Do's and don'ts for better team communication: Improve practice communication

The success of your practice depends on how well you communicate with patients, but that begins with how well you communicate with each other. Always keep everyone informed and help each other maintain a positive attitude. Patients will appreciate it.

Keep the lines of communication open. Every six months, have an informal conversation with each team member about where they are in their career path. Where does the dental assistant or front desk coordinator stand regarding their skills, experience, attitude, and motivation? What would they like to accomplish in the next six months? This discussion helps all staff members understand their progress as part of a high-performance team.

Don't neglect communication problems -- identify and correct them. Locate the areas where there are breakdowns in efficiency, and come up with simple communication systems to resolve these problems. Effective communication has a positive impact on practice profitability and helps ensure excellent customer service.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the founder and CEO of Levin Group, the leading dental practice consulting firm in North America. For the complete list of dates and locations where you can attend his latest seminar, visit www.levingroup.com/gpseminars.

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