At Levin Group, we strongly believe that office managers are the key to giving dentists the freedom they need to focus exclusively on patient care and relationships within the practice. Unfortunately, practices frequently lose tens of thousands of dollars annually because dentists are often tied up performing tasks that should be delegated to the office manager. When dentists are constantly involved in operations, staffing issues, and problem-solving, it can lead to exhaustion and burnout, despite having the right systems in place.
The proper role of the office manager is to function as the chief operating officer (COO), managing all day-to-day operations, administrative tasks, and human resource issues. This role allows the dentist to concentrate solely on patient relations and clinical care.
Office managers have not necessarily been trained
Levin Group.
We have observed a significant gap in the professional development of most office managers. In fact, Levin Group data indicates that more than 9 out of 10 dental office managers lack previous management education or experience.
Even worse, office managers often bring habits from their past into their management role. Many office managers continue to carry out tasks that they have always done because it is a habit, and they do not even think about delegating those tasks to other team members to ensure that they are done properly.
They also have no (or very limited) expertise in human resources or leadership, so they do not know how to help each team member reach their best potential and galvanize all staff members into a cooperative team.
In developing our comprehensive office manager consulting program, Levin Group has identified three key mistakes that hinder an office manager’s effectiveness.
- They keep doing work that other people should be doing. We have observed that many office managers who have been promoted up the ranks continue to perform tasks from their previous positions. This often happens because they do not fully trust others to handle these duties or do not realize that these tasks are no longer part of their current role. We strongly encourage every practice to implement a comprehensive job description for the office manager position. Once this is established, you can accurately determine if a prospective hire is already skilled for the job or has the capacity to be trained.
- Most office managers micromanage team members. Micromanagement often stems from a lack of trust that office managers have in their teams. Managers may believe that closely controlling every task helps them avoid issues or mistakes; however, this approach prevents team members from receiving the training and experience they need to grow. It also sends the message that employees are not trusted and that any errors they make will simply be corrected by the manager. For team members who are motivated to succeed, this can be discouraging. In some cases, it may even lead them to leave the practice.
- Office managers don’t know the practice numbers. One of the most important responsibilities of an office manager is monitoring the performance of the practice. However, we often find that many office managers lack a solid understanding of key practice statistics. They may know a few basic numbers, such as production or collections, but they often overlook other critical metrics like production per hour, production per day, production per new patient, number of new patients per month, production per provider, and overhead as a percentage of production. These metrics are essential for understanding practice performance and acting when needed, and dentists should not have to constantly monitor the numbers themselves.
Office managers should be trained not only to track and interpret the numbers but also to proactively implement corrective measures when targets are missed. They also need to recognize trends within the practice -- such as declining new-patient numbers or reduced case acceptance -- so that issues can be addressed early. The office manager should hold a monthly meeting with the dentist to clearly present and explain everything that is happening in the practice. One of our clients, who has an exceptional office manager, receives only what is called an “exception report,” which highlights any targets missed in the past 30 days. If a target is missed for three consecutive months, it is classified as a trend, and corrective actions and strategies are immediately implemented. This report allows the office manager to stay focused on practice success and the dentist to remain focused on providing excellent clinical care.
Office managers need to move to a higher level. Most are not operating as true managers and make three key mistakes as outlined above. If you want the freedom as a dentist to enjoy spending your time with patients and patient care, the key to achieving that goal is having a highly trained and skilled office manager who performs as the COO of the practice.
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].
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
