Embracing Change in Dental Practice Management: 3 Steps to Build a Stronger Team and Culture
Changes in our dental practices can freak people out.
We are creatures of habit, but change happens whether we like it or not. We have new faces, providers, systems, and even techniques. We are constantly changing.
Have you ever worked with someone unwilling to change, or better yet, have you been that person? When announcing change, have you heard statements like, “There are so many changes” or “That is how we have always done it”?
Why is it so difficult for many of us to adjust to something new?
Honestly, I have not always been too excited about change. I’ve experienced many changes during my 19 years in dentistry. However, I have embraced change with open arms these last two years. This has resulted in tremendous growth, more robust systems, and happier employees.
Let me share with you three changes that have impacted me most recently.
#1: Revamping Our Core Policies, Handbook, and Systems
For years, we have had the same old handbook. Revamping our core policies book to match our company today was a significant change.
We are a different company than what we were ten years ago. Our core policies define our purpose now and list out our expectations.
We also created, reviewed, and updated many of our systems within the company. This set the foundation for a strong relationship with our new hires. We listed our expectations clearly in our core policies handbook for all our staff members to have access to refer to.
Having clear expectations from the start of employment gives us the tools to run our business effectively.
#2: Creating and Implementing Core Values
When we spoke of adding core values, I got super excited. I was always envious of other practices that had core values. Their teams seemed excited and used words like culture and team engagement. I wanted that for our team, too!
We started with an excellent exercise describing people currently working for us, which we love.
- Describe why you love this employee and discuss what makes them stand out.
- What makes them so unique to work with?
- Why do you want more of those kinds of people?
We took all the words we compiled to describe our outstanding employees and created core values. Why is this so special to me? Because we created core values based on the employees we already have on our teams.
There’s a connection to it because our core values are our people. It was a BIG deal when we rolled it out to our teams.
We presented our Core Values and made signs so our employees are constantly reminded of them. This has created the culture I had always dreamed of for our company.
#3: Coaching
We also started focusing more on connecting with our employees and coaching them. We need to know who they are and what motivates them.
We no longer manage our teams, but instead, we coach our teams.
I am slower to speak and quick to listen in most situations.
We check in with each employee every quarter instead of annually. This has improved our daily workflow by meeting every 90 days instead of waiting to talk to an employee at their yearly review.
I created a digital 90-day check-in form to send to our employees. This form has around ten questions for the employee to answer. Once completed, we meet with the employee to review their answers and discuss their responses in detail.
This is an excellent way for employees to be heard and feel validated. This has resulted in unique ideas from the staff and finding areas we can improve.
The success of this simple change has blown me away. Ben Franklin’s quote, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished,” is the quote that keeps me motivated to continue to embrace change.
About the Author
Jami Stockard, MAADOM
Jami Stockard is director of operations with Access Dental Services, LP in Missouri, a growing company with five current locations. She has worked in dentistry for over 19 years, starting as a chairside dental assistant and years in a practice manager role.
She received her FAADOM in 2023 and MAADOM in 2024.
