Six quick tips for motivating your EHR selection team

The process of selecting an EHR system can be lengthy, arduous, and mentally taxing. Unfortunately it also comes with very little thanks. Yet it is an essential and important task that will impact the medical practice in the short and long term. Therefore, it is important to keep your EHR selection team motivated, optimistic and excited about the process. Here are six quick tips for motivating your selection team:

1. Keep a timetable and update it regularly

A task can become grueling when there does not seem to be an endpoint. Therefore, a focused timeline is essential in the process of selecting an EHR system. Set a timetable with expected goals and accomplishments. If your timeframe for selecting a new system is six months, then delineate the tasks by month and week. This way, the team will see what progress they are making and how much longer it will take to complete the selection and implementation.

Recommended reading: motivate your team and survive the selection process with our EHR selection survival guide.

2. Modify work schedules

EHR selection team members may find a little more incentive to put in the extra work needed during EHR selection if they are given the opportunity to work from home a few days or work a flexible schedule. This can create a better work/life balance and prevent the team from experiencing burnout.

3. Highlight positive achievements

Whether your EHR selection team has successfully identified their final vendors to compare, or a team member was able to secure a great purchase price for new computers, it is important to highlight significant achievements throughout the process. Highlighting accomplishments by the team will keep the process upbeat and motivate the team for continued success.

4. Give people challenging tasks

People are motivated by a challenge. Simple and mundane tasks become boring and monotonous. Therefore, give each member or a group of members a challenging task to keep their interest.

5. Provide means for communication

It is important that the EHR selection team leader be available for support, feedback, and even venting during the process. Therefore, provide a means for communication with the selection committee. This can be in the form of email, phone calls or regular team meetings. It is important that people be able to share their concerns and successes. Good communication will also help to keep the project on the outlined timeline.

6. Offer small but meaningful incentives

Something as simple as a complimentary lunch or coffee during team meetings can go a long way to keep team members motivated. Additionally, consider offering a small bonus or day off for those team members who actively attend all scheduled meetings and complete their assigned tasks. These little incentives can keep the team motivated and help to generate a better sense of teamwork throughout the selection process.