How do you win a battle? As Daenerys Stormborn from Game of Throne knows, it all starts with the right team.
It’s the concept of readying the troops. Banding together a group of soldiers isn’t the hard part. Getting them passionate and motivated to take action together is.
Before you can take the city (or grow your practice,) you’ve got to know what your mission is. That allows you to find the right soldiers (or employees) to get you there.
That’s what Daenerys Stormborn does extremely well. She knows exactly how to find the right soldiers to align with her mission. And (spoiler alert) that’s why she’s the biggest threat to the Iron Throne.
(See? Game of Thrones really is worth something!)
The same logic fueling Deanerys’s rise can be applied to hiring a passionate, cohesive team at your practice.
Understanding the big picture
Before you write a job description, you need to understand your goals for the practice — your mission.
Ultimately, you should be looking long-term, for someone who will carry your mission forward for years to come. A good long-term fit needs to mesh with your mission and your culture, which comes down to personality.
Think of this like a qualifier. Before you look at their specific skill set or accomplishments on paper, you need someone who fits your culture and mission. Otherwise, they’re unlikely to stick with your team long-term…and you’ll have to start the hiring process all over again.
Where are your holes?
Once you get clear on your mission, look at how the new person will interact with you and your team.
What holes do you currently have in your office? What personality traits do you need to make your team as a whole stronger? In what area(s) is your team currently lacking that a new hire would balance out?
If you’re always late to your appointments, you need someone who is excellent at time management. If your current staff is rigid and by-the-book, look for someone who thinks a little outside the box. You don’t want to hire your twin — that won’t help move things forward. Hire to fill your holes.
A strategic way to evaluate new hires
One of my favorite methods for gauging team members’ strengths is the KOLBE (not like the cheese!) Index.
The KOLBE Index, in a nutshell, tells you what you’re good at. There are no good or bad KOLBE scores — it simply points out where your strengths lie.
After KOLBE testing, you’ll receive a number for each of four categories:
Fact-finder
Someone with a high fact-finder score will research before taking action. They’re very detail-oriented and need to put things in order before they’re comfortable starting to work.
If you give a fact-finder a project, they’ll need to sit down to understand and organize each part before acting.
Follow thru
The follow thru factor deals with how we arrange and design things. People with high follow thru like to work out how to make things happen and thrive on structure and processes.
If you give this person a goal, they’ll create a straightforward plan to accomplish it and will see it through to the end.
Quick start
People with high quick start love thinking of new ways to do things. They’re fast-paced, creative experimenters who fire out lots of new ideas and are great at multitasking.
If you ask a high quick to solve a problem, they’re likely to give you a dozen very different ways to solve it.
Implementor
The implementor factor deals with how we handle space and intangibles. It’s how well you can take an abstract idea and turn it into reality — take the intangible into physical space.
A high implementor will find a physical solution to an intangible problem. They would excel at a task like reorganizing the filing room or mapping out the waiting area for better flow.
How to use KOLBE to hire the perfect staff member
You can use the KOLBE Index to think through your operational needs for the position.
For example, if you’re hiring someone at the front desk, you likely want a high quick start, who can keep up with a fast pace. You’ll also want high follow thru, to ensure that they complete the tasks they are given, even if the day gets distracting.
Look through applicant resumes using the KOLBE lens. Are they detail-oriented? Have they seen a project through to the end? Have they revolutionized how business was done before? Have they recreated systems?
During phone and in-person interviews, probe deeper into questions that tell you what type of workers they are. Balance personality and character with their KOLBE strengths to find the perfect fit. Always consider how this new person will work within your team, not just as a standalone employee.
I’m curious — where do you fall on the KOLBE Index? I’m predominantly a high quick start and a high follow thru. Share what you think you are in the comments!
For more ideas on improving your practice, download our free white paper, 5 Strategies to Accelerate Cash Flow & Increase Profits. It’s full of our best tips to generate revenue for your business and keep it running smoothly. Click here for instant access.
Jasmine Vializ is the President and CEO of Inlera, a billing and practice management company designed to increase the quality of healthcare by helping doctors to prioritize their patients while boosting their bottom line.
