Discretionary Effort: The Secret Sauce in Healthcare
In healthcare, additional effort can make a huge difference — for little to no additional cost.
In the competitive landscape of healthcare, standing out can feel like an uphill battle. Your competitors likely share many similarities with your practice:
They offer similar services.
Their facilities are, more or less, on par with yours.
They utilize similar technology – patients often can't discern the subtle differences in cutting-edge equipment.
And, crucially, they employ people, just like you, paying them roughly the same market rates.
So, when many elements of two healthcare practices are similar, what truly differentiates one from another? What is that elusive X-factor that makes patients choose your practice, return consistently, and even recommend you to their friends and family?
The answer lies not in shiny new equipment or lavish waiting rooms, but in the skill and, more profoundly, the effort of the people your patients interact with every single day.
We're going to dive deep into the "effort" part of this equation, because discretionary effort is one of the very few ways your team can completely distinguish your practice and set it apart from every competitor. It's the silent force that can dramatically elevate patient experience, improve outcomes, and foster unwavering loyalty.
What Exactly Is Discretionary Effort?
At its core, discretionary effort is when an individual chooses to go above and beyond the basic requirements of their job. It's the extra mile, the thoughtful gesture, the proactive solution, or the committed focus that exceeds the minimum expected performance. They exert this effort at their discretion – meaning they choose to give it, rather than being mandated to.
Think about it:
A front desk assistant who not only checks a patient in but notices their slight discomfort and offers a warm blanket.
A nurse who takes an extra few minutes to thoroughly explain post-op care, anticipating questions before they're asked.
A medical assistant who spots a potential scheduling conflict and proactively resolves it before it becomes an issue for the patient or doctor.
A billing specialist who patiently walks a confused patient through their insurance claim, even though it's technically "their job" to just process it.
These aren't tasks on a checklist; they are acts of choice, driven by a deeper connection to their work and your practice's mission.
The Million-Dollar Question: How Do You Unlock Discretionary Effort?
This is where the art and science of leadership truly come into play. Human beings are complex, motivated by a diverse array of factors. However, drawing from extensive experience, there are fundamental strategies you can implement to inspire your team to consistently give their best:
1. Foster Growth and Development: Invest in Their Future
People are inherently driven by the desire to learn, improve, and advance. If your employees feel stagnant, their motivation will inevitably wane. Conversely, if you offer genuine opportunities for growth, you're providing a powerful "extra" that transcends a paycheck.
Skill Enhancement: Invest in training programs for new medical procedures, advanced software, or even "soft skills" like communication and empathy.
Expanded Responsibilities: Assign employees duties that stretch their capabilities and build their confidence. This isn't just delegating; it's entrusting.
Mentorship: Dedicate one-on-one time to mentor your staff. Share your experience, guide their professional journey, and help them navigate challenges.
Clear Career Pathways: Can you outline potential job titles, pay increases, or specialized roles that employees can aspire to once they achieve certain skill levels and performance milestones? A clear trajectory inspires effort.
When employees see a future with your practice, they're far more likely to invest their present.
2. Cultivate a Culture of Gratitude: Acknowledge and Appreciate
Perhaps one of the simplest motivators is genuine appreciation. When employees feel their efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated, a sense of "why bother?" can quickly set in. They'll revert to the minimum, not out of malice, but out of a lack of perceived value for their extra commitment.
Specific Praise: Instead of a generic "good job," specifically acknowledge what they did well and why it mattered. "Sarah, the way you calmly handled that agitated patient today really made a difference; it de-escalated the situation beautifully."
Regular Recognition: Implement formal and informal recognition programs. This could be anything from a shout-out in a team meeting to a "hero of the month" award or a simple, heartfelt thank-you note.
Listen Actively: Showing appreciation also means valuing their input and listening to their concerns. Make them feel heard.
Appreciation fuels motivation and reinforces the idea that their extra effort is seen and valued.
