How many minutes do you lose every day on unproductive tasks that should be handled by someone else? Thirty? Sixty? Ninety? Most likely, you don’t keep track. If you did, it would be entirely too depressing. Consider for a moment what you are doing when you are most productive. I bet it’s what you enjoy doing the most – the dentistry. When you are least productive you are probably handling all of the issues that come with running a practice – e.g. hiring employees, explaining procedures, managing conflict, responding to concerns with patients, paying bills, explaining fees, answering the common everyday questions, and the list goes on.

Certainly, all of the aforementioned duties are part of daily life in a busy dental practice. The problem is that many dentists begin their careers doing various jobs and wearing several hats. Over time, the majority of these responsibilities need to be delegated and managed more effectively by others. But work hoarding is a problem for many practitioners. The consequence is valuable minutes and hours frittered away on …

Revolving door hiring practices - Employees come and go on a regular basis.
Team Trainer – You take it upon yourself to “train” new hires.
In-office IT Expert – You like to “tinker with technology.” When there is a problem with the computers, you believe you must be the information technology expert.
Firefighter –You are continually putting out fires, i.e. dealing with the daily problems, situations, and crises that arise.

Shore up your management systems and you’ll spend far more time and energies on those productive activities that you enjoy the most and will take your practice the furthest.

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For additional assistance please visit our New Dentist Resources page under Practice Management at http://www.thenewdentist.net/resources.htm

“Dr. Tom” called me in frustration to discuss the fact that his office manager of 15 years leaves every day at 2 p.m. He is understandably concerned because the office is essentially left unattended for the better part of the afternoon. Moreover, a multitude of essential duties are routinely left undone because when the clock strikes mid-afternoon, “Kim” is out the door.

While the role and specific duties of the office manager may vary from practice to practice, the cornerstone of the job is efficiency. This person should be able to oversee key practice systems to ensure that the office is running efficiently. They may have multiple duties including answering phones, helping with the schedule, running reports, sitting down with the doctors to alert them to issues, and concerns with patients and staff. Whatever shape the role takes, it must be clearly defined to best meet the overall management needs of the practice. And the duties must be spelled out, point by point, in black and white. Additionally, specific goals for the position that compliment overall practice goals must be identified. Performance measurements must be in place to measure the individual’s success as well as necessary tools to help the individual achieve success, such as office manager training.

In the case of Kim, Dr. Tom values her contribution to the practice and emphasizes that she has been a good employee. However, it appears that given her years with the practice she now believes that she is entitled to a “flexible” schedule. Again, Kim needs specific direction from the doctor as to what is expected of her. Once Kim understands clearly what the role of office manager means in this practice, she can choose to accept the job or find other opportunities.