Tired of Being the Peacemaker? Keys to Building a Strong Team , When asked about the challenges they face with owning a practice, doctors rarely mention the clinical aspect of their jobs. Instead, dealing with the dynamics of their support team is often the main source of stress. Many feel they spend too much if their energy trying to managing various personalities and trying to help everyone get along. So what can a doctor do? Here are some tips on how you can develop chemistry among the team members and have a better chance of a managing well-run practice rather than being the chief peacemaker. Hire Staff That Works Well With Others Bringing on the right staff from the beginning is a critical part of successful team chemistry. When conducting an interview, look for keys that show the candidate has been focused on the accomplishment of teams they have worked with before rather just their own success. Be sure when conducting your reference checks you verify how the potential hire worked with others. Asked how their peers viewed them, check to see how they interacted with their co-workers and patients. Ask for a specific example of how they helped someone reach a goal or solve a problem. Good teammates always look to help make others around them successful. Make Certain The Practice Leaders Work Well Together If you have a smaller practice, you may not have many designated “leaders” but it is key that everyone works together well. If you have enough staff where someone is assigned a leader title, make sure those leaders understand and appreciate each other’s role. In dental practice, the lead clinical assistant needs to know what goals the business manager has and how to help. The business leader should know what tasks are critical for the assistant to accomplish. If all are on the same page, they are more likely to work together better as a team. Do Not Tolerate Negative Team Members Everyone has a bad day now and then and can be frustrated with their work and others. But those who are chronic complainers and always negative about their co-workers or the doctor are a burden to the practice. Understanding how negative staff drags down the team is key. Employees who are not positive about their jobs make it difficult for others to focus on theirs. The practice leadership should be prepared to step in and discuss with a staff member who is not positive about their role. If that person cannot turn it around, sometimes the only choice to is to move them out of the practice. Make Each Member Feel Appreciated Recognition and rewards for a job well done goes a long way to building teamwork. In a dental office, each person’s role is dependent on others. If doctor sets the tone and reinforces the positive accomplishments of the team, individuals will be work likely to work together. Staff meetings are a good place for recognizing the effort the team has done. Events where the entire team gets together outside of the office when a particular goal is reached is also a way to show appreciation. Make It A Priority To Keep The Team Focused It is critical for the leader of a practice to keep their eye on the pulse of the team. It is much easier to deal with issues while they are small than after they grow out of control. Be aware of how employees are working together and how they feel about their roles. What for signs that of conflict and act quickly to resolve them. The morale of a team is a key and can be monitored with frequent informal conversations. Being sincere and asking team members how they are doing on a regular basis will help the practice leadership makes adjustments as needed to keep the practice running smoothly. Building a strong team within a practice takes a great deal of effort and energy, but the payoff is well worth it. All it takes is some focus by the practice leadership and the results will move your practice to new heights. Ken Smith is Vice President of Peak Performers, Inc. an organization specializing in supporting the business consulting and staffing needs of dentists and their practices. With over twenty five years experience in the health care field, Ken's background includes supervising the operations multiple dental practices as well as work in the optometric and veterinary fields. Ken is experienced in the business side of practice management and is skilled in the areas of human resource management, interviewing and recruiting, customer service as well as revenue growth. To contact Ken visit http://bit.ly/12MstJ0 or call 888-477-7325 , http://bit.ly/12Mssot

Tired of Being the Peacemaker? Keys to Building a Strong Team , When asked about the challenges they face with owning a practice, doctors rarely mention the clinical aspect of their jobs. Instead, dealing with the dynamics of their support team is often the main source of stress. Many feel they spend too much if their energy trying to managing various personalities and trying to help everyone get along. So what can a doctor do? Here are some tips on how you can develop chemistry among the team members and have a better chance of a managing well-run practice rather than being the chief peacemaker. Hire Staff That Works Well With Others Bringing on the right staff from the beginning is a critical part of successful team chemistry. When conducting an interview, look for keys that show the candidate has been focused on the accomplishment of teams they have worked with before rather just their own success. Be sure when conducting your reference checks you verify how the potential hire worked with others. Asked how their peers viewed them, check to see how they interacted with their co-workers and patients. Ask for a specific example of how they helped someone reach a goal or solve a problem. Good teammates always look to help make others around them successful. Make Certain The Practice Leaders Work Well Together If you have a smaller practice, you may not have many designated “leaders” but it is key that everyone works together well. If you have enough staff where someone is assigned a leader title, make sure those leaders understand and appreciate each other’s role. In dental practice, the lead clinical assistant needs to know what goals the business manager has and how to help. The business leader should know what tasks are critical for the assistant to accomplish. If all are on the same page, they are more likely to work together better as a team. Do Not Tolerate Negative Team Members Everyone has a bad day now and then and can be frustrated with their work and others. But those who are chronic complainers and always negative about their co-workers or the doctor are a burden to the practice. Understanding how negative staff drags down the team is key. Employees who are not positive about their jobs make it difficult for others to focus on theirs. The practice leadership should be prepared to step in and discuss with a staff member who is not positive about their role. If that person cannot turn it around, sometimes the only choice to is to move them out of the practice. Make Each Member Feel Appreciated Recognition and rewards for a job well done goes a long way to building teamwork. In a dental office, each person’s role is dependent on others. If doctor sets the tone and reinforces the positive accomplishments of the team, individuals will be work likely to work together. Staff meetings are a good place for recognizing the effort the team has done. Events where the entire team gets together outside of the office when a particular goal is reached is also a way to show appreciation. Make It A Priority To Keep The Team Focused It is critical for the leader of a practice to keep their eye on the pulse of the team. It is much easier to deal with issues while they are small than after they grow out of control. Be aware of how employees are working together and how they feel about their roles. What for signs that of conflict and act quickly to resolve them. The morale of a team is a key and can be monitored with frequent informal conversations. Being sincere and asking team members how they are doing on a regular basis will help the practice leadership makes adjustments as needed to keep the practice running smoothly. Building a strong team within a practice takes a great deal of effort and energy, but the payoff is well worth it. All it takes is some focus by the practice leadership and the results will move your practice to new heights. Ken Smith is Vice President of Peak Performers, Inc. an organization specializing in supporting the business consulting and staffing needs of dentists and their practices. With over twenty five years experience in the health care field, Ken's background includes supervising the operations multiple dental practices as well as work in the optometric and veterinary fields. Ken is experienced in the business side of practice management and is skilled in the areas of human resource management, interviewing and recruiting, customer service as well as revenue growth. To contact Ken visit http://bit.ly/12MstJ0 or call 888-477-7325 , http://bit.ly/12Mssot , via Dental Teach " Daily Dental Info " http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=606551292702757&set=a.578897982134755.1073741843.110664842291407&type=1