It sounds crazy but we do exactly that and we do it often. We orthodontists are convinced that other orthodontists, individually and as a group, have the best answers to any and all problems that arise in the course of running an orthodontic practice. When it comes to non-clinical issues, couldn’t be more wrong.
Asking other orthodontists for advice on Human Resource issues is dumb!
Argue all you want but I’ve had enough up close and personal HR experience to know that HR law is not logical, it differs by state and the penalties for getting it wrong are severe. I’ve also witnessed hundreds if not thousands of conversations where orthodontists talk about how they “feel” or what they “like” or what they “want” when it comes to dealing with HR issues to know that we don’t take it seriously and don’t understand what an EEOC complaint can mean. Feelings, thoughts, wants and tradition have zero to do with following the law in your state and orthodontists know less about HR law than PCDs know about ortho!
Worse than the bad advice we orthodontists give one another is the misplaced confidence we feel in taking action in our offices based on the fact that all the orthodontists agree as to the “best course of action”. Bad information implemented with bravado is a potent mix that can easily result in an EEOC complaint.
Save yourself a lot of pain and heartache. Whenever you have an employee issue, engage a lawyer in your state that knows HR law! It’s cheap compared the cost of ignorance!!
I think corollary here is that many aspects of running our businesses are based on “group consensus” . From marketing, to hiring, to paying bills we do what our neighbors do. We certainly need HR attorneys, accountants, investment experts, but I think most of all we need MBA types to help us develop effective systems. How do we draw these people into our profession?
Great question John! I know you and your family know more about this topic than most and you are more successful than most because of that. I’m not sure how we draw business types into the profession as a whole but, like you, I believe it is well worth it to have business minded and trained people at the helm of a practice of any size.