Without satisfied, loyal customers, dental practices may struggle to stay afloat in a competitive industry, let alone thrive.
Even if the dental treatments a practice provides are excellent, if the team running the practice and carrying out the treatments aren’t motivated to ensure every customer receives an outstanding experience, failure will quickly ensue. However, with burnout and staff shortages abundant, this isn’t always easy to achieve.
If you’re a dental practice owner or manager looking for ways to motivate your team, here are six tips that – along with hiring dental office bookkeeping to keep the administrative side of things ticking over nicely – could help you achieve your goals:
- Invest in the growth and training of your team
For a dental team member keen to expand upon their professional development and grow their career, being offered courses and training opportunities such as the following by their employer, could help them feel more valued, and in turn, encourage them to provide even higher levels of patient care:
- Opportunities for cross-training between roles
- Paid attendance to courses and CE courses
- Mentorship program for newbies
- Create performance-rewarding incentive programs
All professionals appreciate when their hard work is recognized by their employer, and the right type of incentive program can give a boost to their morale, enhance productivity, and even encourage them to remain loyal to the practice.
Try implementing some, or all of the following:
- Additional leave when performance targets are met
- Bonuses based upon patient satisfaction or production goals
- Team-building events or wellness perks
- Foster a culture of openness and recognition
By holding regular meetings, one-on-one chats, and check-ins with team members, in which they are encouraged to offer feedback and discuss any concerns they might have, your practice can demonstrate strong leadership and foster a culture of openness. This time should also be used to praise employees where appropriate, or offer constructive criticism that can help them grow within the team.
Team members that feel as if they’re being seen and listened to, are much more likely to contribute effectively to the practice and its vision as a whole.
- Enhance the working environment
When you provide your dental practice team members with a comfortable and supportive environment in which to work, you’ll find it much easier to motivate them and encourage them to perform to the best of their ability.
Running a clinic that emphasizes hygiene and comfort for both patients and employees, is a great way to boost morale and heighten efficiency. From dental chairs that are ergonomic, to a modern setup for sterilization and improved lighting, all of these things can positively impact the physical and emotional climate of the practice as a whole.
- Fairly compensate employees
As much as some dental team members may love their work, being rewarded with competitive pay and generous benefits is much more of an incentive to stay and perform well, than mere passion for the role.
Make sure you’re regularly reviewing salaries and comparing them to other practices in the area, providing generous healthcare benefits and retirement plans, and offering scheduling that’s flexible. All of these factors help to show employees that they are truly valued, and can go a long way towards creating long-term stability.
- Become a visionary leader
If you can inspire your team by making them feel part of your own success story, you’ll find it much easier to mold them into great team players. Share your practice goals with them, involve them in important decisions, and demonstrate gratitude for their contributions.
By guiding and empowering your team, you can be a great leader, with a great team behind them, and ultimately, a successful practice with a loyal and content patient base.
Investing in bookkeeping for dentists is of course important for your clinic and its numbers, but investing in your team can be equally as fruitful.
Follow the six tips outlined above to build up a team that are just as motivated as you are to make a success of the practice, and then – simply start reaping the rewards!