Is your staff as engaged as you would like them to be? Are they energetic and excited when they walk through your office doors in the morning? Will they greet your patients with a friendly, welcoming smile each day? Are they consistently demonstrating a high level of professionalism in both service and attitude? Do they continually seek opportunities to upgrade their skills and knowledge level? If your response to these questions is “sometimes” or “rarely,” you are not alone. So, how can you encourage and inspire your staff to increase their level of engagement?
Great leaders are able to motivate individuals to achieve more than they would on their own – to inspire others to take on new challenges and work towards a specific mission or vision. As the leader of your team, your effectiveness starts with your ability to communicate your vision for your practice and your patients in a way that produces enthusiasm, energy and initiative among your team. By continually sharing your vision with your staff, you demonstrate your passion for your goals and are provided with a platform to describe the important role that your staff plays in achieving your vision. As a leader, you must help your staff make the connection between their role and your vision.By doing so, you start to impact your team in a way that ties them to a common sense of purpose and allows them the opportunity to embrace your vision with the same passion and fervor that you do.
A continual challenge for any leader is being able to sustain a high level of commitment and enthusiasm among team members. In order to generate that engagement, remember to:
- Invest as much time and energy with the staff as you do the practice itself
- Continue to share your vision
- Hold your staff (and yourself) accountable
- Identify and remove barriers to success
- Celebrate and recognize effort
By doing these things,your engaged workforce will provide you with a strong competitive advantage to meet your patients’ needs and ultimately contribute to your practice’s success.
If you have any additional tips or use activities that help your practice engage across the board, share them in the comments below!
Nice suggestions. But mostly ignored by dentists.