Athena Consulting: Dental Practice Solutions

Good wages and pleasant working conditions are important, but true motivation stems from something much deeper.

Many dental consultants think staff motivation is as simple as implementing a monthly bonus system or taking the entire staff on a ‘seminar cruise”. Motivating employees is a lot more complex than that, and many doctors have been going about it all wrong.

Data compiled from my consulting offices over the past two decades shows that what doctors think are employees’ two top motivators are quite different from the ones listed by employees. Both cite “job security” and “good wages,” but these two factors are far lower on the employees’ lists than on those of the doctors.

Employees focus more on “feeling appreciated during the work day” and “being in on things”. The external elements that impact staff include:

• Supervision
• Office policy and administration
• Working conditions
• Salary
• Interpersonal relationships
• Job status
• Job security

Motivators are the internal elements that impact staff, such as:

• Achievement
• Recognition for achievement
• Growth or advancement
• Responsibility
• The work itself

While the external elements do not actually motivate staff, they are necessary to prevent dissatisfaction and are an essential foundation to motivation. Doctors cannot afford to ignore the external elements but should not mistake them for true motivators.

At the same time, employers cannot neglect the internal elements of motivation. Without them, doctors may be able to create a decent work environment, but their staff will never be inspired to improve. A doctor who aspires to a well-run, high-performing practice must be mindful of both.

To provide a truly motivational climate for your employees, begin with the external elements and take steps to secure them. Once your external elements are in place, begin developing the motivators. Start by asking yourself the following questions. Better yet, ask your staff’s input on these issues.

• Do you thank staff for a job well done?
• Is feedback timely and specific?
• Is your workplace open, trusting and fun?
• Do you encourage and reward initiative and new ideas?
• Do you make time to meet with and listen to staff on a regular basis?
• Do you share information with your staff on a regular basis?
• Do you involve staff in decisions, especially those that will affect them?
• Do you provide staff with a sense of ownership of their jobs and the team as a whole?
• Do you give your employees a chance to succeed?
• Do you reward staff based on their performance?

Meet with staff members individually, perhaps at the yearly performance evaluations, to identify opportunities and obstacles. Find out what they like about their jobs and what they wish they could change. Based on what you learn, don’t be afraid to throw out old processes, and create change. (See my article, “Change is difficult for anyone but necessaryfor success”.)

Following are a few things you can do to promote achievement and responsibility.

• Remove some controls on employees’ job but retain accountability.
• Increase individuals’ accountability for their own work.
• Delegate to employees not just a portion of a task but the complete natural unit of work.
• Circulate monthly financial or status reports to all staff, allowing them some ownership and another means to measure their own performance.
• Assign specific or specialized tasks to individuals, enabling them to become experts.

These efforts aren’t simple, but they will make your office a more rewarding place to work - for everyone.