In our last blog we talked about goals and the importance of mapping out a plan to reach those goals. In a dental practice there are likely multiple team members who are involved in different aspects within that plan. It is vital that all team members are held accountable for their part. Once one task is missed it can have a domino effect and make it very hard to reach the end goal.
It isn’t enough to just give the team a to-do list and expect everything will get done. While the team typically has the best of intentions to follow the action plan, the realities of a busy practice set in. I have seen this happen with many of my dental clients. The practice puts a very thoughtful plan in place and there is initially a lot of momentum in making positive changes happen, but for one reason or another progress stalls. This leads to the attitude “We can talk all day long but nothing is going to change.” I hear it often from dental team members.
Having a very specific action plan is a critical step in instituting change, but there needs to be checks-and-balances put in place to help keep the team accountable and on track. There are a few things you can do to help your team and your practice be successful.
A healthy team is a team where they can hold each other accountable and work together for a common goal. Provide your team the tools and support they need, so they can be the catalyst that makes positive changes happen and help the practice reach their goals.
It isn’t enough to just give the team a to-do list and expect everything will get done. While the team typically has the best of intentions to follow the action plan, the realities of a busy practice set in. I have seen this happen with many of my dental clients. The practice puts a very thoughtful plan in place and there is initially a lot of momentum in making positive changes happen, but for one reason or another progress stalls. This leads to the attitude “We can talk all day long but nothing is going to change.” I hear it often from dental team members.
Having a very specific action plan is a critical step in instituting change, but there needs to be checks-and-balances put in place to help keep the team accountable and on track. There are a few things you can do to help your team and your practice be successful.
- Keep practice goals and the action plan somewhere that can be seen on a daily basis to keep it top-of-mind.
- Utilize weekly team meetings to have team members report on progress and talk through challenges they have having. The team can help brainstorm solutions to these challenges, so things can continue to move forward.
- Be very thoughtful of what tasks are being assigned and the due dates. Focus on the important items and make sure due dates are realistic.
- Utilize a web-based project management system that the full team can access. Once implemented the project management system will provide automated reminders, and can help organize the tasks each team member is responsible for.
A healthy team is a team where they can hold each other accountable and work together for a common goal. Provide your team the tools and support they need, so they can be the catalyst that makes positive changes happen and help the practice reach their goals.
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