By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Over the years of being both an employee and employer, there here have been particular instances of employee unhappiness that have caused me to deliberate.

They have been times when the employer has been seen to do all the ‘right’ things. They pay above-award wages, are clear about all employee entitlements, create a supportive and caring work environment and personally acknowledge the efforts of the employee. But then something seemingly minor happens – for instance the employee requests time off that is outside what they are entitled to and the request is refused, or the employee starts arriving 10 minutes late most days and is spoken to respectfully by her superior to rectify it – and the employee exhibits feelings of disappointment, hurt and sometimes anger.

On the surface, the employer is complying with workplace laws and upholding business standards and fair work practices so it therefore seems unreasonable for the employee, in such situations, to get upset.

But there is upset. There is something I was not getting here. So I deliberated…

I came to the conclusion that the issue is the ‘currency of employment’. Let me explain.

The arrangement everyone agrees to is clear. The employer and employee agree to exchange money for performance. Problems arise when there is a perceived disparity in this trade.

Consider a square table separating an employer and an employee. The employer places a stack of money on the table, and slides it to the middle of the table. This is the employer’s currency. There is a definitive and finite value to it. If it is $1,000, then it is $1,000 – no more, no less. The employee, in return, places their performance on the table. They start to slide it in to the middle. They see their years of experience and know-how in this, their currency. They see their blood, sweat and tears, their triumphs, and their weaknesses. What value is there in this? If it’s not $1,000, then what is it?

While the employer is satisfied with the trade of money for service, the employees in the above examples are upset because they are trading their currency which has an infinite value. Yes, they are paid the money, but they are left expecting more. They are worth more, aren’t they?

So how do we work with this reality and all still be happy?

For starters, being aware of the underlying mindset is powerful in itself. But the solution is to reassure your employees that you ‘see’ their talent and commitment to your practice. Acknowledgement and praise are vital to ensure employees feel valued, and to ensure they know when they are meeting expectations. But during any situation where the employee feels they are treated unfairly when they consider how hard they work, discussing the value you see in them and highlighting what you see as their strengths goes a long way.

“The currency for employment is not just money for performance. It’s the human element too. It’s a package deal.”

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a story of a time that I am not proud of…but am grateful for. Grateful because it established in me a commitment to never repeat this behaviour.

It occurred about a year or so prior to me buying my dental practice in Brighton, Victoria. I was working with a great staff; High energy, happy and supportive. I was receptionist and one of my responsibilities was to arrange the monthly staff meetings. Every practice in Australia appreciates that it is quite a task. Getting all staff in the one place at the same time when there are different shifts and routines, I have since accepted and embraced, is often not an achievable outcome. But at this stage of my career I still possessed that young and incorrect perception that others should feel compelled to do what I ask…

One of the people I had worked with, Vivienne, (not her real name), was one of a kind. She hailed from Canada. So very polite, so very gracious. Vivienne never had a bad intention towards anyone, only love and support. She was so sweet that others upon meeting her would ask me, “Is she for real or is it an act?”

I approached Vivienne with the plans of the staff meeting. I was pleased as punch as everyone else had said they were able to attend. However Vivienne said she would not be available. I felt the frustration rise in me. I heard that young, misguided voice say out loud to Vivienne “Whatever Vivienne. Everyone else can come so the meeting is happening.”

BANG! Peaceful, loving, gentle Vivienne slammed her hand on the coffee table. I jumped. “You will NOT speak to me that way!”

Wow.

For Vivienne to react to my poor attitude in such an instant and obvious way told me that this had not been the first time that I spoke to her with disrespect. I was horrified, and became more horrified as the moments ticked by. In all my years working with Vivienne I had never heard her raise her voice or challenge anyone. I had let her sweet manner to mean that it didn’t matter how I treated her. And now she was reacting like this…because of me.

I apologised to Vivienne. I sat down with her and assured her that I knew I was wrong. That she did not deserve to be dealt with in such a flippant and hurtful way. And, because she is a beautiful person, Vivienne forgave me. It never happened again.

I reflected over my intentions when I responded so badly. What did I expect? For Vivienne to turn and say “Oh no, I didn’t think my absence would upset you Julie! I WILL BE THERE!”

As I stated, I am grateful for this experience. It is unfortunate that at times we need something dramatic in order for us to make fundamental change. I came away with a lesson that I still live by today, and will so forever.

LESSON: Regardless of what is happening, always address people with respect.

Taking this lesson through my practice ownership was imperative to my success. It is imperative to your success, too. Forcing people to do what you want them to do is a sign of bad leadership. As leaders – as staff members – we will be successful if we inspire. Inspire enthusiasm and participation in others. Work with people on solutions rather than forcing people to fall in line.

“There are many roads to Rome. Disrespecting those around you in any way is not one of them.”

Have you ever been surprised by a staff-member tending their resignation? You shouldn’t be. I say they should have felt safe enough, and seen you open enough, to share their feelings before it came to quitting. More on that in a minute…

In my early days of staff management, I never used to ask people if they were satisfied in their role. What if they said ‘no’? What if they requested something that the business could not give. What if their input opened up a ‘can of worms’? So to avoid this uncomfortable situation, I simply avoided this kind of discussion. However there was a cost to closing off this level of communication: my awareness.

