Meet Jessica Bilal: Q&A with a practice manager

In a new series from AusDoc, we are chatting to practice managers from across Australia.

Our first manager, Jessica Bilal, runs three practices in regional SA. Here she offers some advice to new practice managers.

Name: Jessica Bilal

Practice: Village Medical Centre, Village Medical on Helen and Village Medical on Jubilee

Staff: Approximately 20 FTE nurse/admin, nine FTE doctors

Location: Mount Gambier, SA

Experience as a practice manager: 2.5 years

What attribute/characteristic has best equipped you for the job:

I would say having resilience, adaptability and being open to always learning. I’m able to work through challenges, adapt when things don’t go to plan and focus on finding a solution rather than getting stuck on the problem. I also know there is always more to learn, so I’m open to feedback, new ideas and continually developing both personally and professionally.

What advice would you give a new practice manager:

Don’t do it … just kidding.

Ask lots of questions, back yourself and accept that you’re never going to know everything. Get to know your team and your patients, because the people are the most important part of the job.

Don’t try to do everything yourself, learn to delegate, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Some days will be absolutely chaotic, so have a laugh, learn from it and come back tomorrow.

Describe yourself in three words:

Resilient. Curious. Weird.

What is your guiltiest pleasure:

A very dirty martini and complete silence.

What is your core philosophy when leading a team:

Don’t expect others to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself. 

How do you handle a major setback or failure at work:

Laugh.

I usually give myself a moment to process it, then focus on what I can actually do about it. I try not to dwell too much on what’s gone wrong and instead look at what I can learn from it and what the next step is.

I’m pretty resilient, and I think setbacks have taught me to adapt, ask for help when I need it and keep moving forward.

Know a practice manager who might have an interesting tip or story to tell? Get in touch at jamie.thannoo@adg.com.au