Managing Expectations: An effective office manager is key to practice success by Jean Aylor

Many factors are necessary for a practice to flourish and grow, but one of the most crucial is a team that's driven and talented and works together to consistently improve operational efficiencies. More important, however, is finding the leader of this team. It begins with a dynamic office manager.

Does your current manager have the ability to motivate your team and view the large financial picture to guide your practice in to higher productivity? If not, it's time to review, train and set your expectations higher.

The office manager position is full of variety and challenge. This person makes a difference in the lives of not only the orthodontist and staff, but also the patients and the community. A successful practice serves a vital role in the community and an exceptional office manager will be at the heart of the practice.

Lead by example
Effective managers will lead by example, never asking the team to do a task that they themselves don't perform. To be successful they must gain the respect and trust of the team, always display fairness and consistency, and motivate the team with passion for the practice and the patients.

Exceptional office managers should never be afraid to get their hands dirty. They should know how to perform every job in the office, and do it with some degree of efficiency and expertise. If the team is short-staffed or overloaded with patients, the office manager can jump right in and provide seamless help. (Conversely, if there are tasks this person isn't trained well on, asking the team for assistance or extra training will facilitate greater respect. An office manager should ask the team for help whenever necessary.)

Effective operations
The morning huddle. As the team leader, the office manager should set the day's tone by beginning each day with a morning huddle. As the team's cheerleader, he or she should show enthusiasm and provide information regarding the upcoming operations for the day.

• Provide updates for patient treatment as well as all new patients scheduled for the day.
• Remind the team of the practice goals and what has been achieved to date for the week/month.
• Praise the team members for reaching goals, and recognize those that have gone above the call of duty.
• End the huddle on a positive note. This is a good time to read the mission statement and leave the meeting focused on excellent customer service and quality care.

Practice financials. The office manager must understand the overhead of the practice and how it directly affects the profitability of the practice. Analyzing the practice's vital signs monthly and implementing policies to improve the financial health of the practice is a requirement of the office manager. Set a daily, weekly and monthly time to review the important statistics for the practice, and review these stats with the doctor on a regular basis. If the doctor is willing to share the practice statistics with the entire team, plan to review them at monthly team meetings.

 

Time management. It is crucial that the office manager learns to manage his or her time to effectively coach, train and develop the team while ensuring the success of the practice through performing additional tasks. He or she must strive for ultimate organization of thoughts, processes, workspace and overall expectations.

• Learn to use the tools needed for optimal organization and time management.
• Set expectations for the entire team, and determine the time of day that each person is the most efficient.
• Assign job descriptions for each team member to define responsibilities and expectations.
• Organize the day to accomplish tasks, and schedule a "do not disturb time" free of interruptions.
• Establish systems and procedures that will enable the team to work efficiently and effectively.