Allow me to start off by saying that we all owe a tremendous debt to our office teams. We pay them and, hopefully, we praise them, but a cohesive staff is worth its weight in gold. They are the key ingredient to a profitable and stress-free day at work.
That being said, unfortunately there are members of the workforce who are undeserving of our trust. You have read tales in Dental Economics of fraud and theft that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up. Jeanne Giovenco shares one of those stories in this issue, and it is equally horrifying. But, as she points out, there was a trail of red flags that should have signaled to the owner that something was amiss. The signs were there.
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Unfortunately, some owners micromanage and stand over the shoulders of their employees due to a lack of trust. Perhaps some of them have been burned in the past. Although that sort of behavior may help deter fraud and theft, it certainly doesn't make for a pleasant work environment. So what's the solution?
Personally, I subscribe to the philosophy of "trust, but verify." Set expectations for your team, lay them out clearly in an employee manual, and then get out of the way for the most part. Periodic examination in a quiet, noninvasive way ensures that cash is flowing correctly and that hours are being logged accurately. There is a way to let your team know you are keeping track of their efforts without giving off the Big Brother vibes.
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Dental Economics is always home to detailed content on human resources, thanks to authors like Rebecca Boartfield, Tim Twigg, and Dianne Watterson. Creating your dental office dynasty need not be left to the fates. There can be a little luck involved with attracting the right people, but training them, inspiring them, and rewarding their morality is a system.
Cheers,
Chris Salierno, DDS
