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From conflict to consensus
PERSPECTIVES
A
BETTER
PRACTICE
From conflict to consensus HOW SHOULD A Q DENTIST HANDLE CONFLICT AMONG STAFF MEMBERS?
A
In an ideal world, every team member would get along with all the others, have a great work ethic, demonstrate an outstanding attitude and possess incomparable skills. In the real world, this situation is possible only when the right leadership is in place and effective systems have been implemented. Even then, conflicts still will arise among team members. In a poorly managed practice, conflict can divide the practice into two opposing camps—front office versus back office. Instead of working together to create an ideal patient experience, the two factions often work at crosspurposes, which can lead to high stress, substandard customer service and a chaotic practice environment.
staff members had been there for more than 10 years and had worked together well. Turnover occurred, as people retired or moved on to other opportunities. Almost immediately, there was friction between the new employees and “the old guard.” Complaining and sniping became the rule of the day, and the staff broke up into two groups: the front-office staff members (long-term employees) and the clinical staff members (new employees). Naturally, this was a disturbing and stressful situation, and it continued to worsen. At first, the dentist took a hands-off approach, believing that these issues would work themselves out and that a friendlier atmosphere eventually would return. Unfortunately, the dentist’s lack of involvement made the problem worse. When a patient mentioned a heated exchange she had witnessed between two staff members, he realized things had gotten out of control.
DEALING WITH STAFF MEMBER CONFLICT
FINDING SOLUTIONS
I know of an office in which such a situation occurred. Most of the
The dentist called a staff meeting. He made it clear that
R o g e r P. L e v i n , D D S 556
JADA 142(5)
http://jada.ada.org
teamwork was the No. 1 priority in each person’s job description. He politely, but firmly, informed the staff members that anyone who could not commit to teamwork would be failing to meet her or his performance expectations. The dentist delivered this message with clarity and no bias toward long-term or new staff members. This was uncomfortable for the dentist, but it sent a strong message that a lack of teamwork no longer would be tolerated. To get everyone on the same page and build better team cohesion, the dentist started holding regular morning meetings, which had been held inconsistently in the past. The morning meeting helped set the tone for the day. In the next two weeks, he met individually with each staff member, seeking input and suggestions on how to improve teamwork between the front-office and back-office staff members. As a result of these conversations, he realized the practice did not have documented, step-by-step systems, a lack that created confusion and miscommunication between the two groups of employees. He also recognized that he had to
May 2011
Copyright © 2011 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
PERSPECTIVES
assume a stronger leadership role in the practice. A COMMON PURPOSE
First, he wrote a vision statement clarifying where he wanted the practice to be in three years. He set annual goals aligned with the vision and allocated responsibilities to help him and his staff members achieve these targets. He emphasized the importance of the team’s commitment to the vision and goals. This message set the stage for a new understanding of how the practice would operate. The dentist then worked with the team on implementing step-by-step, documented systems so each team member knew exactly what was expected of him or her. Systems that were updated included scheduling, new patient data entry, practice financial management, patient financial management, clinical protocols and case presentation. This step resulted in team members’ understanding their exact role
in the system, including procedures for working jointly with other departments in the office. The dentist then asked his office manager to implement at first monthly and then quarterly one-on-one meetings with the staff members. Each meeting was 15 minutes long, and the office manager and the team members would review improvements in the general practice, evaluate progress by the team member and discuss further recommendations. Together, the dentist and the office manager set ground rules that the staff members had to present solutions to any perceived problems and not engage in criticism or complaining. This approach brought the front-office and back-office employees together to find common solutions to their mutual challenges. One of the main problems was that the long-term staff members had their definition of how the practice should be run and did not welcome any new ideas. As I have stated often, many practices operate accord-
JADA 142(5)
A
BETTER
PRACTICE
ing to habit and not according to objective systems. Once step-bystep systems were put in place, everyone understood his or her role, and the practice began to operate much more efficiently and with far less stress than it had. CONCLUSION
Most dentists will experience staff conflict one or more times in their careers. Employee conflict should be addressed immediately and in a straightforward manner. The longer conflicts are unaddressed, the more problems will occur. Holding regular meetings with staff members and implementing step-by-step management systems are two effective methods for turning a group of individual employees into a team. ■ Dr. Levin is founder and chief executive officer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court, Owings Mills, Md. 21117, e-mail “rlevin@ levingroup.com”. Address reprint requests 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.
http://jada.ada.org
Copyright © 2011 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
May 2011
557
A
BETTER
PRACTICE
From conflict to consensus HOW SHOULD A Q DENTIST HANDLE CONFLICT AMONG STAFF MEMBERS?
