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A BETTER PRACTICE

inspiring the practice team Roger P. Levin, DDS a s a practice o w n e r

Q

WITH NO LEADERSHIP TRAINING, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY TEAM BETTER? Team building receives a great deal of attention in the business world, and many techniques have been developed to help increase team cohesion, coordination and performance. A large number of corporate human resources and management experts devote their careers to improving and teaching these techniques. However, one of the most effective team-building methods also is one of the simplest—inspiration. Practice leaders who can inspire their team members to excel will be able to deliver the highest level of patient care in an atmosphere of shared purpose and professional satisfaction.

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BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER

Unfortunately, many people seem to get little more out of their jobs than a paycheck. Although dentists do not have this all-too-common problem, their staff members often do. The so­ lution is to make team members real­ ize that they are an important part of something bigger than themselves. Because dentists are practice lead­ ers and have a passion for dentistry, 972

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they are in a position to convince staff members that what the team does each day really matters. Dentists understand better than anyone the importance of optimal dental care. By transferring this understanding and sense of purpose to their team members, dentists can begin turn­ ing uninspired staff members into a dedicated care delivery team. DENTISTRY AS INSPIRATION

To prepare for inspiring their team members, dentists should review what they know about the impor­ tance of dentistry in their patients’ lives. This will help them generate messages they can use to inspire their team members regularly in meetings, conversations and other situations. Among the points den­ tists can draw on are these: “ without proper dental care, people would experience more pain and even life-threatening problems; “ the dentist and the team members make it possible for their patients to have optimal dental health; “ thanks to the care the dentist and the team provide, patients can keep their teeth for the better part of a lifetime or choose to replace them; “ patients enjoy improved quality of life, including not only physical but also emotional and social benefits. Dentists should be fully commit­ ted to their individual viewpoints about the value of dentistry, as this will add the power of conviction to September 2014

their messages. Doing so does not mean, however, that the responsibil­ ity for inspiring the team should be limited to dentists. In practices in which office managers have leader­ ship roles, they also should help inspire the team. OTHER FORMS OF INSPIRATION

Individual staff members will feel like they are part of something big­ ger than themselves when they are able to acquire special skills that have an obvious, direct and benefi­ cial effect on patients. Dental assis­ tants will experience this when they help the dentist with a new clinical technique. For front-desk coordina­ tors, this will occur when they are able to help a patient figure out a particularly complicated insurance situation. The dentist’s vision of where the practice should be in three years also can serve as a powerful motiva­ tor. Dentists should articulate their vision and involve the entire team in fulfilling it. Doing so will inspire staff members to work together to achieve common goals and present themselves as a cohesive team to patients. INSPIRATION CANNOT BE MANDATED

Practice leaders define protocols, set office policies, make decisions about staffing and much more, yet they cannot mandate that all staff mem-

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bers will be inspired. Simply explain­ ing to team members that they are part of something bigger than their individual jobs will not automati­ cally inspire them. When dentists or office managers tell staff members about the importance of improving patients’ lives, they will believe that it is valid. Nevertheless, there still will be a difference between understand­ ing it and feeling it. Translating these ideas into inspiration takes time, repetition, consistent communications and pa­ tience. Addressing the subject during a staff meeting probably will create a positive impression, but it will not be nearly enough. For the idea to take full effect, dentists and office managers must repeat the message again and again, inject the subject into numerous discussions when ap­

propriate and keep the idea fresh in everyone’s mind. Practice leaders also always should be looking out for opportuni­ ties to inspire individual team mem­ bers, such as pointing out that some­ thing a staff member did improved the life of a patient. Dentists will know that their efforts are achiev­ ing the desired result when they first hear a staff member spontaneously mention that he or she did some­ thing that has really made a differ­ ence for a patient that day. Gradually, inspiration will spread throughout the team, with the earlier “converts” adding their voices to those of the dentists and office managers. CONCLUSION

Even an excellent practice team can become better if practice leaders look

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for ways to inspire team members continually. By convincing staff members that what they do improves the lives of their patients and that they are part of something bigger than themselves, practice leaders can transform their practices. Highly mo­ tivated staff members will deliver su­ perior care, patients will realize they are in the best hands, and individual team members will experience much greater satisfaction in what they do for a living. ■ doi:10.14219/jada.2014.53 Dr. Levin is founder and chief executive of­ ficer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court, Owings Mills, Md. 21117, e-mail [email protected]. Address correspondence to Dr. Levin. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of the American Dental Association.

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