We recently found a great article by Michael Hess, “Your Work May Be Serious, but Your Business Doesn’t Have to be.”  This article focuses on the importance of maintaining a certain level of fun and enjoyment within the business environment.  To get a better perspective on the significance of these elements within an organization, Kellie Eisenhauer, (e)Merge Director of Operations, weighed in on the information presented in the article.  Kellie’s background lies in the Human Resources field, and she often finds herself giving advice while working with various HR departments.

“Culture must come from the top, down.  Everyone needs to live and breathe it,” said Eisenhauer, “You can always spot a great office culture when you walk in and instantly get a ‘warm, fuzzy’ feeling.  When an employee smiles, you can tell it is real and not forced.” Many times, management fails to realize there is a scientific way to hire and coach employees.  In some cases, a great hire simply may not be fit for patient contact.  Different personalities require varying degrees of human contact and some are fit for a more individualized role.  In these instances, we cannot force these personalities to adapt; the ability to interact in a consistently pleasant manner realistically isn’t instilled in everyone.

“Co-workers are in many ways family; everyone spends 40+ hours together each week and if employees cannot work together and help one another, then patients will see an instant reflection of this in the office culture,” states Eisenhauer.

Management must strive to provide:

• Leadership and Coaching
• Support
• Avenues to 2 way communication
• Tools for employees to do their jobs efficiently

Without these valuable assets, even the right person for the job may lose their commitment to the organization.  Aiming for an office culture rich with support, respect and lightheartedness can ultimately increase revenue and ROI.  We must remember basic facts learned as children apply to office management and staffing uncertainties; when it comes to our employees, “Forcing a square peg in a round hole just causes issues for everyone.  It is not usually worth it to put the energy and effort into trying to get someone to adapt into something they are not.  It is like a rubber band…it can stretch (or adapt), but only so much before it breaks,” reminds Eisenhauer.