Dog and Dentistry (Part 2)

After spending a few days with our new puppy Scooter, we knew we had made a good decision. We had determined that we were ready for a pet, a dog was what we wanted and Tibetan Terrier was the perfect breed for us. But we also realized that in order for Scooter to be the perfect dog, it was up to us to make it happen. Again, I consulted Cesar Millan. He contends that all dogs need three things: exercise (the walk), discipline and affection, in that order. As I thought about my thirty years of practice and my consulting clients, I had to wonder again, “he is referring to a perfect dog or the dental dream team?”

Once you have hired the “potential dream team” the doctor has the responsibility of helping them to become the dream team. At the end of the day, the musher feeds the dogs and makes sure they are cared for, it not; they won’t be ready to pull the sled the next day. In order for the new hire to become part of the dream team they need a meaningful job (exercise), discipline and appropriate rewards (affection), in that order.

In all fairness a new employee needs to have a written job description that explains their duties and their specific role but also what is expected as a staff member. That seems like a lot of work to actually prepare them but an interesting things happens as you write the job descriptions, the jobs become clearer to you also. I don’t necessarily advocate long and lengthy staff policy manuals. I found 10 to 15 pages adequate. More than that, I am not sure the staff would even read it. But without written job descriptions and an office policy discipline becomes much harder.

If you have job descriptions and an office manual, discipline becomes easy. Every action in the office needs to be in harmony with the mission, job description and office manual. If a situation arises that is not covered by one of the three adjustment can be made; just make sure they are in writing. I found that weekly staff meeting, biannual evaluations and taking corrective actions in a timely manner gave the staff a strong sense of what the expectations were and they responded favorably. I like giving Scooter a lot of space to do his work. I also believe in doing so with the staff. I saw amazing growth by the staff as I gave them a structure and let them discipline themselves.

Scooter craves affection. I think staff members do too. They need to feel valued and appreciated. A simple “thank you” or “good job” really motivates staff members. I also believe that they should be compensated well with adequate salaries and benefits. I found a bonus system to be an integral part of my office compensation package. It also was a great staff motivator. Without them pulling the sled, the practice will not move forward. How far with the musher be able to pull a sled full of huskies?

One of the most fulfilling parts of private practice is the relationships that are formed with the staff. Over the years I have continued to enjoy the friendships that were formed inside my practice. I never tire of Scooter’s affection. Even after retirement, I continue to receive figurative licks from my dental dream team. For more information on how DentistCEO provides expert dental consulting in Vancouver, WA to help create your dental dream team, contact Dr. Brad Larsen of DentistCEO today!