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Coaching dental practice team members Roger P. Levin JADA 2014;145(5):484-485 10.14219/jada.20014.21 The following resources related to this article are available online at jada.ada.org (this information is current as of June 29, 2014): Updated information and services including high-resolution figures, can be found in the online version of this article at: http://jada.ada.org/content/145/5/484
Information about obtaining reprints of this article or about permission to reproduce this article in whole or in part can be found at: http://www.ada.org/990.aspx
Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction or republication strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the American Dental Association.
Downloaded from jada.ada.org on June 29, 2014
Features
A BETTER PRACTICE
Coaching dental practice team members Roger P. Levin, DDS
Q
Are there ways I can help my team with career development without taking too much time away from patient care?
A
The best dental practice leaders take a personal interest in helping team members improve their skills and advance their careers. Yet, as the principal providers of patient care, dentists typically have little time to spare for this purpose. There are, however, ways dentists can have a significant impact on staff career development without investing a great deal of their time. Basically, these ways involve showing interest, paying attention and following up with team members who aspire to excel professionally. In the business world, many chief executive officers and managers rely on executive coaches to fine-tune their performances and achieve other personal and professional objectives. A growing number of practice leaders also have begun taking advantage of this resource. However, what even these dentists might not realize is that they can adapt certain principles and techniques associated with business coaching to provide meaningful support and encouragement to individual team members— without spending an inordinate amount of time. To coach team members and serve as a mentor to them, dentists should take the following steps. Discover what team members think will help them improve their
skills. Start by meeting with each employee for an open, one-to-one discussion about how he or she sees his or her career development at the practice. By asking the right questions, listening attentively and demonstrating that you are interested in helping the employee meet his or her personal career goals, you will lay the foundation for ongoing mentoring activities. This conversation should not be part of the annual performance review. Unlike that process, this dialog has more to do with the person’s needs and the future of his or her career. Although it is part of the professional relationship between the dentist and a staff member, it should focus on personal fulfillment more than on day-to-day practice operations. This initial meeting need not take a great deal of time. Preparation is the key. Before the meeting, the practice leader should review the person’s personnel file to inform the discussion. A short list of simple questions should be written out to ensure that important subjects are covered. The dentist should inform the team member in advance about the upcoming conversation and what its purpose is. In this way, both parties can be prepared to have a meaningful conversation without taking much time from their work schedules. Follow-up with personalized support. In the initial discussion, the dentist can learn what the team member wants or needs in the way of career development. This insight can serve as the basis for identifying resources that will be helpful for
the team member. These resources may include articles, books, specialized websites, memberships in professional organizations, webinars, seminars, courses or even sessions with certified coaches. Progress reviews should be scheduled at least once per quarter. In addition, the dentist as mentor should “touch base” with team members from time to time to monitor progress and reactions, as well as to provide reinforcement and encouragement. This kind of interaction may take only a minute of the dentist’s time, yet its psychological impact on a team member can be enormous. When the practice owner shows personal interest, the employee usually will be pleased, inspired and more determined than ever to excel. One other benefit of paying personal attention in this way comes in the form of what experts call the Hawthorne effect: the performance of team members improves significantly when they know that someone sympathetic is observing their actions.1 In other words, regular follow-up in itself will bring about improvements. Be an attentive mentor and coach. Dentists should recognize that their guidance and insights can be highly valued by members of the practice team. From a practice management standpoint, few office interactions can compare with a dentist’s giving sound advice to a staff member, in the same way an athletic coach can help even star athletes improve their performance. Once the dentist has shown interest in the team member’s success and committed to helping bring it about,
484 JADA 145(5) http://jada.ada.org May 2014 Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association. All Rights Reserved.
Downloaded from jada.ada.org on June 29, 2014
Features
two changes probably will occur. The dentist will become more attentive, and the staff member will be more receptive to suggestions. Both of these changes ultimately will benefit the practice’s patients. Conclusion
Providing excellent patient care always will be the dentist’s highest priority. Yet, as the practice’s leader,
the dentist has responsibility for creating and maintaining an outstanding team. This can be done without reducing chairside time by providing informal, yet effective, personalized coaching for staff members who aspire to excel. n
doi:10.14219/jada.20014.21
Address correspondence to Dr. Levin. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of the American Dental Association. 1. The Hawthorne Effect. The Economist. Nov. 3, 2008. www.economist.com/node/ 12510632. Accessed March 17, 2014.
Dr. Levin is founder and chief executive officer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court, Owings Mills, Md. 21117, e-mail [email protected].
JADA 145(5) http://jada.ada.org May 2014 485 Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association. All Rights Reserved.
