One of the best things about my job, is getting to connect with every type of dental practice. I meet dentists that are thriving, dentists that are struggling and dentists that are right in the middle.
And through many conversations, I have figured out the one thing that all our thriving dentists have in common.
It’s a team that is obsessed with them.
When employees are obsessed with their fearless leader (you), it builds everything in your practice up. Lower turnover, fewer “sick” employees, your patients feel it and love coming to the office, you feel it and love your job and team.
Having an amazing team that loves what they do and supports you above and beyond their duties, is what is going to make you a top dentist.
Now if you have to ask, “How do I know if my team is obsessed with me?” Then your team is probably not obsessed with you.
But not to worry. This post is here to make YOU your team’s greatest obsession.
Step 1: Make sure communication is clear and stable.
Stable is a weird word, but if you are constantly changing how you want your team to do things, or your method of communication changes daily, they are going to get confused and frustrated.
In fact when I talk to employees that are leaving a good paying position with great benefits, they usually say it is because they can’t keep up with the constant changes in that practice or they can’t seem to understand their dentists need/wants.
As a dentist, it could be easy to think, “well that is an employee problem.” But most likely it is not. If you are constantly changing your systems or asking them prioritize something different every day. That frustration is going to build and you are going to loose team members.
Obviously change is needed to continue to grow. You can’t do and try everything at once. BEFORE you involve your team:
Think of your top priorities
Figure out how you want to implement
Work out how you are going to communicate these changes
And then bring your team in on them.
Offer them patience and grace as they adjust and then give these changes time to prove success before you move on to something new.
Also, ask for constant feedback on how you are communicating action items to your team. You might not be making yourself as clear as you think you are. In fact, that is one of my biggest failures as a team leader. I think so much in my head and then forget to relay all the needed info properly. I have to always ask my team to if they have all the info they need to success.
You, your team, your practice and your patients will be grateful for it.
Step 2: Make the work environment fun and rewarding.
I worked in an office that did team lunches once a week. I also worked in an office where the doctor had gourmet cookies delivered once a month and on the day he had them delivered, he would block 15 minutes out on the schedule so everyone would gather in the break room for a fun afternoon treat.
It doesn’t have to be something big, but giving your team a chance to relax and connect with you and each other is going to make them obsessed with their job.
Find fun ways to thank and reward your team and you will reap the benefits.
Step 3: Minimize their stress
If you know you are going to have a stressful busy day, help them out by hiring a dental temp on DirectDental or working closely with them to develop a plan of action to make sure everyone still gets a lunch break.
Busy days are apart of the job, but knowing you care and want to help, means a great deal to your team.
Step 4: Let them know they are appreciated every day
Verbally recognize their accomplishments and tell them you appreciate them daily.
And take time every now and then to connect with each team member one-on-one. Whether that be through reviews, lunches, or just chatting with them in the hall between patients. Getting to know each employee as an individual helps you connect on a deeper level as well as let you know what makes them happy and how to show them you appreciate them.
Step 5: Learn how to better connect with people
You hear all the time about great leaders. And how those people practiced becoming that way.
Find books and articles that help you learn how to connect and lead your team better.
Some articles we have that can help make your team more obsessed with you are listed below.
Struggling with Dental Practice Employee Turnover?
4 Tips to Effectively Train Your New Dental Employee
What Dental Professionals Want
3 things Great Dental Teams Do
How do I handle an unmotivated employee?
Make your new dental employee stick
How to improve the attendance of your employees
How effective is your morning huddle?
Hopefully, this quick read will get you thinking about how you interact with your team and how they feel about you. It honestly doesn’t take much to foster a great work environment and make your team obsessed with you!
Smiles!
Holli Perez
DirectDental
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