Create greater success in your dental practice by honing your leadership skills.
A dental practice needs a motivated team and solid leadership to not only survive but to truly flourish in today’s competitive industry. Here are 8 ways you can become a better leader for your team and reap the rewards of an innovative, high-functioning practice.
1. Give your team the independence to do what you hired them for.
Micromanaging staff often backfires by causing unnecessary tension that causes poor employee retention, poor quality of care, and even poor relations between patients and staff. Not to mention that micromanaging is exhausting, leaving you to feel overwhelmed and stressed.
Take the approach of leading from behind. Get out of the way of your staff and allow them to do the job you hired them to do. Provide guidance, but refrain from making your team feel as though you don’t trust them with their position.
2. Walk the walk by being the first to try out new tactics.
When you institute new policies or patient care tactics in your practice make a determined effort to be the first to start implementing them. This shows your staff that you’re eager to put new ideas in play and that you don’t ask them to do anything you won’t do yourself. Whether it’s how you interact with patients or your team, be the first to set an example of what you’d like to see.
3. Assess your own management skills and seek coaching for your weaknesses.
The idea that leaders are born and not made isn’t quite true. Even those born with a natural desire to lead can still benefit from coaching in management, leadership, and soft skills. Evaluate your own leadership skills and take note of what areas could benefit from coaching or training. Asking for feedback from your own team can be incredibly constructive in discovering more about yourself as a leader.
4. Never stop marketing your practice, your team, and yourself.
Marketing isn’t just about financial success in your dental practice. Pushing effective marketing campaigns keeps patients coming to your practice, which in turn results in a happy, fulfilled team. Don’t forget about marketing yourself and your team to your patients as well. Every interaction you and your staff have with any patient is a chance to promote your practice through compassionate, patient-focused care.
5. Show your team how much you value them on a daily basis.
Your team is the foundation of the success of your dental practice. A motivated team who feels trusted, appreciated, and appropriately challenged will reflect on how well your practice does in essentially every aspect, from finances to referrals from patients. Make sure your team knows how much you value them by acknowledging their efforts, no matter how big or how small.
6. Show patients how much they’re appreciated during every interaction.
In addition to valuing your staff, you also want to show patients how much you appreciate that they’ve entrusted your practice with their dental care. This makes patients feel great and you’ll also lead your team toward mimicking how you interact with patients in a gentle, upbeat, and welcoming manner.
7. Make continued education a priority for yourself and your team.
You opened your practice with a passion for providing dental care to your patients. Stoke that fire further by seeking out opportunities for continued education whenever possible. Virtual and in-person courses can teach you new skills, update you on the latest technology, and even help you expand your menu of services to your patients.
Encourage your team to also pursue continued education. For example, if a dentist assistant is considering becoming a hygienist, adjusting work hours to allow them to pursue this can mean an even more valuable team member in the long run.
8. Learn to be a better leader by learning from a great leader.
Last but not least, combine continued education with selecting courses featuring great leaders. Dr. Williams’ Premier Comprehensive Straight Wire Course is the perfect opportunity to expand your dental care services to include orthodontics while also learning in-person with a knowledgeable, engaging leader. You’ll even receive temporary licensure for the state of Oklahoma to practice, working hands-on with real patients at Dr. Williams’ Skiatook, OK office.
Dentists who are interested in orthodontics but find that many courses seem to lack hands-on education will leave this course feeling confident and ready to begin orthodontic care in their own practice.
Reserve your spot in Dr. Williams’ Premier Comprehensive Straight Wire Orthodontics Clinical Course.
Dr. Williams’ Premier Comprehensive Straight Wire course includes six two-day sessions every second month from July 2021 to May 2022. You’ll learn how the straight wire orthodontic system works, how to band and bracket teeth, the basics of cephalometric analysis and treatment, and end with methods on incorporating your new skills into your existing practice.
Visit this web page for in-depth information on this course and how to sign up.