Coaching dental practice team members Roger P. Levin JADA 2014;145(5):484-485 10.14219/jada.20014.21 The following resources related to this article are available online at jada.ada.org (this information is current as of June 29, 2014): Updated information and services including high-resolution figures, can be found in the online version of this article at: http://jada.ada.org/content/145/5/484
Information about obtaining reprints of this article or about permission to reproduce this article in whole or in part can be found at: http://www.ada.org/990.aspx
Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction or republication strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the American Dental Association.
Downloaded from jada.ada.org on June 29, 2014
Features
A BETTER PRACTICE
Coaching dental practice team members Roger P. Levin, DDS
Q
Are there ways I can help my team with career development without taking too much time away from patient care?
A
The best dental practice leaders take a personal interest in helping team members improve their skills and advance their careers. Yet, as the principal providers of patient care, dentists typically have little time to spare for this purpose. There are, however, ways dentists can have a significant impact on staff career development without investing a great deal of their time. Basically, these ways involve showing interest, paying attention and following up with team members who aspire to excel professionally. In the business world, many chief executive officers and managers rely on executive coaches to fine-tune their performances and achieve other personal and professional objectives. A growing number of practice leaders also have begun taking advantage of this resource. However, what even these dentists might not realize is that they can adapt certain principles and techniques associated with business coaching to provide meaningful support and encouragement to individual team members— without spending an inordinate amount of time. To coach team members and serve as a mentor to them, dentists should take the following steps. Discover what team members think will help them improve their
skills. Start by meeting with each employee for an open, one-to-one discussion about how he or she sees his or her career development at the practice. By asking the right questions, listening attentively and demonstrating that you are interested in helping the employee meet his or her personal career goals, you will lay the foundation for ongoing mentoring activities. This conversation should not be part of the annual performance review. Unlike that process, this dialog has more to do with the person’s needs and the future of his or her career. Although it is part of the professional relationship between the dentist and a staff member, it should focus on personal fulfillment more than on day-to-day practice operations. This initial meeting need not take a great deal of time. Preparation is the key. Before the meeting, the practice leader should review the person’s personnel file to inform the discussion. A short list of simple questions should be written out to ensure that important subjects are covered. The dentist should inform the team member in advance about the upcoming conversation and what its purpose is. In this way, both parties can be prepared to have a meaningful conversation without taking much time from their work schedules. Follow-up with personalized support. In the initial discussion, the dentist can learn what the team member wants or needs in the way of career development. This insight can serve as the basis for identifying resources that will be helpful for
the team member. These resources may include articles, books, specialized websites, memberships in professional organizations, webinars, seminars, courses or even sessions with certified coaches. Progress reviews should be scheduled at least once per quarter. In addition, the dentist as mentor should “touch base” with team members from time to time to monitor progress and reactions, as well as to provide reinforcement and encouragement. This kind of interaction may take only a minute of the dentist’s time, yet its psychological impact on a team member can be enormous. When the practice owner shows personal interest, the employee usually will be pleased, inspired and more determined than ever to excel. One other benefit of paying personal attention in this way comes in the form of what experts call the Hawthorne effect: the performance of team members improves significantly when they know that someone sympathetic is observing their actions.1 In other words, regular follow-up in itself will bring about improvements. Be an attentive mentor and coach. Dentists should recognize that their guidance and insights can be highly valued by members of the practice team. From a practice management standpoint, few office interactions can compare with a dentist’s giving sound advice to a staff member, in the same way an athletic coach can help even star athletes improve their performance. Once the dentist has shown interest in the team member’s success and committed to helping bring it about,
484 JADA 145(5) http://jada.ada.org May 2014 Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association. All Rights Reserved.
Downloaded from jada.ada.org on June 29, 2014
Features
two changes probably will occur. The dentist will become more attentive, and the staff member will be more receptive to suggestions. Both of these changes ultimately will benefit the practice’s patients. Conclusion
Providing excellent patient care always will be the dentist’s highest priority. Yet, as the practice’s leader,
the dentist has responsibility for creating and maintaining an outstanding team. This can be done without reducing chairside time by providing informal, yet effective, personalized coaching for staff members who aspire to excel. n
doi:10.14219/jada.20014.21
Address correspondence to Dr. Levin. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of the American Dental Association. 1. The Hawthorne Effect. The Economist. Nov. 3, 2008. www.economist.com/node/ 12510632. Accessed March 17, 2014.
Dr. Levin is founder and chief executive officer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court, Owings Mills, Md. 21117, e-mail [email protected].
JADA 145(5) http://jada.ada.org May 2014 485 Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association. All Rights Reserved.
