The One Question Every Business Owner Must Answer

A doctor texted me the other day and asked if I had time for a call.  He said he only had one question for me and that it wouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes.  We set up a time to speak at lunch that day.  I admit that I was intrigued what one question could be so urgent.
 
He began by saying, “This will only take a second.”  We spoke for two hours.
 
What was his one question?   It is a pretty common one.  In fact, I think it’s the one question that makes or breaks every practice in this day and age.
 
He asked, “How do I find decent employees?” 
 
The question was more involved than that, of course.  He explained how he was exhausted from hiring, firing, and dealing with employees not coming in, quitting without notice, and generally being entitled beyond their worth.  He had looked on Indeed, LinkedIn, Craigslist, and every other place.  He was just convinced that there were no good employees anymore.
 
Honestly, I understand.  In the last twenty years, I have hired/fired/trained hundreds of employees.  It’s exhausting.  But no matter how poor the field, giving up is just not an option.  You HAVE to field a staff. 
 
Indeed, LinkedIn, Craigslist, etc. are all great places to find employees, and in this day and age, paying some money on the front end to find great potential is worth it.  But that doesn’t change the factors with which the doctor was struggling.  This was my advice.
 
Great employees are not found.  Great employees are made.
 
Don’t groan.  Clichés are truths that people are tired of hearing.  Whether or not you resonate with the above truth, I hope you agree with the fact that your absolute best chance of fielding a quality staff is by training them. 
 
My doctor and I talked about what his procedures were.  He had an employee manual, but he hadn’t updated it in years and rarely referenced it.  His evaluations were spotty and typically only given when giving a raise.  He never scheduled training times, and his management was more reactive than proactive.
 
Perhaps your situation is not as dire as this doctor’s, but it is fair to ask yourself, “Are you making good employees or hoping to just find them?”  If you are doing the first, great job.  If you are doing the second, now is the time to make changes.
 
ProSight Success has several tools to help. 
 
Our book Resourcing Human Resources is available on Amazon.  For just a few dollars more though, you could purchase the entire ProSight Success System if you want.
 
However, our most effective tool is our Front Desk Academy where we design a training program with you and even help to implement it. 
 
We wish you the best with your staffing, and we would be glad to help in any way.
 
Gordon Duncan
 
Just reply to this email and ask for a free 30 min phone consult phone if you would like to talk more. 
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