Dental Tribune UK Edition, September 20-26, 2010, Vol. 4 No. 22

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E & OE A4 - Pdf Ripper.qxd:Text pasting Document.qxd 13/04/2010 11:26 Page 1 I have been in management for so long that I sometimes forget how painful it can be. Recently we incorporated two new practices into the Dental Arts Studio; I had a feeling we may meet with some resistance, but I hadn’t anticipated just how painful it was going to be for eve- ryone involved, particularly one of the new practice teams. After much clenching of teeth and a few sleepless nights, it oc- curred to me that perhaps the team from one of the new prac- tices was worried about being separated from their departing principal dentist. To overcome this problem, I had to estab- lish trust in them, to enable me to pass on our vision of what we want the Dental Arts Studio to represent. Future vision To encourage them to follow our lead I realised that I had to set the scene for them and make them feel comfortable; I had to create a reliable and attractive vision for the future that they would re- spect and believe in. As managers and leaders we should never forget that staff look to those in leadership roles for confidence, a sense of calm and direction. The most import thing to remember is to make good decisions when under pres- sure; with confidence you have done the necessary work needed for these decisions to be right. To make a judgment without investigating the implications can lead to serious disharmony among your staff. One can never determine the outcome of investing in a new practice; this is something that should be exciting and a chal- lenge - as I have now realised, it is exciting for the purchaser, but not so much for the team left behind. Best customer care We took over two practices at the same time and the second practice was a challenge to start with. Dr Solanki and I spent a lot of time there in the initial takeo- ver and this team has thrived well. They have taken on board all the training that has been put their way. They have only been with us since April and we have seen a massive desire within the team; they want to achieve the very best possible customer care. Not only have we had to train the whole team in cus- tomer care and deportment, but we have had to train them in our management infrastructure, with regards to administration: this is a challenge being faced by both practice managers on a large scale. We have been devel- oping our administration system over seven years now and it is comprehensive, but very effec- tive. Again, this means dealing with stressed staff. The training, however, must continue until they are able to work single- handed without too much micro- management. You have to show patience and you have to continually en- courage your team as they grow into the new systems put before them. It is not only about systems and progress; it is about giving your new team the time they need to adjust. A happy environment Creating a good atmosphere is not only easy, it is also essential. For your team to respect you, you have to learn to reward them, praise them, lead and motivate them. Deal with issues head on - don’t ignore friction as it does not go away, otherwise this will be the undoing of your team. It is difficult when you are responsible for a team of people you did not chose and you may not like. In return, they may not like you and on top of this you have to do your job well. This might seem like a rather tall or- der, but as a manager you have been given a trusted and privi- leged position. You are a man- ager – so you must manage. Not very long ago I met a nurse at a dental function and most of our conversation was based on how miserable their practice manager was; as a re- sult, the staff were too frightened to approach her on practice is- sues to such a degree that the staff were unable to self-develop. I asked her why they did not ap- proach the principal dentist and she sadly informed me that he was not interested as she did a good job with the administration. Note to self: I never want to be described as “miserable”. My motto is and always will be, to ‘lead by example’. A good manag- er is there to help the team grow and develop, even if you have a larger team to manage. You could utilise part-time staff to cover for people to go on courses to further their self-development. As Peter F Drucker says: ‘Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things’. DT Growing pains Getting a new team of people to respect you takes patience as you learn to re- ward them, praise them, lead and moti- vate them, says Sharon Holmes About the author Originally from South Africa, Sha- ron Holmes has worked in the field of dental prac- tice manage- ment since 1992. She received hands-on training from the first dentist who employed her in 1992, which gave her a broad experience in know- ing what’s involved in provid- ing dental treatment. Arriving in the UK in 2002, she took a post in a mixed NHS and private practice in Wimble- don, eventually taking over its management, converting it to a fully private practice. In 2003, she moved to London City Dental Practice where after 18 months, was responsible for managing four practices in the group. The London City Dental Practice is now part of a mini co-operative group called theDentalArtsStudio,ofwhich she has been instrumen- tal in its creation. She holds the position of operations di- rector and manages every aspect of the group alongside her principal dentists. ‘Note to self: I never want to be described as “miserable”. My motto is and always will be, to ‘lead by example’. 25DCPsSeptember 20-26, 2010United Kingdom Edition