Five Tips for Building the Best Dental Practice Team
Your team matters the most
A productive and positive team is critical to the success of your dental practice.
Each team member must be contributing their unique skills, be friendly with their patients, and work together to truly benefit the practice. However – oftentimes, a dental practice may be lacking proper leadership, or the staff may not all be pulling their weight. When a dental clinic’s team starts to wind down the wrong road, you’re going to have to put a few rules into action to get the team back on track.
Here are several things you can do to ensure your team maintains a healthy workflow and a positive outlook on team work:
Set rules or guidelines for your staff.
When employees have a better understanding of their unique roles, and how they should handle certain situations, this can save your practice from a lot of mishap and confusion. Communication is vital, and it’s best to establish these principles with each team member beforehand. Your staff members will also appreciate the guidance, and will be well prepared for common situations.
Provide constructive feedback.
Providing your staff with regular feedback, such as where they can improve, what they’re doing well/ acknowledging their accomplishments, as well as setting some new goals to encourage the team member to grow professionally will be conducive to building a great team. As well, your staff member will have the opportunity to talk about his or hers’ personal concerns, which are necessary to address in order to maintain a positive practice.
Choose wisely.
It’s important to never rush the hiring process, no matter how urgently the new position is needed. Be as cautious as possible when scouting for a new team member. As well, ask for the opinions of your current team members to help ensure you’re making the right choice. Consider working with your potential new member for a day before officially hiring. All of these small efforts will help to ensure that your new hire is the right fit (or not, before it’s too late).
Foster a positive work environment with great communication.
Try your best to make your practice environment a positive and welcoming place for your staff and patients alike. Ensure that your office is a gossip-free environment. Celebrate staff birthdays and accomplishments. Most importantly, encourage ongoing open communication and hold regular meetings where you can provide constructive feedback to the team.
Commend your employees on their efforts and personal working styles.
As long as your team members are sticking to the rules of your practice operation, respect their unique working styles and respect and consider their opinions when it comes down to making decisions for the practice. Respect and acknowledgement of your staff’s hard work is what’s going to motivate them to continue doing their best.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to create a proficient, productive and happy dental team – conducive to the success of your practice.