Here's a
cautionary tale. A Calgary IM had come to depend on
a young colleague. Not only was he a talented clinician,
but he was also always cheerfully ready to take on extra
cases and cover the older doc's vacations.
Then the
junior doc and his wife started a family. Suddenly calls
were left unreturned and cover became much trickier
to negotiate. The quality of his work, while still good,
was no longer stellar. After a few months of this, a
senior attending position came up in the department.
The seasoned internist, with much regret, decided to
pass over his former favourite for a bright, committed
newcomer.
Medicine
has traditionally been criticized as one of the least
family-friendly professions out there. But too much
family isn't good either. According to a recent McMaster
study in Applied Psychology, staffers who let
family interfere with their work get fewer promotions
and have poorer relationships with their bosses.
Nobody wants
to be in the position of the two docs above. Here are
a few tips to help you strike the right balance in your
practice:
1. Address
the issue The first thing you have to do is talk
to your staffer. They may be so harried they don't even
know it's affecting their work. Tell them calmly you
realize their family commitments are big, but that you
need them to give the practice their all when they're
at work. Ask what the problem is, and try to work out
a solution together.
2. Adjust
expectations When a staffer goes from swinging single
to mother of four, you have to accept that overtime's
over. It could be a good chance for you to slow down
too, or, if you can't, hire a temp to help out with
extra work.
3. Accommodate
— but don't cater There has to be give and
take here. If you can, offer help — such as reduced
or flexible hours — but make sure you're fair to
other staffers and yourself. The staffer must also make
an effort, perhaps by asking a family member to pitch
in by watching the kids or helping with housework now
and then.
4. Allow
for a return to form If a doc on your team has twins,
chances are her life will be pretty hectic for a while.
But don't write her off forever — when the twins
settle into a routine, and with a little encouragement
from you, she'll again be the star clinician you hired.
|
