When a company’s reputation of being a toxic office proceeds it, you know something is out of whack. Did you know Doctor offices can sometimes be toxic too? That fact shocks some people actually. There are signs to look for so if you encounter a toxic office, you can turn tail and take your healthcare elsewhere. Going to a toxic doctor office will undermine your health faster than anything else will. Toxic environments up the level of stress and depression and fatigue, not only in the team that works for the toxic doctor, it adversely effects the patients too. So next time you go to a toxic doctor office, tune into what your feeling, because our bodies are fine tuned to pick up stress signals and toxic vibes.
“Hey! you heading to the Northwestern side clinic again?” My co-worker fell into step besides me.
“Yep.” I replied.
“Doesn’t it bother you they doctor treats her people the way she does?” She asked as we kept walking toward the elevators that would take us to our cars.
“It does, however those poor team members at the clinic realllllly need help learning the new system they just put in and I’m training them so they know how the system actually works, not from cheat sheets that do nothing to help.”
“Does the agency know what going on with the clinic?” My co-worker asked.
“Yep, they do indeed know what’s going on.” I replied
“What did they say?” She wanted to know
“Considering they were floored at what I told them, they told me I didn’t need to go back, however I explained these people desperately needed training on the new system that they have, and I’ve worked with that system so I’m staying for the week as per the contract.”
“You’re a brave woman…..” my co-workers voice trailed off as we reached the company cars we had to drive to the job sites we worked at as contracted medical coders. and we went our separate ways for the day.
So if you’re the patient and you’re going to a toxic office, are there signs it’s toxic? Thankfully, yes, there are indeed signs the doctor office is a toxic one.
Here are some of the signs to look for. There are many signs of a toxic office, however, I’m just going to highlight the most common of the signs………
You’ve Just Got a Bad Feeling About Things
Part of the danger of a toxic environment is that sense that you’re losing ground without anything actually happening. It’s time to trust your gut!
Here’s what to look out for:
An overwhelming sense that something is wrong.
A sick feeling in your stomach after you enter the front door of the doctor’s office
Feeling like you’re on alert.(and for good reason, you never know what could trigger a rage outburst from one of the office staff)
Feeling like there’s something “not being said” (no, it’s not your imagination. If you feel like this, make note of it and find out what is going on and why your gut is telling you with a neon flashing light feeling)
A strong urge to seek help or discuss the situation frequently with friends.
Sweaty palms, racing heartbeat or other abnormal physical signals of stress or anxiety.
If you have a strong sense of disengagement, or if any of these signs ring true for you, you may be in a toxic environment, and the time to act is now!
Watch for De-Energized and Unmotivated Workers
This usually indicates a fear-based culture lacking the practice of encouragement and respect often found in a caring environment led by strong servant leaders.
A toxic doctor office culture does not welcome people to offer their ideas, input, creativity, or strengths to the overall environment.
Watch for People Who Hoard Information
This is particularly worrisome if your doctor office is doing it. Here’s the real reason why they withhold information: it’s about power and control. And control at any level, across any function, or between peers is one of the most effective ways to kill trust.
I personally dealt with this when my first husband was told he was terminal with liver cancer. Because none of the team of doctors had said a word, we had no clue whatsoever what we were going to be told. Being blindsided was an understatement. I was very sad that nobody had told us for two months just how bad things were getting. When the doctor who broke the news (that my 1st husband’s cancer was terminal) realized we had no clue whatsoever of how bad things really were, he called the rest of the team in and chewed them out right in front of us. He was completely appalled we’d be kept in the dark for so long. And that’s when he broke the news that my first husband had weeks to a month to live before the cancer took him.
Communication breakdown: Why don’t people care? One reason is that the higher-ups don’t communicate well, or at all. A non-toxic office is one where there is, among other things, an open line of communication between staff and patient.
High turnover: The correlation to №1 is that the toxic office has a tough time keeping people around; either they quit or are fired. If you are looking for a job and find out that the place has a high turnover rate, run, don’t walk, to the nearest exit. This is most commonly seen if the patient goes to the doctor office every month and is startled to see brand new people at the front desk that weren’t there the month before and it continues like that for months….
Intimidation station: Another sign that office is toxic is that it is run on intimidation. There are many ways to motivate people, and yes, frightening them is one, but it sure isn’t fun and studies show it doesn’t work nearly as well as positive reinforcement. I worked in an office a few years ago where the stress level was always way lower when a certain doctor was on his weekly rotation at the hospital. Whenever this certain doctor was in the office, the stress level went through the roof and even patients felt it in the waiting room that the staff was walking on egg shells anytime this doctor was in the office. It was also eye opening when many of the patients he had switched to other doctors in the practice because that certain doctor belittled the patients as much as he did the staff!
Policies trump people: Toxic offices thrive on bureaucracy. Policies become a crutch and a wall to hide behind, masking all sorts of bad behavior. And the worst thing is the phrase “That’s policy, sorry, nothing I can do about it.” If you ever hear this coming from staff, run…… don’t walk to the nearest exit and switch doctors immediately if you can(some people aren’t quite as fortunate to do that if it’s the only specialist in town.)
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