“All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence,” said Martin Luther King, and where GP practice managers are concerned, we couldn’t agree more. Co-ordinating a team of medical professionals whose sole aim is to serve the public and keep people of all ages both happy and healthy is a noble and challenging task. It’s one that demands organisation and compassion in equal measures for the good of the team and, by extension, the whole community. And for that reason, we bring to you three useful sayings every practice manager should keep in mind.

1.       Delegate, delegate, delegate

You’re probably in this job because you’ve proven that you can run a tight ship and work well under pressure. Practice managers are often natural perfectionists and skilled multi-taskers, so don’t let this become the reason you become unable to let go of smaller day-to-day responsibilities. You can’t – and shouldn’t – have to do everything yourself.

2.       A manager says ‘go!’ but a leader says ‘let’s go!’

Following on seamlessly from the previous point, beware that there’s a fine balance to be struck between divvying your entire daily jobs list between the receptionists and instilling team spirit through working together as one united force.  Be a manager in title but a leader in spirit, and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Metaphorically speaking, of course…

3.       Exceed expectations

This goes for everything from punctuality to presentation to professionalism. Managers who undermine fellow staff members, for example, invite an unhealthy climate for office gossip and plummeting morale. Neither of which are a good look in an environment that’s almost 100% public-facing and concerned with health and wellbeing.  Don’t tell your team what’s expected of them – go on and show them what an exemplary team member looks like. And never forget the value of recognising someone’s efforts with a genuine ‘thank you.’ It doesn’t cost a thing.