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Relatively Successful: The Art of Working With Your Family

By Wendy Lipton-Dibner, M.A.

An increasing number of healthcare practices are owned, managed and staffed by married couples and other family members. While the professional alliance is financially and strategically sound, the non-stop reality of living and working together can put a strain on their personal relationships. The good news is – there is a formula for success – at work and at home! The formula for maintaining a successful working relationship with your relatives is simple - just follow these 4 steps:

STEP 1:  Get Regular Check-Ups

Don’t wait until members of your staff are talking about you in the break room to notice that your relationship with your relative is affecting your practice. Now is the time to get a preventive check-up. Sit down and talk. Ask probing questions like “What could I do that would make our home and work life better?” Listen and create a plan of action that will get everyone more of what they want and less of what they don’t want.

STEP 2: Learn a New Language

Take a close look at how you communicate with each other and specify areas that need adjustment Think of your communications as an intricate series of transactions and determine strategies so that everyone can be understood and get their needs addressed. Break through your communication barriers by identifying the areas where you differ in perceptions, values, objectives, and even brain wiring! Make a commitment to respect your differences and to find a common language.

STEP 3: Check Your Baggage

Little and big resentments build up in any family or marriage, and when you work together that baggage adds to the normal work stress. After all, who knows better how to push your buttons than your family member? When those resentments stockpile, the end result is a wall of tension that affects everyone around you. Learn to confront and resolve your unfinished business so that you can enjoy each other 24-7.

STEP 4: Design Your Life

Are you living your life by design or by default? Many relatives work together because of family responsibility and lose track of their individual needs in the process. Take the time to design your life. Look at every possible area of your life and chart it out – what do you want and how will you make sure you get it? Commit to making your design a reality so that it works for you, your family and your practice.

Wendy Lipton-Dibner M.A. is President of Professional Impact, Inc., an International Training and Consulting company that specializes in helping medical practices to take effective action so they get what they want. The author of The ACTION Formula: The Shortest Distance Between What You Have and What You Want, Wendy travels worldwide conducting in-house training workshops and speaking engagements with her husband and partner, Dr. Hal Dibner. To learn more about how you can work with Wendy and Hal, contact Irene Doti, Director of Client Training at Practice Builders at IDoti@practicebuilders.com