Troubleshooter: Dentist seeks advice for managing his unruly staff
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QUESTION: I am a general dentist in Massachusetts. I own a small dental practice with one dental assistant, two hygienists, one office manager, and one part-time receptionist.
I have three issues:
1. I have a hard time getting my assistant to use her time efficiently. She needs to keep the lab clean, organize the stock room, and other chores she won’t do or does not do well.
2. The receptionist takes too much time off and does not do the duties I ask of her.
3. One of my hygienists becomes upset if we schedule a patient before lunch or at the end of the day. She does not care to have her schedule run late at all.
Don’t get me wrong. They are all good people. But what I want is more team understanding and cooperation. I don't like to point fingers, and I don’t want any of the team members to point fingers either.
How can I become an efficient boss and leader?
ANSWER FROM DR. CHRIS SALIERNO, former editor of Dental Economics:
Since there are several complex issues in this question, Dr. Salierno chose to share his ideas to help this dentist via video. What tips does he offer this dentist about getting his staff and practice under control?
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Don't be shy! If YOU have a tough issue in your dental office that you would like addressed, send it to [email protected] for the experts to answer. Remember, you'll be helping others who share the same issue. Responses will come from various dental consultants, as well as other experts in the areas of human resources, coding, front office management, and more. These folks will assist dental professionals with their various issues on DentistryIQ because they're very familiar with the tough challenges day-to-day practice can bring.
Originally posted in 2017 and updated regularly
