By Rachael Click, OD
Create a staffing matrix in which employees easily can move into other job roles. This enables even a small staff to maintain a consistently high level of patient service.
In the ongoing effort to make your practice the best it can be, staff adjustments often are needed. You may find one staff member would work better in a different job role, or that one area of your practice versus another needs more help. To easily accomplish such fine-tuning, staff needs to be cross-trained. I use what what is known as a staffing matrix, or what the consultancy I use, The Williams Group, calls a Team Matrix approach. My staff of three are trained in a primary role, but also are prepared to take on the other non-OD roles in the practice. Here is why and how I do this so that needed reorganizations are made possible.
Rachael Click, OD, with the staff of Preferred EyeCare Center in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Matrix Means Horizontal Structure
A Team Matrix system is a horizontal organization system. The team is divided into four equal parts: front-desk team leader, optical team leader, contact lens team leader, and patient care team leader. Currently, each staff member is a team leader of a division of this matrix. This means they are responsible for making sure all duties are completed; however, they can ask for help from other team members.
When all divisions have a team leader and it is time to hire another staff member, then we would hire a team member for whatever division that needs help. In theory, this person would be able to move horizontally to help where needed. In a practice as small as mine, I don’t have a vertical organization system where there is an office manager or some other form of hierarchy because all duties are accounted for in this horizontal organization. In this system all are created equal with one vertical exception. As practice owner and doctor, I am the only vertical placement on the matrix organization. That means that all team leaders report to me. When we have team members, they will report to the team leaders.
Dr. Click uses the above structure in which she is at the head of the matrix as doctor and practice leader with four co-equal team leaders reporting to her. These team leaders are all cross-trained to step into one another’s job roles should the need arise.
Reorganization a Continual Process
The process of re-organization has always been ongoing because of the Team Matrix system. We try to reevaluate the matrix system semi-annually because it divides the practice into two halves with two quadrants in each half: one is patient care and the other half is business administration. It accounts for things like who is responsible for answering the phone and who is the next person in line to help with that task if the one responsible is busy. The reason that we try to evaluate it semi-annually is so that we can make sure we are working together as a team, but also because it helps us to play up to our strengths. Sometimes, we learn that tasks should be re-organized to improve efficiency. The main goal of any re-organization is to improve efficiency and the patient experience.
Consider Profit Margins in Determining Best Job Roles
Finances play a role because the cross-training matrix system quickly allows you to learn people’s strengths and weaknesses. If a staff member doesn’t have the skill set or personality for a certain role, you will see your profit margins decreasing. When that happens, you would want to make a re-organization hopefully just by switching roles within the practice. Hopefully, by following the Team Matrix system, this doesn’t happen too often, but if it does, hopefully you learn about it in the new team member’s probationary period.
Next Re-Organization: Most Likely When Next New Employee Added
Ideally the time I want to consider doing this is when we add another employee. When we do that we will evaluate our matrix system to determine who we need to add. I hope to do that in the next 12 months.
Related ROB Articles
Re-Charge Staff with Job Role Re-Organization
Executive Review: Assess and Improve Practice Performance
Ramp Up Staff Education by Inviting Reps to Staff Meetings
Rachael Click, OD, is the owner of Preferred EyeCare Center in Mount Pleasant, SC. To contact her: drclick@preferredeyecarecenter.com.
