Office gossip can become a toxic distraction that threatens the productivity of your practice and effectiveness of your team. Spell it out loud and clear in your practice code of conduct that office gossip won’t be tolerated. If your employees assert that they aren’t sure what constitutes gossip, tell them to answer the following questions, which will help make things a little clearer:

Is what I am saying true? If not, it’s gossip. If I am not sure, it’s gossip.

Could it harm another person? If so, it’s gossip.

Is it necessary information? If not, it’s gossip.

How would I feel if someone made these comments about me? If I would be hurt, it’s gossip.

Would I be comfortable if every person in the office heard me say these things? If I would be embarrassed or ashamed, it’s likely gossip.

Is this conversation consistent with my personal values and professional standards? If you feel like you are doing something wrong or discussing something that can only be whispered, it’s likely gossip.

What type of leader are you? Good? Bad? Depends on the day? Not sure? Honestly answer the following questions and you’ll have a clearer picture of where you stand on the leadership ladder.

Do you set clear, challenging goals and specific expectations for your team?

Do you explain the “why” behind the “what?” In other words, you don’t just tell employees what to do but you clarify why their responsibilities are important to the overall success of the practice.

Do you monitor the team’s progress in achieving goals through regular staff meetings, system checks, and performance reviews?

Do you celebrate and reward success?

Do you set your employees up to succeed? If so, you invest in training for employees to maximize their potential.

Do you establish clear standards? If so, there is a code of conduct in the office, specific office policies, and business standards that everyone must follow.

Do you communicate clearly and specifically?

Are you are decisive? If so, you make the decisions that have to be made, even when they are difficult.

Is listening a part of your management strategy? If so, you seek input from the team.

Are you honest with your team and do you provide ongoing constructive feedback? Be generous with your positive feedback and constructive with your negative feedback. Positive feedback should be provided in public if possible, and negative feedback should be delivered in private.

Conflict typically is rooted in system breakdowns and a general lack of communication – employees do not know who is responsible and accountable for which systems. Conflict can be minimized significantly when individual team members are given clear information, defined responsibilities, and are held accountable for specific outcomes.

Employees must know what is expected of them individually and as a team. They cannot be expected to function effectively or cohesively without clear job descriptions and performance objectives. In addition, they must receive regular ongoing feedback in order to make corrections in systems and continuously improve and grow as contributing members of the team.

Take these steps to manage conflict constructively day-to-day before it burns both the doctor and staff:

•Set aside time to address matters that are causing conflict.

•Focus on systems and what is or is not working in the systems rather than on the people. For example, what steps does the practice need to take to ensure that the schedule is booked correctly to achieve specific production goals.

•Address sources of day-to-day conflict during the daily huddle . For example, if the clinical team wants emergency patients placed at certain times they must tell the scheduling coordinator so that the coordinator is not picking and choosing based on what she/he thinks will work.

•Avoid the urge to react emotionally and judge, criticize, or attack.

•Focus on addressing the issue rather than proving who is right or wrong.

•Focus on the desired outcome for the practice as a whole.

•Establish clear standards for professional office behavior. Do not tolerate destructive personal attacks among team members.

•Establish clear office policies and follow them.

•Take time to better understand each other’s personalities and how different personality types communicate.

Certainly, as long as there are people working together there will be conflict. As destructive as conflict can be, if it is managed, it can become a constructive tool in moving the practice and the team that much closer to achieving overall goals and objectives

Hi Sally,

I work for a great pediatric office, we are so very busy and we work incredibly hard every day. My first issue is that the girls have started questioning and asking for bonuses. I have brought it up and so have they in staff meetings- BUT -the doctor is dead set against it. He has made comments like… “he does not want us working for the money” “he is afraid we will no longer give quality care but focus on the money”.
I do not see my girls doing this. Their comments though are getting pessimistic towards him – “he works for the money”- “He gets all the money”!
They are all really great workers and I think they deserve a little compensation for it. How can I approach this subject and let him see that they deserve bonuses! And yes, we do have the production to warrant it.

Concerned Office Manager

_____

Dear Concerned Office Manager,

My first concern is that with the title of “office manager” comes leadership skills that are necessary to manage the business and employees who are supposed to defer to you regarding policy, human resource issues, etc. of the practice. This is my understanding of a true office manager. Having said that, I am surprised that you would bring up and confront your employer about a “no – win” situation for him. Obviously if he says “no”…..he’s a SCROOGE. Please keep in mind that just because he has a dental degree and owns a dental practice does NOT mean that he knows anything and I mean anything about human resource issues, performance standards, performance measurements, performance reviews, how much payroll should be of his revenues or if he can even consider giving anybody a raise with this recession.