Once I owned my own practice, I felt more obliged to the people I worked with. After all, I was the one who was now in control of the working environment that was created. I decided to take on that responsibility enthusiastically and be proactive in my management of staff happiness. I did this by incorporating the following three elements:

1. Open and Eager: Whenever a staff member approached me for discussion, I immediately stopped what I was doing (baring speaking with a patient) and smiled at them with an ‘eager to please’ intention. I wanted to know how I could help. The more happy the staff member, the better their approach to patients. The more problems I solve for them, the higher their personal performance. Therefore it was in my interests, and the interests of the business to maintain a high level of happiness with the staff. To gain the needed clarity around troublesome issues, it was up to me to create the environment where staff felt encouraged and safe to communicate with me.
2. One-on-One Discussions: Every few months I would directly ask each staff member how they were traveling. What is making them feel happy within the practice? What is making them feel unhappy? Is there anything I can do to create a better environment for them? As an employee, this step truly shows how much they feel cared for. (Feeling ‘cared for’ is one of the top reasons staff remain loyal.)
3. I quickly dispelled the fears of not having a solution for every issue by releasing the need to deliver a fix straight away. Sometimes there is an obvious and easy solution, and that’s great. But for those trickier times, my response was, “I hear you. Leave it with me so I can mull things over. I’ll get back to you with a plan.” This is a powerful sentence because it, i) reassures the staff member that what they say is important, therefore they are important, ii) lets you step away and create the time and head-space you need to deliberate, and iii) assures the employee that you both have the power, and also intend to, make things right.

What if there are no solutions to a problem? The decision to keep things as they are for now and discuss instead how staff can better process the challenging situation is also a resolution. There is growth and development in that space. The answer is not always going to be exactly what the staff member wants, or exactly what the business wants. A solution is often a negotiation towards something that suits both.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become you habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”-Mahatma Gandhi

I thought of the above quote from Mahatma Gandhi. I have always loved it and in fact use it as my ‘behaviour map’. I determined that to be able to address my actions I needed to first address my beliefs. Did I honestly hold the belief that running a business would not have problems? That staff would never be sick? That lab results would always arrive on time? That every process I implemented would be instantly embraced by all staff? I have been working in dental surgeries for 28 years and these three events happen…ALL THE TIME! So I changed my belief to using Pareto’s 80:20 principle. Things run smoothly 80% of the time, and then 20% of the time, they don’t. I embraced this concept.

So if you want to avoid losing good people, only discovering their reasons for unhappiness at the time they quit, I encourage you to develop your communication skills.

Provoke the clarity you need to keep your best people at their best.

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

Self-control is a vital skill to master when you are managing a group of people.

I know from my early practice-ownership days that certain situations would challenge me. Such as staff calling in sick, not checking lab work had arrived for an imminent insert appointment and staff not following a process that had already been explained. Despite priding myself on being a fair and caring boss with realistic expectations, my initial reaction to these occurrences was annoyance and frustration. These negative reactions came across in my facial expression, my tone of voice and, of course, in what I said at the time. And I was always assured to feel regret just moments after.

I reflected upon this characteristic of myself. I was not proud of it and if I truly wanted to master leadership, I had to change my behaviour.

I examined my current process and realised that these seemingly slight issues would spark a stronger reaction in me than the larger issues. I determined that my bad reaction was to those situations that had an immediate impact on the smooth running of the surgery for that moment or day. You usually have time to contemplate the larger issues that arise in a business, but the smaller ones interrupt you and demand immediate attention.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become you habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

I thought of the above quote from Mahatma Gandhi. I have always loved it and in fact use it as my ‘behaviour guide’. I determined that to be able to address my actions I needed to first address my beliefs. Did I honestly hold the belief that running a business would not have problems? That staff would never be sick? That every lab job would arrive on time? That every process I implemented would be instantly embraced by all staff? I have been working in dental surgeries for 28 years and these three events happen…ALL THE TIME! So I changed my belief to using Pareto’s 80:20 principle. Things run smoothly 80% of the time, and then 20% of the time, they don’t. I embraced this concept.

Then I chose what my reaction to problems was to be.

So, I made a commitment to myself that no matter what happened, I would be light-hearted and encouraging. I would not let the urge to ‘blame’ or be passive aggressive be a part of me or the management of the situation (by anybody).

The processes put in place to resolve these issues were the same. My self-management though was different and my team (and I) were happier because of it. The calmer, more effective approach to problem solving is also seen and adopted by others, making a smarter and more resilient team.

So smile in the face of these minor disruptions and I promise you will have a happier practice because of it!

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

The existence of trust is vital to the success of any relationship, whether it be a friendship, a loving partner or the relationship you have with your children.

It cannot be overstated how important it is for any manager to foster trust. You will not achieve appropriate levels of engagement and employee commitment without it. Trust is so essential to your success that if you feel ineffective in this area, my advice to you is to stop everything else and get good at it!

