Act now, keep your team focused on shared goals

Nicki Rowland from Practices Made Perfect shares how to improve productivity, as well as the bottom line of your practice, by keeping your staff focused on achieving goals and meeting deadlines.

Do not put off the inevitable

Action your plan as soon as you can and set a specific timeframe in which to achieve chosen outcomes. Thinking about implementing your plan is often worse than the actual doing so take the bull by the horns and making things happen. There is no time like the present, as they say!

Meet Deadlines

All the goals that you have set should be timely, meaning that there is a set deadline to the goal. This motivates your staff to achieve outcomes within the given timeframe. Team members will then be able to manage their time better as they have an action plan for each strategic objective.

Avoid Wasted Time

When goals have been set within your practice, it is less likely that your team will be wasting time while at work. When each individual knows what the objectives are and their role in achieving them, their day is focused and they are not left wondering what should be done next. Setting timelines is a great way of focusing time wasters.

Manage Distractions

Team members are often faced with distractions during the workday eg their mobile phone. When staff has a set plan with business goals to pursue, it helps to effectually manage their time. When a distraction arises, they are less likely to pick up the phone when they know that tasks need to be achieved and their actions will be monitored.

Generate Commitment

Lack of direction and commitment from some staff can make others, particularly star employees, resentful. Ensure all team members are in agreement with a course of action and are committed to their role in achieving outcomes. You may have to even write an action plan down and ask team members to sign off their agreement to gain commitment. A lack of commitment is counterproductive to the overall good of the team so face accountability head on. Be accountable for accountability. Set expectations for your team and communicate goals and standards of behaviour on a regular basis. If standards and outcomes are not being met then be consistent in your management of under-performance so everyone knows what to expect if they start to let the side down.

Drive Practice Growth

A practice that is focused on goal setting, action plans and time management systems for its team is likely to be more successful in the world of dentistry. Without unity, a team can lose direction and the practice ultimately suffers. So, keep the team focused on shared goals. SMART objectives within your business plan are ideal for ensuring that everyone is ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’. In this way, time will not be wasted on activities that do not contribute toward the overall goals of the practice. In addition, individuals will be focused on what needs to be done to drive success. By managing every working hour of the practice, monitoring activity and the accomplishment of business objectives, you can improve productivity as well as the bottom line of your practice.

Author Nicki Rowland

Practices Made Perfect

[email protected]

Posted by Gemma