Employee Satisfaction! – Life improvement strategies for the surgeon who wants more … in 10 minutes – Episode 114

Pump the brakes on your week and take 10 minutes to make your life as a surgeon just a little better…

Jeff welcomes to the podcast orthopedic surgeon and educator, Dr. Alan Reznik.

In essence, there are two types of employees. Employee A is happy in their work, puts their nose to the grindstone, and does their job to the best of their abilities. They’re also very loyal, enjoy socializing with their colleagues, and content with where they are in their careers. Employee B is also qualified and does a good job, but maybe isn’t as sociable with their colleagues and isn’t as “settled in their chair.” This employee is more likely to revise their resume and search for new jobs or promotions regularly.

As a person who manages employees, which employee would you rather have on your team? Of course, you’re always going to have a mix of both types of employees (and not every employee will fall perfectly into each category), but it’s a productive thought experiment. Many managers assume that having all Employee As on their team is the best-case scenario, there’s value in considering why Employee B might be preferred. 

Because they’re so entrenched in their job, Employee A may be more cautious in their work and reticent to take risks and bring new ideas to the table that might cost them their job. Employee B, on the other hand, challenges the employer to make the workplace continually better.

What steps does Alan suggest we do to incorporate this information into our professional lives?

• Step 1 - Take a look at your colleagues and try to recognize those who fall into the Employee A and Employee B categories. 
• Step 2 -  Now look inward and try to identify these traits in yourself. Are you more of an Employee A or an Employee B? Recognizing where you fall on this spectrum can help you make better decisions about your career. 

Most importantly, practice supporting employee satisfaction!

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