Dos and don'ts for reducing stress: Communicate regularly with your team

Your staff can't help your office reach its full potential if they're unaware of your practice vision, production goals, and job responsibilities. No one likes trying to guess what they're supposed to do. Share practice information with team members to help them perform at the highest level possible.

Start the day with a brief meeting. Whether you call this gathering a morning huddle or a Daily Business Meeting (Levin Group's preferred name), it's an essential communication vehicle that sets the tone for the entire day. It should preview the day's appointments and patients, including any last-minute cancellations or schedule changes. As the practice leader, you need to attend this meeting, but it's best if you delegate running it to the scheduling coordinator or another team member.

Don't forget to hold monthly meetings. These meetings should run for 60 to 90 minutes and serve as forum for dealing with larger issues, such as systems implementation, customer service breakdowns, and event planning. We recommend holding these staff meetings once a month. Schedule them at the start of the year for the next 12 months to ensure they won't be overlooked or forgotten.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the founder and CEO of Levin Group, the leading dental practice consulting firm in North America. For the complete list of dates and locations where you can attend his latest seminar, visit www.levingroup.com/gpseminars.

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