You know the drill. You get to the office early—well before rush hour—to get some work done. As soon as 8 o’clock arrives, you’ll be sidetracked with phones ringing, obligatory greetings infused with side commentaries about what happened on American Idol, and always—an employee issue. The rest of the day is tied up trying to check off your lengthy to-do list. Too many alligators; not enough marshmallows!

 

Unless your clinic is very unusual, a few employees typically stand out as high maintenance personnel. Some are chronically late. Others have an uncanny ability to create discord among the troops. And there are those with a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately attitude that makes team-building extremely difficult. When you hear about a seminar on dealing with difficult people, you wonder if you should sign up. It’s not that bad, right? Regardless, a great deal of time is spent handling squeaky-wheel employees.

 

As you leave your office to fetch that well-deserved cup of coffee, you pass by an employee that’s been a mainstay at the clinic. You smile, and perhaps offer a courteous “good morning” but never break stride. In the break room, there may be three employees around the water cooler. It’s obvious that two are engaged in conversation; the third is a bystander. As you return to your office, you take a detour by the cubicle in the corner just to make sure a particular employee is there. You don’t really know when this employee comes to work or leaves. The time clock indicates she’s there virtually every day for eight hours, so you occasionally walk by her work area just to check.

 

Let’s digress for a minute. When the Sistine Chapel is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is Michelangelo. His artwork is extraordinary. He was an exceptional individual. But who built the chapel itself? It took a number of people whose names will never be remembered. It was those workers, however, that gave Michelangelo the opportunity to paint the chapel’s ceiling.

 

Managers, perhaps the Michelangelo of the office, often take for granted the groundwork that is laid by their invisible employees. Time is valuable. As a manager, you spend it where you feel the demands are greatest. Rarely is it directed toward the invisible employee, the employee that comes early and leaves late, but seems to never have overtime—or the employee that pitches in without being asked. These people provide the foundation for your office.

 

It’s easy to give attention to those that demand it. The problem children are those that get the most time devoted to them. Remember to take time for those employees that are not so demanding. On occasion, recognize them publically. Take time to visit with them to let them know their contributions are noticed and appreciated. The adage of people not caring how much you know until they know how much you care is certainly applicable in the clinic setting. As a leader, it’s important to solidify your foundation of invisible employees to be successful.