Exceptional Dental Practice Management

Deconstructing Dental Practice Management - Lesson 1

Is it me, or has managing staff gotten more difficult?  I'm not talking about seasoned staff that have been with the practice for a long time, but new staff.  To me it seems that a new staff member should come to work, ready to be taught what they need to know.  In recent years, new staff seem to feel that the practice should come to a halt while the manager tries to figure out how they learn and then adapt her style of teaching to each new individual staff member.  In these days where you'd think people would be glad to get a job, I find more and more people willing to flip you the bird over any small struggle and go back to being unemployed.  Ok, that's my rant, thanks for listening.

So, what's a manager to do?  I want to take a look at what good managing entails.  Here's lesson one, and it's all about ego, your's and theirs.

1. Your ego - check it at the door.  That's right, but be honest, it isn't easy.  Hey, you're in charge, you must be right all the time.  Wrong.  You are supposed to lead, not boss people around.  Staff is going to disagree with you sometimes.  You probably won't like it, and they may even be wrong; but they may be right and you need to know it.  You have to hear them out, weigh their opinion, and then whether or not you use their suggestion, you have to make sure they felt that their opinion mattered and was appreciated.  And you should find a way to appreciate it because at least they're engaged in some way.  If their purpose is self-serving, you, as a leader, have an opportunity to show them how to turn it out and serve others.  Then you've made a difference.
2. Sometimes you'll be uncertain.  That's ok, you're human, and it's good if you can admit it and ask for input.  That makes you approachable and helps you gain influence with the staff.  Then they follow you because they want to, not because they're afraid not to.
3. When ego gets in the way of good decision making ideas are blocked and mistakes and problems occur.  If you can't admit you're wrong, you can't prevent or repair mistakes.  You must be able to admit you're wrong when you are.  You have to accept responsibility.  You have to admit that sometimes a team member may be better at something than you are and be willing to delegate that something to them. You have to lead with your hands open, rather than holding all of the control of everything tightly in your fist.  You have to train your staff so well that you can trust them to do things well.
4. Their ego - work with it.  People want to feel important and valued.  They want praise.  They want to be accepted as they are.  They want respect.  Give, give, give.
5. Praise in public, correct in private.  You've heard it before, be sure you follow it.  An employee will never forget it if you embarrass them in front of their peers.  You could hand them a $100 bill every day and they'd still remember how you made them feel.  Don't do it.
6. Really listen to them when they are talking to you.  If they have a complaint, really hear and understand it and let them know you do.  If they have an idea, bounce it around with them, it may be a really good one.  If you don't have time right then, schedule a time later that same day. 
7. Make sure that they know what they need to know to do their job well. Don't hold back any detail that will help them shine, even if you think that it will help them do it better than you can do it.  Take pride in helping them get there, but give them the credit.
8. Nip bad attitudes in the bud.  Building people up doesn't mean that anything they put out there goes.  Be firm, be fair, but be straight with them.  The attitude needs to go.
9. Don't play favorites.  Yes, there's always an employee that will do more, be easier, smile faster, but if you show a preference, it will end up hurting them.  The other staff will resent them and you may unwittingly teach them to depend on props, rather than on their own innate desire to do a good job.  Don't mess with a good thing.
10. Be understanding of their individual circumstances, but don't make excuses because of that.  Encourage them to see coming to work as an opportunity to leave personal worries at the door for a few hours.  Yes, worries may intrude here and there, but don't dig into it with them or encourage drama.

Are you seeing a pattern.  Managing requires constant attention to what you are going to say and do next.  Everything matters.  That's it for today, but there's more coming.

 

Heroes, Angels, Patriarchs and Heaven

Today's blog is about anything but dentistry.  You may have noticed that I've been pretty slack about writing this blog in the last year.  I haven't been lazy though, I've been bombarded.  So indulge me, this is a tribute to a very special man.

At this point I am in the end stages of laying a 31 year marriage to rest.  My husband was my hero in many ways, and as happens with many heros who imagine that being on a pedastal is a part of it all, he fell.  And he wouldn't get back up again.  So we go forward into a new type of relationship with each other that is being helped by the arrival of an angel.

My daughter gave birth to my adorable granddaughter, Sophia Emory on December 2.  Everything they tell you about grandchildren is true.  I was awestruck to see my beautiful daughter holding her beautiful daughter.  Not matter what problems are facing you, holding a brand new baby is healing.  Everything falls into place and you see things in a new way.  It balances you so that you see what is worth your attention.  Not to put too much pressure on a week old baby, but in some way she gave me the strength I needed to face losing yet another hero.

My beloved brother Charlie passed away on December 5 after a long and terrible battle with cancer.  I was able to be present for Sophia's birth and then leave the next day to spend the night in Hospice with Charlie.  It was a gift I will be forever grateful for.  Charlie was my true hero.  One who didn't expect admiration, but engendered it, nor did he look for worship.  He gave because he cared.  He didn't take a measure of what he was getting back, so he never felt cheated.  He accepted with gratitude and gave with abandon.  I didn't want him to know about my problems because he had enough of his own, but he found out and reprimanded me saying, "I am still the patriarch of this family."  Sounds like he was watching a little too much Real Housewives of NJ if you ask me.  He was in it till the end and he was the best brother anyone could ever have.  And I know he thinks he's still the patriarch all the way from heaven.  I'm counting on it.

Here's the thing; you never know when your heroes might leave or when your angels might arrive, so it makes sense to take care with everyone and appreciate what's right in front of you.  Heroes and angels beget other heroes and angels so the more you bring into your life, the happier you'll be.  Now consider this; how are you a hero or angel to someone else?  When I got back from my week of rollercoaster emotions, I found that my co-workers had left dinner in my fridge and a beautiful card on my kitchen table.  Yesterday, my boss took us all out to lunch to welcome me back.  Heroes and angels?  You better believe it. Did I think of them that way before?  Probably not.  The only thing you have to do to have more heroes and angels in your life is to learn to recognize what they look like.  I'll bet you already have many of them.  We go through our days so focused on tomorrow, that we miss so much today.  Slow down and appreciate your own heaven on earth. It's right in front of you, filled with heroes, angels, and every now and then, someone who is willing to be a patriarch.  What a shame it would be to miss it.  I knew what I had in Charlie all along and I was always amazed by him.

Thanks Charlie, patriarch, hero and sometimes really annoying big brother, and now official guardian angel to my angel on earth, Sophia.  I was so lucky to have you.  Other angels will take over now, you rest a little.  Thanks for showing me how to be brave.