HealthCert Blog

Welcome to this podcast series, Conversations with Professor David Wilkinson! In this episode, Prof David Wilkinson (Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University) speaks with Mark Lindley (Head of People & Culture at National Skin Cancer Centres) about managing poor staff performance in a medical practice.

Listen to the full podcast now:

In the podcast, Mark outlines what is meant by poor performance, including behavioural problems. He discusses some of the shortfalls in communication that can lead to tasks being poorly executed, and how managers can sit down with their staff to identify what needs to be achieved, how it should be achieved, how the outcome will be measured, and when the outcome will be measured.

Underpinning effective communication are clarity and specificity. At every stage throughout the hiring, onboarding and probation period, employees should be very clear about what their role is. In scenarios where there is a communication breakdown, it is essential for both parties to find ways to bridge that gap.

The podcast also explores how to set up employees for the best possible start, including how to modify an induction program so that employees are able to work independently and identify gaps in their own knowledge and skills.

Mark goes on to describe how best to intervene and manage employees who are performing poorly.

Hear all this and much more in the full podcast above.

Professor David Wilkinson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Macquarie University. He is a registered general practitioner and public health medicine specialist. Since 2004, Professor Wilkinson’s clinical work has focused on skin cancer medicine in primary care. He has published research papers on the topic, designed and led development of the only Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer, and helped develop and present a suite of skin cancer short courses delivered by HealthCert Education.

Learn more in HealthCert’s primary care certificate courses!

Listen to the previous podcast with Mark Lindley.