It’s Office Manager Appreciation Month (OMAM) and we’re so excited to celebrate, in partnership with the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM), how much dental office managers contribute to their patients, teams, and practices. The celebration site has been updated, the doors are open, and dentists, teams, and especially office managers are invited to join the festivities.
When I think of all the office managers I know, from the time I worked in a practice to my current role at CareCredit, I see amazingly talented individuals who are invested in their patients, the practice as a business, and their own professional growth. I reached out to two #AwesomeOM AADOM diplomates—Debbie Evans and Jennifer Steadman—to talk about OMAM and why recognition and celebration are so important.
Related reading:
- Celebrating in September: It's Office Manager Appreciation Month!
- Happy Office Manager Appreciation Month! How are you celebrating?
A quick Q&A with two dental front office professionals
AM: As office managers and administrators, I know you focus on your patients and team. Why is it important to celebrate professionals like you?
DE: Everyone on the team contributes to patients’ health and the success of the practice. Unity and cohesion creates a culture, and a positive workplace is something patients can feel and appreciate. Celebration means taking the time to honor the critical role we all have. Office managers are crucial to the success of the practice, and being celebrated makes us feel appreciated and valued.
JS: Office managers are the glue that keeps the team rowing in the same direction. Often they are unsung heroes and the ones who make it a priority to recognize others, tending to step back from the spotlight themselves. They are team leaders, advocates, cheerleaders, and confidants. A little appreciation for all the roles they have in the practice is deserved and welcomed.
AM: How have your dentist and teams celebrated OMAM in the past?
JS: In my previous position as director of operations for a group practice, I got to plan special things to celebrate the office managers! I surprised them by cancelling a scheduled meeting and going to a local outdoor activity center that had mini golf, bumper boats, zip lines and ice cream. I made bags with t-shirts, sunscreen, and other essentials for the day. I have also made personalized tumblers for all the managers and filled them with candy, gift cards, and a personalized note.
DE: Last year each department picked a week and they all celebrated in different ways. They had a theme and decorated my office accordingly. The year before they celebrated OMAM all together with a super hero theme. My office was filled with balloons, signs, flowers, and pictures of me with hilarious captions. But honestly, even the smallest of gestures that are thoughtful and personal, like a single flower or coffee made just right, are brilliant!
AM: CareCredit, in partnership with AADOM, wanted to honor office managers during September and enable teams to celebrate their #AwesomeOM, too. To help, we created an Office Manager Appreciation Month site with free resources for the team and a special virtual experience just for OMs.
DE: I have visited the site and love that the team can get ideas and resources to help them celebrate their OM. The social media posts are fun and easy to use, and I think everyone would value the certificate of appreciation. I like that there’s a separate celebration just for OMs. It’s a fun virtual experience with games and inspiration.
JS: The OMAM site is great! I love the social media posts! It makes it easy for my team to extend the celebration out to our patients through our social media sites. I see that there are posts for men and women office managers. I liked the thank you video from some of dentistry’s most well-known leaders. It's nice that they would take the time to appreciate office managers and administrators.
AM: Happy Office Manager Appreciation Month to both of you! I hope you enjoy the celebration all September long. And I invite all OMs and dental teams to visit the OMAM website to join in the festivities. Please use the hashtags #AwesomeOM #OMAM and #CareCredit when you post!
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