We have all heard that we need teamwork to have a high performing practice.   It sounds simple enough.  The difficulty is changing those words into actual actions.  Don't you just cringe when you hear, "that's not my job"!  My question is really, why not?  My expectation is that from the time a team member checks in to the time they check out, their job is whatever it takes to make the practice thrive as long as it is legal, ethical and within their licensure.  The focus of every team member is to always be on what's in the best interests of the patient's and the practice.  So how do we build this harmonious team willing to work together in the best interests of the patients and the practice?  Here are 4 key components to working together to build a high performing team practice!

A Patient Experience focused practice.  What I mean by this is that everyone on the team does whatever they can to enhance the patient's experience with the practice.  Even if it means stepping in to assist when it is not normally a task they are responsible for.  When we take the focus off of individual tasks and put the focus on the patient we unify the team.  Everyone will still have their individual tasks they are responsible for, but their main focus is always the patient and what they can do to enhance the patient's experience. 

Some examples:

Priority Hierarchy.   Have a team meeting and establish a priority for all the tasks that need to be completed in your office.  Label them Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand. 

Rocks are everything that is important and urgent.  They need to be completed that day or there are major consequences.  They are time sensitive.  For example: 

�         Filling the opening in the schedule that day

�         Confirming patients for the next day

�         Setting up the treatment room for the next patient

�         Seeing the patient on time  

�         Pulling charts for that day

Pebbles are important but not urgent.  They can be done on another day without major consequences.  They are not time sensitive.  However, pebbles can become rocks if they have been delayed and become time sensitive.  For example:

• Sterilizing instruments if you have plenty of instruments available (can become a rock when you run low)
•  Following up in insurance or accounts receivable
•  Filing charts
•  Stocking a room (can become a rock when you run out of supplies in your room)
• Ordering supplies (can become a rock when you run low on supplies)

Sand are things that are not important and not urgent to complete.  They are necessary but are to be completed only after rocks and pebbles have been completed.  For example:

�         Organizing

�         Cleaning

Often I go into an office where one person is frantically working on rocks, like trying to fill the openings that day while another team member is working on sand, cleaning or organizing.  It is important everyone finishes their rocks first before anyone moves on to their pebbles.  When a team member has completed their rocks they are to ask other team members if they need any help with their rocks before they move on to their own pebbles.  This ensures that all the rocks for the office will be taken care of for the day and avoids negative consequences.  Rocks are really the only tasks a team member should need to ask for assistance with.  Pebbles and sand can be completed when time allows as they are not time sensitive.  The patient's experience and the success of the practice are not based on whether one individual team member completes all their tasks from rocks to sand for the day.  The patient's experience and success of the practice is based on what the entire team accomplishes together!   

Teamwork Mindset!  Have you ever thought, I want it done my way, the right way...and I can do it myself faster and better so why waste the time training someone else to do it?  Not really a team supportive mindset is it?  The reality is there is more than one way to do something, so how can you be sure your way is the right way.  Instead consider it as one of many ways.   You also limit your team's performance and practice's success because one person can only achieve so much.  The initial time it takes to train someone else will be far outweighed by what two or more people can accomplish versus just one.  When we work together to achieve results we also strengthen the practice by uniting the team.

Patient Hand-offs!  More patients are lost because of lack of communication in the transitioning a patient from one team member to another than anything else.  Have you ever heard any of the following?

�         "Why doesn't the back office do this?"

�         "That's the front office's job!"

�         "No one told me they needed that!"

�         "I thought they were doing that!"

�         "I didn't collect for it, it wasn't written down!"

These are all examples of what happens with poor handoffs.  To avoid these communication breakdowns follow these simple suggestions.    First of all, SLOW DOWN!!!  If you complete the task but it's incorrect, it is not done!  So you are not being either efficient or effective.  A successful handoff from one team member to another includes the following: 

• Happy and cheerful demeanor
•  Review notes in the computer
• Have all notes complete
• Introduce patient
• Share treatment completed
• Share if hygiene, whether re-care was scheduled
• Share treatment needed
• Share appointment time length
• Share urgency to schedule based on doctor's diagnosis
• If on phone communicate with a smile and sign
• Be ready for clinical team to handoff patient to avoid having them wait for you
•  Be efficient with use of time
• Reinforce treatment suggestions

When you implement these 4 components you will empower your team to work together to enhance your patient's experience and maximize your team's performance...which we all know in the end leads to happy, healthy team and patient relationships resulting in a healthy bottom line!