3 easy ways to create a more effective dental team

“My team just doesn’t understand what they’re supposed to do.”
“If my team could just get with the program...”
“Why can’t my staff just do their jobs?”

I frequently hear these and other team-related comments from the dentists who attend my seminars. Staff members are a constant source of frustration for many doctors. It doesn’t have to be this way.

While staff members do make mistakes and perform below expectations at times, dentists must realize that they – as the leaders of their practices and their teams – are ultimately responsible for what occurs in the office. If the team isn’t performing well, have they received proper training? Does the practice have documented step-by-step protocols? Has the dentist provided every staff member with a written job description detailing responsibilities and duties? Does the doctor provide coaching and encouragement to help the team when things go wrong, and compliments when things go right?

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Building a better team starts with the dentist
You can make it easy for your team to perform well. That means giving staff members the right tools so they can excel in their positions.

Here are three ways to help your staff improve performance:
1) Constant communication – Keep your team informed about what is going on in the practice. Share your vision and goals with team members. Hold Daily Business Meetings^™ and Monthly Business Reviews^™ to keep everyone on the same page. A Daily Business Meeting, held every morning, gives the entire team a sense of what to expect that day in terms of scheduled treatment, patients, open appointments and emergencies. Monthly Business Reviews should focus on larger issues, such as replacing outdated protocols, customer service training, and more.
2) Clear expectations – To perform well, team members need to know what they are supposed to accomplish. Providing staff with accurate job descriptions helps them fully understand what they will be held accountable for. If specific tasks need to be completed on a certain day, the dentist should convey that information to team members at the Daily Business Meeting.
3) Continual training – As dentistry changes, team members need to update their skills. Just as dentists are required to take a certain amount of CE credits, staff members, both clinical and administrative, should also receive training in appropriate subjects each year.

Conclusion
Your team is one of your practice’s most important assets. Use the three tools outlined here to help your team succeed. You’ll be a better leader, and you’ll have a stronger team as a result.

To help you train your team, sign up for Dr. Levin’s free Practice Production Tip of the Day at www.levingroup.com/tipoftheday.

In the past five years, more than 5,000 dental practices have taken advantage of the Levin Group Practice Performance Analysis (TM). To learn more about this unique, affordable, and eye-opening service, and how it can provide you with an accurate picture of your practice, visit levingroup.com/practiceanalysis.