A Motto for ‘Patient-First’ Dental Practice Team Building

There is a reason “windows of opportunity” are called as such; it’s because they can close. That’s why I often talk about seizing the moment and getting going as soon as possible on significant cases that present themselves unexpectedly, even if it means working through a lunch hour or staying late or arranging a special weekend appointment when the office is closed to other patients.

I hear from a number of dentists who like this idea, but they say the biggest issue is the resistance they come up against with team members who are asked to contribute beyond what they have come to expect as “the usual.” It’s a typical manifestation of the “not my job” syndrome, where people get locked into a very compartmentalized view of their role.

There are strategies to deal with this mindset. First of all, it’s worth noting that if you make it a habit to try to be accommodating when team members need some flexibility — for personal appointments or family issues — they are naturally going to be more likely to go out of their way to help you when you need it. It’s a simple matter of building up what I call “trust equity.”

But even more importantly, it comes down to establishing some mindset ground rules, right from the start, during the hiring process. This is something I touched on in a recent article about how to recruit a great office manager. It’s something that can be summed up in a few words that should become your team-building mantra when: Hire for attitude, train for aptitude.

Too often, dental practices do this the other way around. They hire people based on aptitude — the skills they have acquired in school or in other practices — and then try to cajole them into thinking the way the dentist wants them to think about patient care.

But if you start by hiring someone with the right attitude — someone with a passion for delivering great care, someone who is adaptable and loves to learn — all of the rest can fall into place. You can then train them on the practical skills they need to master. You can provide them with the right education. In particular, you can educate them on what it means to be a part of your team and what it means to embrace your philosophy of patient care.

This “attitude first” approach to dental practice team building is how you create a “patient first” practice. It’s how you get that instant cooperation when you need it. It’s how you collect those rave Yelp reviews. Most of all, it’s how you ensure your patients always get the best care — whenever they need it.

(For more articles by Imtiaz Manji, click here.)