Do's and don'ts for practice communication: Keep the team informed

Too many dentists hold on to information that should be shared with the team. For example, if you have a practice vision (which you should), don't keep it in a notebook in a desk drawer, share it with your team! How can they help you achieve the vision if they don't know what it is?

Hold a daily morning meeting. Stress often comes from uncertainty. When people don't know what's going on, they make more mistakes, they're not as invested in their jobs, and they're more prone to anger and resentment. Use the morning meeting to share information not only about the day's schedule but also about the practice vision, upcoming initiatives, and progress reports on this year's goals.

Don't overlook other opportunities for information sharing. The morning meeting is an important communication tool, but you can't expect it to do all the heavy lifting, especially if you're making changes to practice systems. As the practice owner, you have many other tools to get your message out, including monthly meetings, special meetings, face-to-face interactions, bulletin boards, e-newsletters, and offsite training.

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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