Dos and don'ts for leading your team

To avoid stress ... communicate!

When leading your staff, it is critical to communicate with them and welcome their feedback. Know what's affecting your team members. Understand their concerns -- and ensure they are prepared for the upcoming day. To do this, I suggest ...

Hold morning huddles. Every morning, hold a short meeting to review the day's schedule. Review incoming patients and their past dental history. Ask your team how they feel about certain cases and uncover any concerns. Daily communication enables everyone to prepare and perform at optimal levels.

Don't ignore conflict between staff members. It is important to address conflict between staff members as soon as possible. Any stress among the team will permeate throughout the entire practice. To prevent conflict from affecting patient perceptions, the dentist should intervene and mediate any problems between staff members.