How to retrain a staff that was never held accountable

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

From Biz Journals

How to retrain a staff that was never held accountable

...Here's what you should do:

1. Start by making your expectations clear on the basics-attendance, dress code, work hours, paperwork, and so on.
   
2. Assume that the staff lacks an understanding of the "right ways" to do things, since it sounds like performance standards have been lenient for a while now. Yes, everyone will grumble, but this should help you determine who will adjust to your new leadership style and who will continue to buck the system.
   
3. Expect initially that the majority will resist compliance to rules and regulations. But if you're firm in your negative feedback and unrelenting in the consequences, most will fall in line.
   
4. Be prepared to let some staff go. You will inevitably encounter a small cadre of resistors who will fight you every step of the way. Your only recourse is to fire the most egregious offender (but please, do this with guidance and counsel of your HR and legal teams to avoid any wrongful termination headaches). Once the staff realizes you mean business, they will adjust to the rules or eventually elect to work elsewhere.
   
5. Ask yourself how this happened in the first place. How were you oblivious to the fact that the prior manager was not doing his or her job? Make sure you implement some kind of oversight process so that the new manager maintains your standards of acceptable behavior....
   

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

Very good post.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

excellent! Please bear in mind that education and behavior management are NOT the same thing. Once you educate someone on expectations and content then the rest belongs to behavior (compliant or not).