so correcting these, or removing employees who refuse to comply, is very important to a functional team-based workplace.
Leaders who engage their staff and encourage open communications are often able to reduce staff conflict.
So what are the most common causes of drama in a dental practice? One major cause of drama is change. And that can be any kind of change, including a shift in staffing, hours, responsibilities, procedures and protocols, or even a change that’s occurring in someone’s personal life.
Another is unfulfilled or unmet expectations. Employees who aren’t challenged by their work or who feel unappreciated can cause tension in the practice without even knowing it. An effective way of resolving — and preventing — this potential source of conflict is to communicate with your team frequently, honestly and with full transparency in both written and verbal communications.
The most effective way to keep your dental practice moving forward is to continually assess how things are going and to implement systems that improve what’s already in place. Strong leadership can overcome resistance to change. Failing to manage the change process can doom new initiatives right from the start.
Other dramas can be caused by differences in how your staff communicates with each other and with patients. Again, your staff will take their cues from you. They will notice whether you take time to patiently explain procedures and answer questions. While you don’t have to be a skillful presenter, the ability to talk to everyone in an open, honest and comfortable manner will set the example for everyone to follow. The goal of any communication — no matter if it’s with staff, patients, colleagues or others — is to have everyone feeling good about things at the end of the conversation.
While you don’t have to be a skillful presenter, the ability to talk to everyone in an open, honest and comfortable manner will set the example for everyone to follow.
One final area of potential drama is performance management, especially when it comes to giving and receiving feedback. Letting someone know when they’re falling below expectations is never an easy conversation to have. Yet as the leader of the team, it’s up to you to manage those difficult conversations in a way that makes the outcome positive. Sometimes, before having these types of conversations, it can be helpful to examine your own tendencies. For instance, before talking with someone about his or her lack of initiative, take an honest look at yourself and see where your own initiative lies. This can help you be more understanding and empathetic, two traits that can help you conduct difficult conversations in a firm, yet sensitive, manner.
Notes:
The Members of the Dental Team
Position Overviews
Every practice should have job descriptions that outline the education, qualifications and specific duties for each member of the team. Developing this information upfront has two main benefits: first, it makes it more likely that your practice will hire qualified individuals for each role; and second, it lets each employee know what is required to satisfactorily fulfill the requirements of the job.
Every practice should have job descriptions that outline the education, qualifications and specific duties for each member of the team.
Creating accurate job descriptions takes time and thought but you’ll reap the rewards of those efforts every time you hire, coach, evaluate, or terminate staff. While it’s doubtful that most dentists enjoy conducting these non-clinical activities, they are necessary components of leading the team and managing the practice.
Think of job descriptions as a form of communication that ensures that anyone — and everyone — working in the practice understands their responsibilities and knows exactly what’s expected. They’re also helpful when recruiting staff to fill new or vacant positions and when planning programs to update staff training. Well-written job descriptions can also provide language to use when recruiting staff and also be valuable documentation when it’s time to provide coaching, redirect work assignments, improve poor performance, and even when it’s time to terminate someone on the team.
Make sure you consult your state’s dental practice act for guidance in defining which duties can be performed by different members of the dental team, under what level of supervision, and any education or exams that must be completed, or any state or national credentials that must be held before specific duties can be delegated to clinical staff members. Your state dental association may also have resources that can help. Finally, always make sure that employees and job applicants are properly licensed to work in the state where your practice is located, if that’s required for the position.
There are many resources that can provide sample job descriptions for positions common to most dental practices. While templates and other samples can be good starting points, it’s likely that some changes will be necessary to make sure the position fills the needs of your practice. Consider asking members of the team for input on the position description for their roles. Just remember that it’s up to you to decide which suggestions to incorporate and which to disregard.
Consider asking members of the team for input on the position description for their roles.
Position descriptions for dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dental office managers are included as Resources and are excerpted from The ADA Practical Guide to Creating and Updating an Employee Policy Manual, available at adacatalog.org or 800.947.4746.
Resources:
• Sample position descriptions for dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dental office managers are excerpts from The ADA Practical Guide to Creating and Updating an Employee Policy Manual, available at adacatalog.org or by calling 800.947.4746.
Reproduction of the following forms by dentists and their staff is permitted. Any other use, duplication or distribution by any other party requires the prior written approval of the American Dental Association. This material is for general reference purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
SAMPLE POSITION DESCRIPTION
Dental Assistant
Reports to: _______________________________________________________________
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsible for assisting the dentist in the clinical treatment of patients
SPECIFIC DUTIES
Patient Management
•
