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Another Way to Recognize Staff–The RED Chair Approach

You’re going to love this post as I am asking you to PARTICIPATE.  I have a client who is soooooooooo frustrated with his staff because they continually “test” him and his patience (his words).  According to him, they just are not following the “rules” and need  to be disciplined.  When I explained to him the approach that my wife, Mrs. Arndt, Kindergarten teacher, takes with her children, he became excited.  However, he put a unique twist to my coaching ideas.  He wants YOUR feedback.  That’s correct, he has asked me to querry my readers what they think about his approach to managing staff behaviors.  So, have fun with this.  Click on the link that says RED Chair and after you read it and ponder your thoughts, come back here and type in your response in the COMMENT box below this post.  Enjoy……….this should get your attention.

Dr. Ron is the only Master Certified Dental Coach (MCC) on the planet. He has blended 20 years of clinical dental practice with executive roles in financial planning and investment management along his graduate business training to provide his clients with the tools, support, and accountability to accomplish more. About Dr. Ron, "I count you as one of life’s best finds", says Dr. Gary Imm of Reisterstown, Maryland. He has authored many articles; manuals; ThinBooks ^tm; TeleClasses and if you visit http://www.drarndt.com you can receive one of his FREE reports, "9 Painful Mistakes Dentists Make in the Hiring Process"

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7 Responses to “Another Way to Recognize Staff–The RED Chair Approach”

1. Lily G Says:
   April 8th, 2008 at 2:09 pm

   Hi,
   I think it is sad that we have to treat adults like children, either by using a ‘red chair’ or the ‘accountability jacket’. There are plenty of people (especially now with the latest unemployment figure) that would die for the type of work that dentistry provides to its staff. Personally, I would tell them to either shape up (literally) or ship out … that amount of stress is not worth it. Doctors should be practicing dentistry, not babying staff. It’s the doc’s office and he shouldn’t have to put up with tardy staff or lazy team participants. This is just not allowed in my office! I won’t allow it to go on because it is contagious and quickly attacks even the good staff.
   Thanks …

2. Marc Asmar Says:
   April 8th, 2008 at 2:25 pm

   My experience is that as soon as you draw up rules- the people who cant/dont/wont follow them are the biggest whiners. They are also the first to go. Let the first( and biggest loser) go- and then the rest really fall into line with slack jaws and a “wow- he really means it” mentality. Then mob rules and you hear “she was a real pain the rear” and “I am glad she is gone” etc etc. Consider it a team building exercise.

3. Jim Says:
   April 8th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

   I see a big difference between the red chair and the striped jacket. The red chair is about a TIME OUT away from the group, whereas the jacket is a SCARLET LETTER approach that feels very much like punishment via public humiliation.

   I wonder if there’s an in-between sort of consequence, that does not provoke feelings of embarassment??

4. catherine vetrano Says:
   April 8th, 2008 at 6:29 pm

   I like the red chair idea for a kindergarten class , but not for a dental office. I feel each person should be taken aside privately by the dentist and spoken to openly and honestly about the behaviour. The conversation should be documented and dated. If the behaviour persists it is time to realize that the employee is not right for the practice and needs to make a career change. Wearing a stiped jacket will just embarass the person and make the other employees feel uncomfortable. I know that if I were asked to wear such a jacket, as a form of punishment at a workplace, I would likely look for a new employer.

5. Dr. Korinna Schwerdt Says:
   April 9th, 2008 at 6:29 am

   I am a dental coach from Germany and still working part-time as guest-dentist in several offices. I like the idea of the red chair for children very much, but grown-ups need more subtle ways of education and valuaton. There is a saying “like master, like man”. The behaviour of the staff always reflects the boss’s own behaviour - they are the mirror in front of him, whether he is honest or not, authentic or not, responsable, in time, too bossy, cocky, teasing, moody, bitching about patients, inconsequent, week in decisions, mixing up office and privat … He should be a role model in basic virtues. This is the smoothest way to evoke respect among the staff and it is FUN, because it recovers power!! This is HIS chance to develope. Magic included: the staff will follow. Love them or dismiss them! Besides, employ the best for the job!!!

6. Julie Farley Says:
   April 9th, 2008 at 10:45 am

   Wow, great topic to discuss. I like the idea about the red chair for children, however I wonder if having an employee wear the jacket would be creating a hostile work evnironment, since this could disable moral or create an intimidating working environment, and I would check with my lawyer before I implemented that policy.

   It is also my understanding that you never want to have an employee stand out and this could be personally offensive. You may also have some harrassment issues, if you don’t create a policy and put it in your employee manual, along with the employee signature, that the employee understands this policy and in order to work here this is how we handel inappropriate employee behaviors. (After counseling does not work).

   I think that the doctor that is having these challenging times really needs to consider the staff the he/she employs. If you dont have control over the staff and their behaviors, what makes he/she think that the employee is going to wear the jacket? It would be much easier to document the behavior, counsel, and than terminate the employee rather than be stressed out about facing the jacket on a daily basis. (And from the sounds of it, the staff could potentially be wearing the jacket daily).

   I also agree that the doctor needs to make certain that they are a role model. Typically the doctors sets the tone in the office and maybe the doctor needs to reflect on how he/she runs the office. Possibly consider bringing in an office manager to run the practice if he/she is unable to manage staff.

   He/she should be livin the dream and not being frustrated to come into work!! Good Luck! Remember who’s name is on the front door and who signs the paychecks.

7. Amy Says:
   April 10th, 2008 at 12:55 pm

   The red chair idea is great for children but not for a professional environment. I believe there should be policies that are followed. If they are not followed then a disciplinary plan takes effect. A verbal warning that is documented, a written warning signed by the employee with a plan of correction and then termination. I believe if you treat your staff like children, that is what you will get in return. Set the bar high and don’t settle for less. You can also link a raise and/or a bonus into the disciplinary process as long as everyone understands that from the beginning.

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