Have you ever thought about how much synergy can improve your dental practice? Maybe you have no idea what dental practice synergy is all about.
Synergy—(sinərjē)—the cooperation or interaction of two or more substances, organizations, or agents that produce a combined effect that is greater than the sum of their parts.
In other words, 1+1=3.
My name is Jennifer Pearce. I am the CEO and founder of Prosperity Dental Solutions, and my passion is to help dental practice owners make the most of all the amazing opportunities available. With almost two decades of dental experience, I know how to make your dental practice successful.
And I can tell you, one of the most often overlooked and misunderstood concepts is that of synergy. I believe a successful dental practice requires a multi-pronged, synergistic approach to improve beyond what each team member offers individually.
Today, I’m going to discuss how your team can truly come together to improve patient satisfaction, profitability, and productivity.
What is dental practice synergy?
When everyone in the front office and back office works together, it creates an outcome that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
So, how does dental practice synergy start?
The first thing you should ask yourself is, how well do all your team members know each other? The second question? How much do they understand their fellow teammates’ roles?
When all your team members know each other and understand the roles others play, it greatly improves synergy. It is tremendously important for everyone to realize how all the moving parts fit together.
After all, even if everyone on the team is working toward the same goals, if they don’t understand the importance of every member, it can be hard to see. And if team members don’t see the importance of other team players, it becomes easy for them to focus on what they do personally while giving little value to others.
To improve synergy in your dental practice, prioritize the following four objectives:
- Improve Relationships and Communication in the Team
- Understand Your Objective
- Encourage Contribution
- Make it Fun
Dental Practice Synergy Goal #1: Improve Relationships and Communication in the Team
Make an effort to improve relationship building amongst your team members. This could include any type of team-building activities. Go bowling together, volunteer as a team for a charitable event, or encourage potluck lunches. Anything that gets your team members gathering together while having fun will improve their relationships.
Hold a meeting and offer transparent goals that everyone should strive for. Give each team member a chance to describe their role in achieving those goals. Then, encourage questions, so everyone has the best opportunity to learn more about their colleagues. Allow the discussion to go beyond the workplace so your team can truly get to know each other.
Schedule regular team meetings, giving everyone has a chance to share their opinions and input. Listen and hear each voice, making sure everyone feels like an important member of the team. Encourage discussions about how they can help each other reach their goals.
Dental Practice Synergy Goal #2: Understand Your Objective
Everyone on the team contributes differently within the practice, and sometimes their goals may seem to compete. For instance, one team member may focus only on patient care, while another focuses on budget and expenses.
It’s important for everyone to come together and keep their eye on the prize. Patient satisfaction is a worthy goal, but so is keeping down costs when possible.
Your leadership team should make sure that everyone is aware of your practice’s objectives and goals. These objectives and goals should be crystal clear, reviewed regularly, and communicated frequently.
Dental Practice Synergy Goal #3: Encourage Contribution
Your seasoned, experienced team members have a lot to offer, but sometimes the best ideas come from the newest team member. Make sure everyone knows you value and want their input. Let them know you are always willing to consider new ideas.
And when team members offer input, consider it fully. If you implement a new system or idea, give the team member credit. If you reject an idea, let the team member know why.
It’s important to do everything possible to let everyone feel comfortable about coming forward with their thoughts.
Dental Practice Synergy Goal #5: Make it Fun
Have you ever heard the saying that couples who play together stay together? Well, the same is true with your team members.
If you have a team member who tends to be outgoing, take advantage of that! Enlist her as your CFO—Chief Fun Officer.
Your CFO can create fun games that involve everyone, like trivia or a scavenger hunt. Or maybe build a social corkboard where everyone answers fun facts about themselves. Or your practice could run contests, like who can come up with the best social media post for your Facebook business page. Or maybe even a “Where in the world is Waldo?” contest.
Creative people can turn something as simple as a potluck lunch into a Hawaiian Lua or day at the beach.
The point is, when you have team members who laugh and have fun together, they also appreciate each other. And when they appreciate each other, they work better than the sum of their parts.
That is synergy.
Improve the Synergy in Your Dental Practice
If you are interested in more ways to improve your dental practice profitability and productivity, I would love the chance to speak with you.
Call (817) 975-4576 today to schedule a complimentary call, where we can get to know each other and decide if we have what it takes to work together to achieve your goals!
