Set the Stage for Success at Your New Job

Follow this sage advice on how revenue cycle managers can capitalize on their first 90 days.

Over the 21-plus years of my career as a revenue cycle manager (RCM), I have had some practice navigating the “first 90 days.” For many organizations, this is a probationary period in which you may be expected to meet certain milestones or goals. But even if your new employer does not specify exactly what they expect from you during the first 90 days of your new position, it is important that you have a strategy that will set you up for success.

Maintain Good Working Relationships

As an RCM, you will most likely be managing a team. Although the technical RCM knowledge and skills that you bring to the job are valuable, I believe that the secret to your success lies in the relationship you develop with your team. You will not be able to meet the organization’s revenue performance goals without the vital contribution of your team. It’s very important to make your relationship with them a priority. They need to believe in you as much as you believe in them.

First Impressions Mean Everything

Building a good rapport with your team starts with making a great first impression. Here are a few tips to help you get off on the right foot:

• Show your team that you want to learn what they do.
• Show your team that you are interested in what they do on a daily basis.
• Meet with team members individually and give them an hour of your time.
  • Have them walk you through their processes and daily functions.
  • Take notes and stay interested, even though you may already be somewhat familiar with what they do.
  • Ask what they like about their job and what they would like to see done differently.
• Let your team know that you are there to be an advocate for them.

Slow Your Roll

Don’t assume that what you think should be changed is also what the team thinks should be changed. Changes are inevitable, especially when a new manager is brought on board. Leadership is probably expecting change. But making many or significant changes during your first 90 days may intimidate your team.

As tempting as it may be to overhaul processes all at once, take it slow and keep the team on track with you and as involved as possible in the decision making. As managers, we want to be involved with the decisions of our superiors; well, your team members are no different. Everyone wants to know that they are heard and their opinions matter. Try making the first few changes come directly from the team’s recommendations.

Let’s Talk Numbers

You’re working on getting the team to trust you and you’re taking it slow with the changes: Now it’s time to take a look at the numbers. Most likely, during your interview, you were asked about all kinds of numbers such as days in accounts receivable (AR), percentage of collections, net revenue, etc. And you likely have a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that you are accustomed to tracking. Before you set out on your agenda to impress the powers that be, I recommend asking them directly what timelines, goals, benchmarks, etc., are important to them.

You may immediately want to make changes, even if it’s to impress your supervisor a little bit. But as tempting as that may be, I believe your coworkers will be more impressed if you are willing to be a team player by being compliant with what they already have in place. There will be plenty of time later to improve the organization’s revenue using your knowledge, skills, and experience.

I hope that these tidbits of advice will help calm some of your nerves during the first 90 days of your adventure as an RCM. Good luck!

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Vanessa L. Moldovan

Vanessa L. Moldovan, CPC, CPPM, CPMA, CPC-I, CPB, is a commercial enablement and insights program manager at Waystar. She is a revenue cycle leader and educator with more than 20 years of experience managing operations, improving financial performance, and developing team members through coaching and mentoring. As an educator, she communicates effectively and leads with characteristic positivity. Moldovan supports the mission of AAPC through service. She has served as a chapter officer for many years, four years on AAPC’s National Advisory Board, and currently on the Billing Advisory Committee. Moldovan also continues to fulfill her vision as the creator and host of the podcast “For the Love of Revenue Cycle.”

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