It’s a normal Monday. The dentist walks into the office, and two team members are giving off attitudes because they are angry with each other and want everyone to know it. How should the dentist handle this situation?
Dental office manager responsibilities
Doctors should spend most of their day involved with patient care and do not have the time to deal with these types of disputes. This is the responsibility of the dental office manager. Office managers must act as the chief operating officer of the practice and handle all day-to-day operations and human resources so that the practice runs smoothly every day. This includes dealing with team conflict.
The truth is that most dentists would ignore the conflict and hope things get better; however, office discord usually gets worse and could turn into a tsunami over time. It can even cause some team members to leave the practice. So, what should office managers do?
Steps for resolving dental team disputes
- Assess the situation. Office managers should know how to sit down with each team member to determine the issue and work toward a resolution.
- Set expectations. Make it clear that this type of conflict and negative attitudes are not acceptable. Office managers should not be afraid to let team members know that if the situation deteriorates, some type of change will have to be made.
- Follow up. A resolution could take two or three conferences, but at some point, if it is not settled, other action may need to be taken.
- If necessary, make a change. Naturally, you would like to retain the team you have, but you must make changes if conflicts become pervasive. The office manager should clear any final decisions with the doctor, and the doctor should pay significant attention to the recommendations of the office manager.
Summary
Proactive conflict resolution is essential for maintaining a productive dental practice. When dental office managers handle staff disputes quickly and professionally, dentists can stay focused on patient care, team morale improves, and overall practice performance increases.
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in The Bottom Line with Dental Economics, the newsletter that will elevate your inbox with practical and innovative practice management and clinical content from experts across the field. Subscribe here.
