It is 2021, and we are still dealing with a global pandemic. Most of us had at least hoped that COVID-19 would be in our rearview mirrors at the end of 2020. Big and small businesses were all hit hard during the pandemic because of business closures, restrictions, increased scrutiny with OSHA compliance, and staffing issues. Owning and operating a business necessitates leadership, but we learned that a different leadership type is needed during a pandemic. We’ve seen and heard examples of bad leadership throughout the past 12 months. However, we’ve also seen the results of great leadership as business owners were forced to shift gears and focus on their business from a different perspective.
Compliance
This is an area of health care that we would all be delighted to put off for another day. In the year before the pandemic, several consultants and speakers stressed the importance of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) safety regulations to chiropractors across the country. Most believed that it did not apply to chiropractic offices, but we all learned that it did and does.
We can no longer keep our heads in the sand when it comes to OSHA standards and what OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state/local health departments say about managing COVID-19 in the workplace for our employees and patients. Guidelines change frequently, which was something else we learned last year. You have great resources available to stay on top of these changes, such as your state and national associations.
If you have not already done so, you need a written action plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace, which includes personal protective equipment requirements, new systems for managing patient care, expectations for employees, and more. Not only should this be in writing, but it also needs to be communicated to your entire team. When employers fail to communicate, inform, and ensure that employees know what’s expected of them, then it will be harder to hold them accountable and won’t allow you to take appropriate actions when necessary.
Empathy
In an article by Janelle Ringer, she stated, “Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 can make people feel anxious and out of control. Feelings of loneliness and isolation that are exacerbated during social distancing can cause our mental health to suffer.” (Ringer, 2020) We know that the last year has been hard on our friends, families, patients, and employees. As a leader, it is important to hear our employees out and empathize during these difficult times. Share how you are coping with your employees. It helps to know that we are all in this together. We all need a little grace, empathy, and understanding, which helps everyone in these turbulent times.
Employees
Employees are your most valuable business asset. So finding and retaining a steady workforce is vital for your business to thrive. A high employee-turnover rate has a significant impact on your business’ operations and profits and the overall workplace culture. (Traqq Team, 2020)
Finding chiropractic assistants is becoming increasingly difficult. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which includes people being scared to work in healthcare offices during a pandemic. When there is a scarcity of potential hires, employers must focus on keeping the staff they have, especially if they’re quality team members. Since in-person training and events were scarce in the past year, we have seen a huge increase in the number of affordable online training courses for you and your team. Not only does training make them feel more valued, but it also improves the skill set of your team. If you find yourself hiring, don’t rush the process—be sure you are hiring the right person for the position. Take steps to improve your onboarding process. Do you have an outlined training plan? If not, you should. (Uzialko, 2020)
For Better or Worse
It has been a long and trying year. Some of our colleagues appeared better prepared for the pandemic while others saw their businesses close for weeks or months. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” and though he wasn’t describing the state we find ourselves in now, it is an appropriate description. For all of the bad and ugly we’ve seen in the past year, we cannot forget the good. We’ve become more efficient. Chiropractic is now considered essential, and we’ve utilized technology to better communicate with each other and our communities.
It is up to each of us to make the best of this situation, utilize our time and resources effectively, and not lose sight of our purpose, cause, and passion. As many of the world’s top business leaders have said, “This pandemic is a terrible thing to waste.” (Kathy Tunheim, 2020) Look at each challenge before you as an opportunity to better yourself, your business, and your team.
Kristi Hudson is a Certified Professional Compliance Officer and host of one of the largest chiropractic webinar series in the country. She is the Director of Business Relations at ChiroHealthUSA, Administrator of the Foxworth Family Chiropractic Scholarship, a speaker, mom, and writer.
