Debbie Allaben Gair
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Building a house requires a toolbox full of tools that are each designed to tackle specific tasks. While a hammer won't cut
glass and a drill won't hold beams together, these tools, along with many others, are necessary for constructing a quality
structure. And it's what's different that makes these instruments most useful.
When your managers hire, they add to your practice toolbox. Of course, they look for a candidate with the basic traits, such
as someone who's trustworthy, honest, dependable, and possesses a good work ethic. Filtering out candidates who don't offer
these traits helps us choose solid employees who will build a strong foundation for the practice. Your managers also might
look for some secondary traits to address an open position's specific needs or to increase the team's overall diversity. As
you read about these different behavior styles, consider which types of team members might best balance your current team—and
think about which tool type best describes you.
Glue
Traits: Patient, kind, loyal, good listener Motto: We want what's best for the team, even at our own expense.
When the glue sticks: A glue team member is likely a calm person who works methodically to meet everyone's needs. She swaps work schedules, sacrificing
her own wants or needs. She's dependable and plans vacations and time off well in advance to make sure she covers her shifts
adequately.
She's established effective systems and routines to handle her duties, and there's no confusion about protocol or procedures.
Before making changes, she considers how they will affect the team, practice, clients, and patients.
Clients love this type of team member because she's often worked at the practice for as long as they can remember. In fact,
some glue team members who are closing in on retirement have worked at the practice since they were teenagers and their mothers
still drove them to work. A glue employee fosters a peaceful workplace and treats clients and team members like family.
When the glue doesn't hold: A glue person is slow to change and dependent on systems that worked in the past. She's overly concerned with how others
feel and she sometimes doesn't meet her own needs. Because she likes to avoid conflict, she helps create a pleasant work environment,
but she sometimes fails to address or resolve issues. She needs others to support her efforts to speak up and comfortably
adjust to change.
This team member tries hard to save relationships, but her tactics for keeping the peace might challenge others. She may need
encouragement to act assertively, and you may need to create systems to help her manage change.
The glue team member alters her plans routinely to accommodate others, and she does so willingly. In fact, she gets satisfaction
out of making others happy. But at some point, this team member explodes from a frustration no co-worker knew she felt. Afterwards,
she's quick to apologize and resume accommodating others at her expense.
Light bulb
Traits: Enthusiastic, customer-service driven, positive attitude
Motto: Let's have fun.
When electricity flows: The light bulb kicks open the back door, ready for a fun-filled day of actively helping clients care for their pets. As she
works, she shares stories of past travels and is always dreaming about upcoming vacations or even just her plans for next
weekend. She accomplishes a lot, but it's hard to notice because she effortlessly mixes work and fun.
If a light bulb makes mistakes, she recovers and moves on to the next challenging task. She multitasks, juggling her responsibilities
while laughing and brainstorming evening social plans.
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