Follow my 5 pillars of trust

Pillar 1: walk your talk

Think about your business. Is there a stated ‘culture’ in your workplace? What are the standards you have established for customer service and workplace orderliness? Always act in accordance with the standards you set out for others. Your people will develop faith in you when they see that you are committed to the mindsets, processes and systems of your business.

Pillar 2: honour your promises

This is a big one. How can anyone be expected to trust in someone when they fail to keep their promises? The minute you make a commitment to an employee, whether it be an assurance of future training, or simply keeping to a certain time-frame in a staff meeting, they will be looking to see whether or not you are trustworthy. You must keep to your word. If the situation plays out that you are forced to break a promise, then be open and discuss this with the employee/s. You can still establish trust under these circumstances, as long as you take appropriate action.

Pillar 3: responsibility

If you are an owner or manager of people, step up to the responsibility that you hold. Be mindful that people are ‘at your mercy’ in that YOU are the one who creates and fosters the environment in which others are expected to perform. Ensure you generate an atmosphere that encourages, supports and cares for each and every individual.

Pillar 4: show up

Many times new policies need to be introduced, staff performances to be assessed and sensitive issues discussed. Distinguish the difference between situations that can be taken care of via emails and phone-calls, and those that are more sensitive and are best handled one-on-one. Show up when staff need you. Empower them to question, clarify and discuss issues that affect their environment.

Pillar 5: consistency

Research studies show that employees would rather a consistently aggressive manager, over one who is only spasmodically great. People trust in the consistency of your behaviour. Commit to managing your people to a standard, and then perform to this standard every time. Any erratic behaviour on your part will definitely reduce your chances of building trusting relationships.

People don’t trust your words, they trust your actions!

By Julie Parker, Julie Parker Practice Success

It has always been obvious that a great receptionist improves the environment of any business and a bad one will be highly likely to have a damaging affect. However our awareness around the high level of influence our receptionists has requires deeper contemplation.

Dental practices know their receptionist plays an important role in creating a calming environment for their dental patients, allowing them to feel confident in their practice of choice, faith in the dental team and comfortable in the knowledge they are receiving a high standard of care in a professional environment. This same positive influence over the practice’s environment also plays an important role for the dental team members, and their level of happiness and effectiveness.

Therefore the role of ‘receptionist’ warrants a closer look. There is a meaningfulness and importance to this role that all engaged receptionists should embrace and feel very proud of.

Whether it is acknowledged by team members or not, the receptionist of a dental practice is THE LINK between the patient being outside the walls of the practice, not addressing their dental health, and those patients being in your practice dental chair receiving treatment.

There are many steps that need to take place before a patient is lying back in the dental chair and many are performed the receptionist.

Think of a patient who is anxious and wavering in their decision to make their follow up appointment. An unengaged receptionist will not have a purpose or goal in this communication with the patient. They know they will be paid whether the patient books the follow up appointment or not. They also know their relevance within the practice will remain the same regardless of whether the patient books their next appointment. The chances of this receptionist achieving consistently high levels of success in their management of the appointment book are very low.

Compare this scenario to one with an engaged receptionist. A receptionist who is keenly aware that their level of communication skills, and effectiveness in providing the patient with the needed support and care, will generate high level results again and again.

An engaged receptionist understands the responsibility they possesses in ensuring a health-compromised patient actually achieves dental treatment. They also honour the role they play in building and maintaining the credibility of each dentist and the practice as a whole. Engaged receptionists will execute their roles with actions and decisions that are based upon a personal philosophy to care about what they do. This impacts situations such as:

• The patient’s adoption and completion of treatment to achieve oral health/li>
• Assisting the dentists’ goal/agenda to build faith in them in the patients and faith in the practice
• Helping nurses and support staff by being mindful of the demands they experience throughout the day and scheduling effectively

But also it is imperative for receptionists to acknowledge their influence extends directly to:

• The dentists’ ability to strengthen their career development, as they are dependent upon the number of new patients being booked in with them and they are reliant upon the bookings of their returning patients
• The business’ success, through their effectiveness in booking patients appropriately, in the most effective and productive way, their successful collection of fees and their support and encouragement of the practice’s policies and values.

Receptionists need to artfully maneuver around what is ‘popular’ or ‘desired’ by unrealistic patient expectations, staff members who will sometimes want to have an ‘easy’ day and bosses who may be inclined to sway from the practice vision and culture due to lack of commitment or tiredness. The receptionist is often quite unconsciously seen as the ‘guide’ of how things are done, how hard to work and how high the standards should be kept.

The dental industry is only a few industries where a support role employee holds such a large influence, and therefore responsibility, over the effectiveness and success of the ‘producers’ (i.e. the dentist and their nurses). For those people attracted to this profession of dental receptionist, for those who choose to perform their role with the care, the attention, the integrity that it requires, They should approach their daily duties with the STRENGTH to make the right decisions regardless of external pressures, with RESPECT for all of those who depend upon them to do the right thing at all times, and with immense PRIDE that, through their commitment to their philosophy and that of the practice, they are enabling the people around them and the business they work for to achieve greater levels of success than if they were not there supporting them.