Dos and don'ts for staff communications: Encourage staff feedback

You are not only the practice owner and leader -- you are also the expert in dentistry. But members of your team are the experts in other areas of practice operation. By taking advantage of their expertise, you will maximize the efficiency and growth of your practice. Though they may disagree with you or challenge your assumptions, team members should be encouraged to speak up, and their contributions should be acknowledged.

Make it easy (and not risky) for staff to give feedback. Team members may hesitate to say what they think about how things are done in the practice. Make it clear to them that you really want their feedback about how to improve practice operations. When team members disagree with you or criticize what you support, control your reactions. Negativity from you will quickly stop the feedback and ultimately weaken the team.

Don't fail to act on staff advice. The best way to demonstrate that you value team members' feedback is to implement their good ideas. Doing so will benefit the practice, demonstrate that you take team suggestions seriously, and create a sense of practice "ownership" for team members.