Dos and don'ts for team building: Get serious about job descriptions

Should front desk staff be responsible for reactivating inactive patients? Should hygienists offer patients recommended homecare products? Should the marketing coordinator track results from patient referral strategies?

Every practice will have its own answers to these and many other operational questions, and all such answers should be incorporated in team members' job descriptions. Don't think of these statements merely as documentation to store in an actual or virtual binder. Job descriptions can serve as powerful and versatile team management and training tools.

Use job descriptions as motivators. In addition to identifying training needs and providing a platform for performance reviews, job descriptions can also motivate staff to excel. Include specific targets in each individual's job description and track actual performance against these numbers -- not just annually but also monthly, weekly and, in some cases, daily. This process alone has been shown to improve individual performance significantly.

Don't let job descriptions get out of date. The value of job descriptions declines if they fail to reflect reality. As changes occur in how your practice functions, take the time to modify descriptions accordingly. At the same time, review them with the staff members involved to ensure that everyone's on the same new page.

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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