I say this based on 30 years of working my entire life with dentists. His comment of “working for the money and no longer giving quality care” is a knee-jerk reaction, in my opinion. It appears, from what little I know in this email, that he was confronted in a public forum instead of your discussing this sensitive issue with him in private. As a manager your job is to protect the boss not throw him under the bus. This reinforces my opinion when you say, “I do not see MY GIRLS doing this.” Whose side are you on? His or theirs? What do you say to the “girls”, in his defense, when they say to you “he works for the money- he gets all the money.” ? This is extremely important to ask yourself what your facial expression looks like and how you respond. If YOU believe this and you have lack of respect for him because you believe they are right, then you owe it to yourself and to him to have an open discussion with him about how you feel because you are helping to divide a wedge between the staff and the owner.

There is and has been a recession going on for a good 3 years now. We have taken notice that many dentists have not been able to afford to give raises let alone pay payroll of what they have. I do not know your level of education as a manager but if you have had professional training, then you of all people should know that % of revenue that is industry standard for payroll and % of revenue that is industry standard for payroll taxes and benefits. Production does not pay the bills. It has to be collected and in the bank. To make employees “stock holders” in the business (bonuses) SHOULD MEAN that they also take the LIABILITY of the business as well but that never happens…..and I mean never in a dental office. Employees always “win” because they get their base and then with the help of some convoluted formula, they get X $ if the practice does X. But when the business goes below X, which it does, guess what? The employee still gets their base pay because the employer is now dipping into his pocket to pay the base. How is that fair? It’s not.

Employees should be rewarded for performance that exceeds the level of performance measurements of their job descriptions. If I bring in 5 new patients next month, I should get a reward. HOWEVER, the reward does NOT have to be money. I might be more interested in some other type of reward. Employees based on our observations that are part of a bonus system, spend it before they get it and when they don’t get it there are attitudes personified. We find that most do not understand the formula of how they got it. Their performance stays the same. Perhaps the production/collections increases because the doctor went to courses to learn how to do molar root canals.

It’s a VERY VERY TOUCHY subject. As the manager, I would expect you to meet with the doctor PRIVATELY. I am happy to share in a conversation with the two of you. Don’t ever speak too highly of the “production to warrant it” if you don’t analyze the profit and loss (overhead) on a regular basis.
Hope this sheds some light.

Sally

I hear that some dentists and their teams could use a few new ideas to shake up the annual holiday celebration, so I thought I’d share some things I’ve done in the past.

Employees are told the party starts at 11:30 a.m. and does not conclude until that evening around 9 p.m. At the appointed time, gather them all up, file out the door to be greeted by a chauffeur in a stretch limo. First stop on the agenda is lunch at a great restaurant then it off to the local mall.

It is here that the games begin. I prepare ahead of time and give each of them a gift bag and specific instructions. In the bag is $117.63 in “crumpled” small bills and change. Crumpled is very important and yes, it takes some hand energy to get them all in a wad and then don’t forget to throw in shredded paper and mix the money with the paper. Give them 80 seconds to figure out how much money they have in the bag and it’s hilarious to them throw what they think is shredded paper and then diving into the trash can at the mall to get the money they threw away!

They have instructions to purchase seven items as described on their instruction page. For example, one item has to go around in a circle and make noise; another item has to be something a ballerina would want. And just in case anyone has any illusions that this task is easy, they find out that they have to purchase the items at different stores, no candy, gift cards and it has to be for them and not for another person. It doesn’t stop there, the person who spends closest to or equaling the amount in the bag gets $50 extra bonus. If they go over the amount, they’re disqualified.

If you’re looking to really build team camaraderie and loyalty keep reading.

So, with tired feet, they come back to the limo to relax, sip champagne and cool off … until they learn there is a round two. The next activity on the adventure involves more shopping. Everyone is given another bag with wadded up cash and change in the amount of $48.06. Similar concept as the first, except they have drawn names and they have to purchase four gifts for a team member in four different categories, such as something in red, yellow, and green, stretchy, pentagonal, etc. and they have just 40 minutes to get the job done.

The typical holiday party in most offices is lunch or dinner out. Put some creativity and effort into making it an adventure. It isn’t about the gifts it’s about having fun together, enjoying each other’s company, and doing something completely and totally different.

Wrap up your day of adventure with a go-cart race challenge and a fabulous dinner at an excellent restaurant where everyone shows off their purchases and enjoys great food and great times with a great team and a great boss! LOL! That’s the most important part.

So the next time you’re looking for a way to thank your team for a job well done do something out of the ordinary. They’ll never forget it and they will always appreciate that you really tried to make them feel special.

Happy New Year to each of you from McKenzie Management.