Leading Employee Compliance.

Patient compliance is no laughing matter, but when administrators and doctors are asked if employees follow their directions, the question often is met with nervous laughter. In order to provide high levels of patient care and safety, leaders in the healthcare industry must be able to motivate employee compliance, adherence to policies and preference, and, at a minimum, the following of directions. Each can be achieved, resulting in far higher levels of performance in a hospital or even,small practice, but that requires leadership in each of the following five areas: giving explicit directions; imposing reasonable consequences; monitoring progress; employing empathy; and following through consistently. Without these leadership actions, a lack of employee compliance will have a far more damaging impact than any struggle with patients about following treatment directions.