Do's and don'ts for team building: Make it about something bigger

Most people want to be invested in what they do for a living. They want to believe their job is more than just a paycheck. Fortunately, this is a little easier to do in dentistry than some other professions or industries. After all, dentistry improves people's quality of life. As the practice owner, you need to appeal to that sense of higher calling in your team by emphasizing the power of dentistry to change people's lives.

Listen to your team. Your team -- individually and collectively -- has more interactions with patients than you do. They have good ideas to improve customer service, collections, scheduling, and customer service. Encourage your team to come up with suggestions, review their ideas, and then implement the best ones.

Don't micromanage. You hired your team members for a reason. Let them do their jobs. If they need additional training, provide it for them. But there's no way that you should be handling any administrative tasks. Your time is too valuable to be spent on nonclinical tasks that can be performed by your team.

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.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.