Do's and don'ts for team leadership: Show staff where you're leading them

If you own a practice, there's no question you're the team leader. The question is, what's your destination? What are you striving for, and what roles should your team members play in getting there? The answers amount to your practice vision. Without it, you and your team are just doing your jobs, day by day. With it, all of you have a common goal. The difference, in terms of results, can be dramatic.

Formulate a vision, write it down, and share it. Merely having a vision in mind limits its potency as a motivational tool. Think hard about where you want your practice to be in three to five years. Discuss it with your spouse, mentor, or trusted colleague. Finalize and present your written vision statement to your team, discussing why it matters to you and what roles they'll play in reaching the goal. People like being a part of something bigger than themselves. This provides that kind of opportunity for your staff.

Don't lose track of the way forward. Like so many good intentions, vision statements tend to fall off the radar before long. To prevent this, keep yours front and center. Put it on your computer start-up screen. Post it around the practice. Read it out load at all team meetings. And whenever you and your team members are making decisions, ask yourselves, "Will this take us closer to the vision?"

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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