Regular team meetings can play a critical role in the health and growth of your dental practice. That one simple point can impact every aspect of your business. Your people, your patients, and your overall practice benefit from regular team meetings. The key is to make them effective.

Keep Goals and Expectations in Focus

The core of your practice is your vision, your goals, and your strategy for growth. Each member of your team needs to understand all these things and, just as importantly, needs to understand their part in your plan. Without that overarching understanding, your team is working blindly and less able to actively contribute toward reaching your practice goals.

A team meeting is an ideal format for open discussion about your vision, goals, and strategy. Not only can you use this discussion to ensure every member is clear on your expectations, but you may find that their unique perspective creates an exchange of ideas on more effective ways to reach goals – and how each person can best contribute.

Encourage Participation

Workplaces are a microcosm of the larger world. Some people are comfortable speaking in front of a group, some hate it. Some speak loudly, some must be drawn out. Ask each team member privately if they are comfortable speaking at meetings. If not, encourage them to share a written note or an email with you and address their point in the meeting.

Keep Meetings Positive

Have a round-table discussion of anything on your team’s mind. Have people share wins and learnings and don’t rebuff constructive criticism. Make sure each person is made to feel comfortable sharing their ideas with the rest of the group. This can be tricky when there are interpersonal issues within the team. If there are, enforce a no-tolerance policy for put-downs, belittling or dismissiveness. 

Casual vs. High-Level Meetings

While not every team meeting needs to include a high-level discussion of vision, goals, and strategy, it is a good idea to discuss these points at least once or twice a year and when bringing a new employee into the team. Additionally, many successful dentists find it useful to touch on how the strategies are being implemented and to discuss any measurable progress toward goals at least monthly. This helps keep your team engaged and motivated toward achievement.

Engage with Education

One of the most common components of an effective team meeting is education. Your team needs to know what the policies are, what is on the agenda for the day, if there are any specials being offered, and if anyone is sick or on vacation. Any new ideas, training, or techniques that can be shared should be. Your patients benefit from correct and consistent information from all members of your team. Make sure everyone is on the same page.

Only you can determine when and how often you should hold team meetings. Whether you meet daily, weekly, or on some other timeline, make sure your meetings are encouraging, educational, and affirming. You will see benefits to your team, your patient experience, and your practice as a whole.

AG Dental CPAs and Advisors
Phone: (225) 767-1020
Url: https://agdentalcpas.com/
6421 Perkins Road, Bldg A, STE 1B
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

There is a big difference between managing a dental practice and being a true dental practice leader. As is true for many small business owners, dental office leaders set the standard and pace of work. They inspire confidence and trust.

Making fundamental changes to the way your practice operates is no easy task, but it is attainable with the right mindset. Use these tips to get started on a path to developing an innovative practice that you lead to success.

Leaders Leverage Consistency

Leaders are constantly learning and implementing. They develop ideas that foster efficiencies, make people feel valued, and encourage synergy. By holding a consistent weekly meeting, your team can learn your leadership style. When communication is infrequent or inconsistent, leaders feel pressured to communicate and train in the few precious moments that arise sporadically between patients. This type of management can cause stress for the whole team. 

Don’t Micromanage Your Team

For most dentists, the highest and best use of time is spent treating patients. This means you must delegate tasks to other team members and trust them to do it. In fact, a hallmark of leadership is delegation. Let your employees handle the clerical side of the practice. It is important, however, to have structure in reporting, communication, and benchmarks. With this structure, clear expectations will replace micromanagement. You will find the workday will flow more smoothly and your team members will feel more empowered in their respective roles.  

Track Efficiency with Goal Setting

Every goal should be realistic and measurable. By giving each team member a set of weekly goals, you’ll alleviate the pressure that arises from having one or two team members carry the weight of the entire practice. Ensuring that a fair contribution is made by each employee will also resolve personal conflicts that can arise on a dental team. By setting and evaluating personal contributions, you’ll also be able to easily assess when a team member is deserving of a promotion.

Know When it’s Time to Train and Hire

Great leaders can recognize if their team is unable to handle the current workload. By hiring just before you need to, you’ll allow room for your business to grow. All too often, dental practice owners wait too long to recruit and end up burnt out, unmotivated, and unhappy.

Are you ready to step into a true leadership role and supercharge your practice? We’re ready for you. Contact AG Dental CPAs and Advisors today.

AG Dental CPAs and Advisors
Phone: (225) 767-1020
Url: https://agdentalcpas.com/
6421 Perkins Road, Bldg A, STE 1B
Baton Rouge, LA 70808