While your primary goal may be to provide exceptional dental
care, it’s also important to remember that you are also the leader of a small
business. And, as the leader, it’s important to keep your employees happy and
satisfied with their work. The saying “A happy wife is a happy life” also
applies to your office staff, hygienists, and assistants who are the face and
life of your practice.
All too often
employees only hear from the boss when they mess something up or do something
wrong. But your employees, like all people, needing to receive feedback on
their daily performance. And, more often than not, they need to hear more about
what they’re doing right as opposed to what they’re doing wrong. Emphasis on
positive behaviors will ensure that they continue to do them and will reinforce
the good over the bad.
But we know that it can be hard to make time to praise each
individual when you’re in the trenches and focused on your own work. That’s why
we’ve got some free (well mostly free) ways to show appreciation for a job well
done.
Tip #8: Acknowledge something that an employee is good at by
asking them to conduct a staff training on it.
Your employees are probably all awesome at doing different
things. If they weren’t awesome, why would you keep them around?! But not
everyone is awesme at doing the same things, everyone has their own strengths
and weaknesses.
Recognize an employee by asking them to perform a staff
training presentation about something they’re really good at. For example,
Rhonda is absolutely amazing at answering the phones and handling patient
questions. You’ve never seen anyone handle an upset caller quite like her. But
not everyone in the office is as good on the phone as Rhonda.
We recommend pulling Rhonda aside and praising her ability
to answer the phones and handle difficult callers. Let her know how impressed
you are with her ability to deal with each new caller with grace and charm and
how much you appreciate her hard work. Let her know that, if she’s willing,
you’d like her to conduct a staff training on how best to answer the phones and
deal with complicated situations.
By communicating with Rhonda that you are impressed by her
expertise and would appreciate her help in training the staff, you’re showing
her that her hard work has really shown through. This is going to make her feel
special and appreciated, something she will radiate throughout the week.