 minutes right now and think about your day, and your current schedule. If you don’t have a moment to spare, then something is definitely wrong.

Start by scheduling your ‘work time’ AND your ‘play time’ just like teachers have young kids do in school. Stick to that schedule each day as best as you can.

Most physicians just schedule their ‘work time’ and put ‘play time’ on the backburner.

Actually write your ‘play time’ down on your daily schedule. If you schedule it to be between 8 and 9 at night, then use that time to ‘play’–whether that means spending time with your kids, visiting a friend, enjoying a hobby, or simply relaxing and reading a book.

Be careful. If you don’t schedule a definite ‘play time,’ that time will most likely be used up with some form of work, whether that means working late at the office, or catching up on household tasks.

Keeping a healthy balance between work and play will ensure that you will be a more efficient healthcare practitioner and that you will spend more fulfilling and enjoyable days.

Questions to ask yourself:
What do you like to do for fun?
What days / hours are the best to include play time in your schedule?
How will play time make you a better doctor?

P.S. If you think it is impossible to schedule ‘play time’ in your life, give me a call at 770-428-2334 and I will support you in the implementation.

What are your hiring criteria?

irisgrimm — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:33:43 +0000

Physicians and practice managers always want to hire the best. However, the most experienced and skilled applicant is not necessarily the most qualified. As professionals, we bring character and experience to the workplace and character is more important than experience. Skills can be taught; character cannot be altered. New staff members who have experience but aren’t dependable, unfriendly or don’t get along well with others are useless. Therefore, hire for character and train for skills.

Coaching Tip:
When hiring for character, think of specific actions you require from your staff member for a particular position and then think of the root character trait / quality of the action.

Design a prototype of what your perfect staff member would look like: how they would behave, what qualities, attributes, characteristics and talents they would possess, what you would enjoy about this person, what would your patients enjoy most about this person.

Develop create questions or scenarios to discern if the job applicant regularly practices the trait and the action required for this position.

By asking for the impossible we obtain the best possible.

“Leadership qualities are a perfect combination of strategic skills and character. Should you have to do without one, choose the first.”
Norman Schwarzkopf

Running out of energy instead of time

irisgrimm — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:00:18 +0000

Yesterday was one of those days when I had a lot of plans for the evening. While planning my day in the morning, I decided that after work I would wash clothes, vacuum the house, and get our guest bedroom ready before our friends arrive tomorrow. I estimated that the work would take me about an hour to get it done.

However, I left the office later than intended and arrived at home at about 7:30 p.m. Once I sat down for dinner, I felt the exhaustion in my body and the tiredness of my eyes. Rather than pushing myself through it, I decided to take a seat in my living room and check out the TV program. While sitting there, I realized that I had plenty of time to do what I intended to do that night, but I just didn’t feel the enthusiasm and energy to get it done.

Habitually, we think that we don’t have enough time to get everything done that we want to get done. But often we just don’t have the energy required to be truly productive. When I reviewed my day I realized that:

I didn’t eat lunch until 2 p.m., right before my blood sugar crashed – that is always a “killer” for me.
I was annoyed by a person’s behavior, and I didn’t remove myself from the unproductive conversation early enough. After that meeting, I felt completely drained and frustrated.

Little incidents like this can have a huge impact on our productivity and well-being. Even though I had plenty of time to get my tasks done yesterday evening, I just didn’t have the energy (and urgency) to fulfill my intention of the morning. So I decided to take it easy on myself and enjoy an evening on my couch. However, for the next morning I set my alarm clock one hour early to ensure I still would get my work completed.

Coaching questions:

At the end of the day, do you typically run out of time or out of energy?
What are your biggest energy drainers?
What small activities can you implement throughout your day so that you have enough energy after a long work day?

Work-life balance starts with you

irisgrimm — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:00:24 +0000

I set the term “physician work-life balance” in Google alerts. Many alerts include job opening announcements, where work-life balance is used as one of the perks for the new position.

Recently I read, “We are offering you a tremendous work-life balance both professionally and personally.” Another one said, “We guarantee our physicians work-life balance.” Wow! When I read these job descriptions I always ask myself, “And how exactly do they do this? Especially when they ‘guarantee” work-life balance?”

Sure, organizations can put systems in place such as a decent call schedule, vacation days, child care, etc., to support their physicians and to make certain routines less stressful. However, at the end of the day no organization can guarantee you work-life balance; it is a gift that only you can give yourself.

Work-life balance is not a static way of being where work and personal life are always in perfect harmony with dedicated hours. Instead it is a way of being, where you are satisfied with your professional and personal life. It is:

Being at peace with your career and your personal life while still striving for advancements and promotions
Being content in all relationships
Honoring and living your priorities so that at the end of your day / week / month / year, you feel fulfilled

With that said, work-life balance doesn’t necessarily have to do with the number of work hours but with knowing what is important to you in your life and designing your life so that you are making time for the things that matter to you.

I always tell my clients, “Your practice is a greedy entity. If you offered it 25 hours of your time a day, your practice would take it. Your career is part of your life; it should not be your life. Know what you want to get out of life and build your career around it.”

So when you look for a new position, don’t get swayed by job descriptions that promise work-life balance, and don’t neglect the job descriptions that don’t include work-life balance. Instead remind yourself that you are in charge of your balance and no one else.

If you don’t want to change jobs but you lack work-life balance, keep in mind that restoring it starts with you.

Make time for the good things in life

irisgrimm — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:00:25 +0000

The key to a fulfilling life is not to become a slave to your work schedule, but to schedule time for the good things in life.

When was the last time you just sat in a coffee shop and read a book? When was the last time you enjoyed a really nice evening with your spouse or partner, without TV and without children? And when was the last time you did something that you truly enjoy; something that you had planned a while ago?

Long time ago? And what are your reasons? Maybe because you don’t have time? That is correct. And what do you do on your days off? Why don’t you take care of yourself on these days and do something that you truly enjoy? Sure, it is easy to forget, and other people and obligations take over your day.

However, the key to a fulfilling life is to make time for the things that matter to you.

Here is an exercise: Make a list of the activities that you enjoy. Put them on individual cards and attach them to your calendar.

Examples:

Today we are going to eat at my favorite restaurant.
Today I am going to take care of something that I have been procrastinating for a while, and afterward I will reward myself with something nice.
Today we are making a nice picnic.
Today I am going to meet with my best friend.
Today I am scheduling a massage.
Today I am going to call . . .
Today I am taking a long walk in nature.

Important: Put these activities in your calendar now and not when you can foresee whether you have time on that particular day. Otherwise you give external circumstances the priorities instead of your personal needs. Try it out, and you’ll see that you will feel more energized and productive afterward.