3. Connect to Purpose: Give Them a Reason Why
In healthcare, you have an immense advantage: the inherent "why." Your work saves lives, alleviates suffering, and improves the quality of life for countless individuals. Yet, in the daily grind, it's easy for staff to lose sight of this profound purpose.
Articulate Your Vision: Regularly remind your team of the practice's mission. Are you dedicated to providing compassionate care, pioneering specific treatments, or improving community health?
Share Patient Stories: When appropriate and with patient privacy in mind, share success stories or testimonials that illustrate the tangible impact of your team's work.
Link Daily Tasks to Impact: Help employees connect their specific duties – whether it's scheduling, cleaning, or assisting in surgery – to the overarching goal of patient well-being. "When we ensure the waiting room is spotless, we're creating a calm and reassuring environment for anxious patients."
When employees understand and believe in the "why" behind their efforts, their commitment transforms from a job into a calling.
4. Embrace Transparency: Share the Big Picture
Operating in the dark is incredibly demotivating. When employees don't understand the practice's goals, challenges, or pressing urgencies, their willingness to exert discretionary effort plummets. They feel like cogs in a machine, running on a hamster wheel that goes nowhere.
Communicate Goals: Share the practice's short-term and long-term objectives. What are you trying to achieve this quarter, this year?
Explain Challenges: Be open about obstacles or difficult decisions. When employees understand the context, they're more likely to contribute to solutions.
Share Wins and Losses: Celebrate successes together, and analyze setbacks constructively. This builds a sense of shared ownership and accountability.
Regular Updates: Hold brief, regular meetings or send internal communications that keep everyone informed about what's happening in the practice.
Transparency builds trust, and trust empowers employees to feel like valued partners rather than mere employees.
5. Empower Autonomy and Ownership: Trust Their Judgment
While structure is important, micromanagement stifles initiative and discourages discretionary effort. When employees are given the freedom to make decisions within their roles and are trusted to solve problems, they feel a greater sense of ownership and responsibility.
Delegate with Trust: Assign tasks and projects, but also provide the authority and resources needed to complete them.
Encourage Problem-Solving: Instead of immediately providing solutions, ask "What do you think we should do here?" or "How would you approach this?"
Solicit Input: Actively seek their ideas and perspectives on practice improvements, patient care, or operational efficiency.
Support Initiative: When an employee takes initiative, even if it leads to a minor misstep, provide constructive feedback rather than criticism. Encourage the spirit of trying.
Autonomy signals respect for their capabilities and fosters a proactive mindset.
6. Measure What Matters & Reward Results
I took my son on a jog the other day. He was loping along at an easy pace. But what really inspired him to drive hard — timing his run. When I began timing his performance, he sped up and strived to beat his time.
People are inherently motivated by progress and knowing their efforts contribute to tangible outcomes. Measurement provides clarity, creates healthy competition (with oneself and others), and signifies that work has meaning.
Identify Key Metrics: What results truly matter to your practice's success and patient well-being? This could be patient satisfaction scores, appointment adherence rates, reduced wait times, or even qualitative observations of team collaboration.
Make Metrics Relevant: Ensure employees understand how their individual efforts directly impact these metrics and, by extension, the overall success of the practice and the patients you serve.
Provide Regular Feedback: Beyond just numbers, offer qualitative feedback. How are they performing? What areas can they improve?
Acknowledge and Reward: When positive results are achieved, acknowledge the effort that led to them. This doesn't always have to be monetary; it can be public recognition, new opportunities, or even a simple team celebration.
Whether through quantitative data or consistent qualitative observation, tracking and discussing results makes work feel significant and fuels the desire to strive for more.
The Bottom Line: Effort Can Differentiate Your Practice
In a world where medical technology, pricing, and services are increasingly standardized, the human element becomes your ultimate differentiator. By incorporate these behaviors into your leadership, you'll unleash a team that consistently chooses to go above and beyond.
This discretionary effort isn't just good for morale; it translates directly into superior patient care, enhanced practice efficiency, and ultimately, a thriving, competitive healthcare practice that truly stands out.
What steps will you take this week to inspire more discretionary effort in your team? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
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