The Right People for the Right Tasks: Building Your Dental Dream Team
Find the right people for the right positions to create a work environment everyone wants to participate in.
From experience, the most qualified on paper were only sometimes the best fit and caused more headaches than relief. Work experience is always a plus, but don’t make it necessary. It can benefit if the employee comes with fresh ideas, but don’t let it be a curse.
Molding New Hires from the Start
Ensure that old habits that don’t fit into your practice are broken fast and nip the “at my other office” attitude immediately so it doesn’t affect your other staff members. You are better off being a person short than having a toxic person join your team and destroy your cohesive team dynamics.
Indeed, I have found that less experience can work in your favor, allowing you to mold your employees to meet your expectations, policies, and procedures. When hiring, find a reliable, hard-working, and teachable candidate with a personality that best fits your team.
Once the employee has joined your team, have an onboarding process/checklist and assign a department mentor so the new employee can succeed in your practice.
As a manager, also make them aware that you have an open door policy and are always available if/when they need you. These are the hires you want to keep on your staff for the long term, and as the leader, you are a big part of their initial experience in the practice.
The Importance of Leading and Delegating
One of my favorite parts of being a manager is being a leader and delegating the right roles to the right people. It helps create careers for your staff members instead of feeling like it is just a job.
When you have the right people to make your dream team, you should be able to delegate and put the right people in charge of the right tasks.
As an office manager, it is easy to feel you must do everything. Too often, we make excuses to avoid delegating. Whether you think you can’t delegate, you can do the task better or faster, or it is easier to do the task instead of teaching someone else. The list goes on and on.
Quit making excuses and start delegating and assigning tasks to team members to help the office function more effectively.
Begin the delegation process by listing tasks and identifying the right employee with the right skills to complete the task. Make sure you communicate your expectations clearly and take the time to teach each task to be successful.
At the same time as delegation, set up a time in the future with the employee to check in to see how it is going and if they need any help or guidance finishing the task efficiently. People get excited and feel like a more significant part of the team when you trust them with important responsibilities.
Your Coworkers Are Your Family
On average, you spend about 24% of your year with your coworkers. They are your family away from family. Surround yourself with coworkers who are there to support you and are willing to learn new tasks and be a more significant part of your vision.
If you want to become an old lady/gentleman with them, they need to know that you are there to support them in growing and advancing their careers in dentistry.
About the Author
Ashley Sempf, FAADOM
Ashley Sempf has a deep passion for healthcare and dentistry. She graduated with a degree in Registered Nursing and currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer for two dental practices in Wisconsin.
With over 20 years of experience in the field, she has found great fulfillment in her career in dentistry and looks forward to many more years in the profession.
Ashley is happily married to her wonderful husband, Rodney, and they have three beautiful children and two adorable grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.
