Power of Delegation

Real-World Insights from Vanessa Escobar, DAADOM.

 

We all know dental offices are busy, and many office managers have many roles, such as HR manager, IT support, operations manager, problem solver, trainer, motivator, mediator, etc.

Early in my career, I learned that I can’t be the best in my role if I don’t delegate tasks.

I started in dentistry with a start-up practice and was the only business team member. We made many changes along the way. We grew out of our start-up practice within 12 years. We went from a team of 3 to 6 providers and 24 team members.

Below are some guidelines that have helped me delegate tasks to my team.

Checklist

A checklist is a great way to organize your team. The checklist includes every position, skill, or duty expected in that role.

Start compiling a list of responsibilities for each role, and put the duties frequency (e.g., daily, 1 x a week, 1 x a month). Have your team members review the list and write down any other duties that need to be added.

It’s also a good idea to have a backup team member for each position in case someone leaves their place of employment or is on vacation. This way, you don’t fall behind on things when someone is unavailable or, worse, no one in the office can complete the task.

For example, when I am out of town, I have my assistant office manager take over any tasks that need to be completed. Before I had an AOM, the tasks would be distributed between multiple team members.

Department Meetings

Meeting with each department individually is a great way to delegate tasks. I host department meetings every other month.

For example, at the beginning of the month, we have a doctor’s meeting and a hygienist’s meeting at the end. We have a business coordinator meeting and a dental assisting meeting the following month.

My favorite parts of the meeting were problem-solving issues and delegating tasks. Everyone gets involved when solving problems, and duties and deadlines are delegated.

If the team members are part of the brainstorming, planning, and execution of the change, they are less likely to give pushback from the changes happening.

New Roles in the Office

Creating new positions will help in delegating tasks.

Since 2012, we have expanded our offices and created new roles to help with growth and the redistribution of tasks. Since we opened our office, the following roles were added: treatment coordinator, billing coordinator, assistant office manager, and clinical manager.

Starting with a lead dental assistant instead of a clinical manager has been successful for smaller offices. Wages reflect the changes in their positions, and the team members must demonstrate their skills before you implement this position.

Cross Training

Once our office started getting busier, I began to cross-train all my dental assistants. When they weren’t with a patient, they would come to the front and help me with tasks such as breakdowns, making appointments, answering phones, and confirmations.

Some employees could handle these front-office tasks, and two cross-trained team members are now treatment coordinators and a clinical manager.

Keep a “things-to-do” list handy; it is helpful so when your team comes to the front, they can pick up where you need them.

Some team members were not fond of our cross-training ideology, so it is important to find team members who are a good fit and want to do what your office needs to run efficiently.

Learn More About Cross-Training

Training Your Team

Some team members mention that they prefer not to delegate a few tasks. These employees take it upon themselves to carry the extra load since they don’t think some employees could do well.

They would tell me, “Vanessa, they will do it wrong, and I will have to spend more time redoing it.”

Drum roll, that’s where training comes into play.

Training takes time, but in the end, you get the support you need, and it empowers your team members to do something new for the practice.

Who do you train for a task?

I look to see who excels in what they currently do. Start with small tasks and observe. You never know. You might have found your new business lead coordinator.

Ultimately, my goal as an Office Manager is to give my team the skill set to run daily operations. Mentoring and showing them everything you know will strengthen your team and practice. There is great power in delegation, and I challenge you to share the power with your team.

 

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About the Author

 

Profile of Venessa Escobar, DAADOM.

Vanessa Escobar, DAADOM

Vanessa grew up in Central Florida and graduated from Cypress Creek HS in 2004. She then attended Florida State University and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in International Affairs with a Minor in Business Administration in 2009.

Vanessa started with Winter Garden Smiles since pre-opening in December 2011. Vanessa is responsible for overseeing the finance, operations, and marketing of the Winter Garden Smiles & Winter Garden Pediatric Smiles. Her goal is to provide the highest level of customer service to her patients.

She enjoys having an active role in her community. She has participated in organizations such as Lambda Theta Alpha, Central/North Florida Alzheimers Association, Leadership West Orange C/O 2013-2014, Voci Del Coure in 2017, Garden Community Choir, and her neighborhood social committee.

She is currently the Founding President of the Central Florida Dental Connection, DPLN, and was inducted as MAADOM class of 2022 and DAADOM class of 2024.

During her time off, Vanessa enjoys spending time with her husband, Ricardo, and her kids. She has two dogs, Princess and Balto. She also enjoys singing, traveling, trying new restaurants, and indoor cycling.

 

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