8 ways to address conflict in a family-run practice

Family-run businesses can be very complex. It's easy for emotions and family dynamics to take over, or for family members to think they can do whatever they want without any consequences -- and that, of course, can lead to conflict in the dental practice.

In my last column, I talked about ways to create a successful family-run dental practice, from ensuring you put the right people in the right roles to developing detailed job descriptions that leave no doubt about who's responsible for which tasks. Now, I want to give you tips to help you keep family conflict from getting out of control. The truth is, practice conflict is inevitable, especially when you're working with family members, but it certainly doesn't have to be destructive. Here are eight tips on how to handle it.

1. Don't avoid bringing up problems

This is common in family-run dental practices. Typically, family members prefer not to question one another's decisions or actions. They'd rather ignore a problem than push for change and start a family argument, so they keep quiet.

Sally McKenzie, CEO of McKenzie Management.

Unfortunately, ignoring problems will just lead to bigger issues down the road, as well as the gossiping, eye rolling, and snide remarks that come when issues aren't addressed. Team members will dread coming to work each day, and some might even start looking for a new job with a more positive working environment. Your patients will notice all this negativity, and you can bet unresolved conflict will hurt practice production and your bottom line.

Create a practice culture where family members (and really all of your team members) understand how important it is to address any concerns they have from the beginning. They should feel comfortable coming to you when problems arise, and know that you will work with them to reach a solution.

2. Create clear office policies

Develop policies that outline how you expect employees to behave, whether they're family or not. Make sure everyone receives the policy in their employee handbook.

3. Hold daily huddles

These meetings are a great way to start the day, and they go a long way toward improving team communication. This is also a good time for team members to bring up any concerns they have.

4. Eliminate gossip

When your team members are gossiping about each other, they're not focusing on what matters most: practice success. Make sure all team members -- even your brother or your wife -- know that you won't tolerate gossip in your practice. Team members should only talk about coworkers if they're in the same room, and they should always be positive and respectful.

5. Remember, there's no room for emotion

This can be especially difficult when you're talking about family, but trust me, you don't want to react to conflict with emotion. Instead, react strategically. When there's an issue, speak with the employees involved -- privately -- and work together to find a solution.

6. Stay positive

Placing blame and pointing fingers won't help you resolve conflict. It will just lead to hurt feelings. Focus on finding a solution that benefits the practice.

7. Hold them accountable

It's important to hold all team members accountable for their systems and to make sure they know exactly what's expected of them. This is especially true for family members who might think they can get away with more, simply because they're related to you. I suggest meeting with team members once a month to get an update on their systems. Take the time to discuss what's happening in every system, and work as a team to come up with solutions for any problem areas identified.

8. Don't give them special treatment

It's easy to turn a blind eye when your sister, who serves as the patient coordinator, strolls in late every day or takes an extra-long lunch two or three days a week. The problem is, your other employees will notice and won't exactly be happy about it. This leads to the eye rolling and gossiping you want to avoid. Not only that, it hurts practice productivity. Make sure family members understand that they must follow the same rules as everyone else.

You can't avoid conflict in a work setting, especially if family members are involved. As much as you might not want to deal with it, ignoring the conflict that's bound to come up won't make it go away. It will only make it worse. Address conflict before it boils out of control, and look at it as an opportunity for positive change. You'll find this will make all your team members more productive, boosting your bottom line.

Sally McKenzie is CEO of McKenzie Management, which offers educational and management products available at www.mckenziemgmt.com. Contact her directly at 877-777-6151 or at [email protected].

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