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Dear Friends,
Why is it that we avoid problems when we know they won't change until we address them? Why do we tolerate things and allow them to go on? Most likely, we don't want to deal with the fallout. Some may be reluctant to devote the time it will take to rectify the situation, while others may lack the skills to address the problem.
If we took one moment to future focus past the problem and visualize what it would be like once the issue is resolved, it might encourage us to deal with the problem head-on.
One of those challenges might be your staff. Many dentists first contact us because they feel their employees are calling the shots and they don't know how to rectify the problem. This July issue is dedicated to those dentists who don't quite feel they are fully in charge. In My staff is holding me hostage! we look at the factors that contribute to this phenomenon and how to gain back control.
The second article, Defining Expectations, looks at clarifying your expectations with staff and with patients. If you struggle in these areas we hope these articles will help you jump-start the process of taking control and clarifying your expectations. Of course, we are always available to help you sort things through and support you.
SEND US YOUR IDEAS AND QUESTIONS. If we use your idea or question, you will receive a $250 gift credit toward any of our learning resources.
Click here to correspond with us
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My staff is holding me hostage!
by MaryBeth Head
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The message sounded something like this:
"9-1-1 Sandy, we need you yesterday."
What caused such distress? What made the situation so urgent? As it turned out, the dentist had had difficulty keeping a chairside assistant and was faced with hiring for the third time in less than one year. He had recently replaced his receptionist but wasn't happy with her replacement. Each day brought another drama with the hygienist whose personal life was in total disarray. The practice was totally unstable and he feared losing another employee every day. After a short discussion, it was quickly clear that staff was calling the shots.
"My hygienist didn't show up for our meeting yesterday and didn't even offer an explanation. We are constantly bailing her out of personal situations. I know it's hard for her - she's a single mother and doing the best she can. Moreover, my chairside assistant refuses to do things that are part of her job. I end up having to pick up the slack at the end of the day before I leave. I overheard them griping in the lab today about going to a continuing ed program on their day off and agreeing they would just not show up because they had other things to do. I'm afraid to lose them because our patients love them but I feel like I'm a doormat".
While this scenario may vary from one specific practice to another, the problem is basically the same in many: dentists who neither know nor enforce their boundaries and expectations because they are afraid they may lose staff. Indeed, their staff is holding them hostage. How does it get to this point?
Let's examine the problematic factors that contribute to this phenomenon:
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Expectations
by Sandy Roth
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"It's too much to expect, but it's not too much to ask"
Mary-Chapin Carpenter/Don Schlitz
Expectations are reasonable only when they are clearly conveyed, fully discussed, and agreed-to by all parties. Until this happens, they are merely wishes, hopes or assumptions which are not likely to happen.
The less you convey your expectations to others, the greater the likelihood that they will remain unmet. While some expectations border on the trivial, others are profound in their implication. I remember a conversation during which a dentist complained to me about a particular employee's mode of dress. "I think it is highly inappropriate for her to come to work in skin-tight animal print fabrics or short patent-leather skirts like the one she is wearing today," he said. When I asked about the dress code he had outlined at the point of her hiring, he sheepishly acknowledged that he had not thought to provide guidelines at all. "Don't you think she should be able to figure that out for herself?" he asked. Apparently not.
Because this dentist failed to outline a dress code, he could not presume anyone would be able to divine his wishes. Moreover, when she "tested" the dress code the first time by wearing leopard skin, she received no direct feedback that she had overstepped a boundary. The dentist conveyed neither his initial expectations nor his reaction to her choices. In the absence of information to the contrary, why would she not believe that those choices were perfectly acceptable? I am amazed by how often employment relationships end for unmet expectations at this level, and yet I am convinced it happens every day.
Read on
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Special thanks to those of you who have contacted us with your feedback and ideas. keep them coming!
Next month:
Why patients choose your practice and why it is important to know.
Thank you for reading.
Sandy Roth and MaryBeth Head
ProSynergy Dental Communications |
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