A
In an ideal world, every team member would get along with all the others, have a great work ethic, demonstrate an outstanding attitude and possess incomparable skills. In the real world, this situation is possible only when the right leadership is in place and effective systems have been implemented. Even then, conflicts still will arise among team members. In a poorly managed practice, conflict can divide the practice into two opposing camps—front office versus back office. Instead of working together to create an ideal patient experience, the two factions often work at crosspurposes, which can lead to high stress, substandard customer service and a chaotic practice environment.
staff members had been there for more than 10 years and had worked together well. Turnover occurred, as people retired or moved on to other opportunities. Almost immediately, there was friction between the new employees and “the old guard.” Complaining and sniping became the rule of the day, and the staff broke up into two groups: the front-office staff members (long-term employees) and the clinical staff members (new employees). Naturally, this was a disturbing and stressful situation, and it continued to worsen. At first, the dentist took a hands-off approach, believing that these issues would work themselves out and that a friendlier atmosphere eventually would return. Unfortunately, the dentist’s lack of involvement made the problem worse. When a patient mentioned a heated exchange she had witnessed between two staff members, he realized things had gotten out of control.
DEALING WITH STAFF MEMBER CONFLICT
FINDING SOLUTIONS
I know of an office in which such a situation occurred. Most of the
The dentist called a staff meeting. He made it clear that
R o g e r P. L e v i n , D D S 556
JADA 142(5)
http://jada.ada.org
teamwork was the No. 1 priority in each person’s job description. He politely, but firmly, informed the staff members that anyone who could not commit to teamwork would be failing to meet her or his performance expectations. The dentist delivered this message with clarity and no bias toward long-term or new staff members. This was uncomfortable for the dentist, but it sent a strong message that a lack of teamwork no longer would be tolerated. To get everyone on the same page and build better team cohesion, the dentist started holding regular morning meetings, which had been held inconsistently in the past. The morning meeting helped set the tone for the day. In the next two weeks, he met individually with each staff member, seeking input and suggestions on how to improve teamwork between the front-office and back-office staff members. As a result of these conversations, he realized the practice did not have documented, step-by-step systems, a lack that created confusion and miscommunication between the two groups of employees. He also recognized that he had to
May 2011
Copyright © 2011 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
PERSPECTIVES
assume a stronger leadership role in the practice. A COMMON PURPOSE
First, he wrote a vision statement clarifying where he wanted the practice to be in three years. He set annual goals aligned with the vision and allocated responsibilities to help him and his staff members achieve these targets. He emphasized the importance of the team’s commitment to the vision and goals. This message set the stage for a new understanding of how the practice would operate. The dentist then worked with the team on implementing step-by-step, documented systems so each team member knew exactly what was expected of him or her. Systems that were updated included scheduling, new patient data entry, practice financial management, patient financial management, clinical protocols and case presentation. This step resulted in team members’ understanding their exact role
in the system, including procedures for working jointly with other departments in the office. The dentist then asked his office manager to implement at first monthly and then quarterly one-on-one meetings with the staff members. Each meeting was 15 minutes long, and the office manager and the team members would review improvements in the general practice, evaluate progress by the team member and discuss further recommendations. Together, the dentist and the office manager set ground rules that the staff members had to present solutions to any perceived problems and not engage in criticism or complaining. This approach brought the front-office and back-office employees together to find common solutions to their mutual challenges. One of the main problems was that the long-term staff members had their definition of how the practice should be run and did not welcome any new ideas. As I have stated often, many practices operate accord-
JADA 142(5)
A
BETTER
PRACTICE
ing to habit and not according to objective systems. Once step-bystep systems were put in place, everyone understood his or her role, and the practice began to operate much more efficiently and with far less stress than it had. CONCLUSION
Most dentists will experience staff conflict one or more times in their careers. Employee conflict should be addressed immediately and in a straightforward manner. The longer conflicts are unaddressed, the more problems will occur. Holding regular meetings with staff members and implementing step-by-step management systems are two effective methods for turning a group of individual employees into a team. ■ Dr. Levin is founder and chief executive officer, Levin Group, 10 New Plant Court, Owings Mills, Md. 21117, e-mail “rlevin@ levingroup.com”. Address reprint requests 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.
http://jada.ada.org
Copyright © 2011 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
May 2011
557