A dental office usually has more than just the dentist working. Office managers, front desk, dental assistants, dental hygienists — every person has a part to play and every person helps the office function as a cohesive unit. I have always viewed the dental team as family.
As a family, we call each other up and encourage one another — not out and criticizing everything that goes wrong. Here are a few things that have helped me to keep a good relationship with our dental team:
- Celebrate every win and correct with kindness.
At our office, we call it glowing points and growing points, things that have been done well and things that can be improved on. We try to do this daily at huddle or in mini-meetings, so that we are growing and getting better together. Celebrating what went well and correcting the things that need improvement with kindness allows each team member to feel valued, validated and encouraged to grow.
- Communicate expectations.
Have you felt any reservation about sharing expectations? It’s hard for expectations to be met if they are not shared. When sharing expectations and standards of any task with a team member, we find it helpful to explain the “why” behind the task. We have found when the task is fully comprehended it leads to confidence and efficiency with the task. This is generally linked to success in the office.
- Collaboration over criticism.
If the team member is not performing the task after it has been communicated, a private meeting is scheduled. Sit with the team member, privately, to find out where there was miscommunication. Ask how they can be partnered with them to help them feel equipped for any task they perform.
- Connect.
Get to know your team! Knowing a team member's birthday, anniversary, favorite food and even favorite coffee order helps bring a deeper connection to the team that goes beyond surface level connections. Caring about the personal details, no matter how big or small, can go a long way. This can lead to a boost in office culture and morale.
When you function as a healthy family it makes for a great experience for the dental team to want to come to work and grow in their position. The 4 C’s — celebrate, communicate, collaborate and connect — can lead to a great experience for everyone, including the patient!