A great dental office manager, which I refer to as a Level Five office manager, can help create a world-class practice. But many office managers are placed in their positions without understanding what the job requires, and they lack the background, education, or experience to fulfill the role. A great question for all practice leaders to consider is “What should your office manager be doing?”
The role of the office manager
Dr. Roger P. Levin.
Excellent companies always have job descriptions for all positions. This approach forces the business, in this case the dental practice, to think through what they want employees to achieve and how they should go about it.
Unfortunately, the office manager’s role is the least defined position in all of dentistry. Consider these summaries of dental office position descriptions:
- Dental assistants. Good assistants know how to set up trays and anticipate needs and be ready for the next day. They also work closely with dentists throughout the day to determine what must be done.
- Front-desk team member. Front-desk team members also have very specific jobs. Patients must be greeted, checked out after visits, and scheduled for their next appointments. Additionally, the scheduling coordinator makes the appointments, the financial coordinator collects money and files insurance, and the telephone front-desk person answers the phone.
- Dental hygienist. The job of a dental hygienist is equally clear-cut. Hygienists see patients, take x-rays, provide fluoride treatment, and perform scaling and root planing. They also fill out patient records in the hygiene room and schedule the patient’s next appointment.
Office managers have a very wide range of job responsibilities. At Levin Group, we have identified the following three types of office managers:
- The functional office manager. The most common type of office manager is what we call the “functional office manager.” This office manager basically knows how to do most of the administrative jobs in the practice and oversees those jobs. This is an office manager who was appointed because he or she understands how the office operates and can ensure that basic and important jobs get done. Unfortunately, functional office managers often do not have management experience or education. Furthermore, these managers do not remove enough of the day-to-day tasks from dentists to relieve them of stress. We estimate that 80% of dental office managers fall into this category.
- The people-centric office manager. The people-centric office manager oversees most of the issues and takes pressure off the doctor. They ensure the right work gets done when it is supposed to be done, and, if qualified, helps people continue to improve in their career path. They range from micromanaging people to delegating tasks and responsibilities and simply measuring results with guidance when necessary. We estimate that approximately 10% of office managers fall into this category and that approximately 3% of people-centric office managers operate at a high level.
- The strategic office manager. Strategic office managers are typically employed by large or group practices and are given the authority to make decisions that are in the best interest of the practice. They delegate well and spend most of their time focused on the development and future of the practice. This involves evaluating new equipment and technology, meeting with sales and supply reps, and monitoring overhead and financials. We estimate that 10% of office managers are strategic and that many of these individuals are outstanding in their positions and contribute to ongoing practice success.
The three levels of office managers discussed above offer a new guideline for any practice to identify the current status of an active office manager or what type of office manager they would like to employ. The right office manager makes a practice more successful and enjoyable and contributes greatly to a dentist's career.
Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].
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