Who's The Mother?

With Mother’s Day just a week away, I have to admit that rarely a day goes by without thinking of something Mom has taught me. One of her favorite sayings is “Inch my inch life is a cinch, but by the mile life is a trial.” Or how about “A job worth doing is worth doing well.” Mom is also a big believer in what I have come to call the 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt be dependable!”

Understanding dependability is knowing the difference between responsibility and accountability. Responsibility is being able to respond. Accountability is being willing to give final account of the results in a specific area. Everyone on a team can be responsible, but one person needs to be accountable for each specific result. For example, everyone is responsible for attracting and looking for new patients, but one person needs to be accountable for the overall marketing plan and making sure everyone fulfills their responsibility.

Being accountable is what I like to call being the “Mother.” Mothers are the most accountable people there are. That’s why I like to say that every practice needs a “Mother” for every important result. A marketing mother. A scheduling mother. An infection control mother. Every important result needs a “mother.”

If you have ever become frustrated because of things in the office that just don’t get done, consider giving those specific results a “mother,” or a team member who is accountable for that end result. Everyone else can be responsible for helping, but the “mother” is accountable.

Thanks Mom for teaching me dependability and for being the model of accountability. You really know what it means to be a mother at home and the traits of being a “mother” at the office too!

Happy Mother’s Day!