Australasian Dentist Magazine Nov Dec 2021

Category AustrAlAsiAn Dentist 113 BeSt PraCti eS q&a Dr Toni Surace the Managing Director of Momentum Management. Momentum is the premier dental practice management consultancy and training firm in Australia. Momentum has been empowering dentists in Australia and New Zealand to reach their professional, personal and financial goals for over 16 years. On average, Momentum clients increase production by 30-40% and achieve a 579% return on investment from the Momentum Practice Management Program. If you would like to learn more about Momentum Management programs, call 1300 519 000, and request a free 1-hour consultation with an experienced coach. D ear Dr Toni, What suggestions do you have for making sure practice managers are doing their job? Mine is nice and seems smart enough, but she never seems to get things done. Dr FF, Vic. Having had practice managers myself and interacted with a lot of them all over the world, there are some issues that arise, and common solutions that work! 1. Do you have a thorough job description? You need to be clear in your own mind what you want her to do, and to then make this clear to her. 2. Does she have enough time to do the job? lots of practice managers end up being the in-house temp when staff are sick or if you’re short-staffed. it’s really hard for them to do their jobs when they’re also expected to fill in for other staff. Make sure that you have worked out, based on the job description, the ideal number of hours she should be doing practice management. then make sure that you agree on a dedicated time each week that she’s doing her practice management tasks. ideally, be a bit over-staffed so that you can give her the time to do her own job (e.g. it is more effective to have a trainee come in after school to help with steri than to have your practice manager “jump in”). 3. Does she have the resources to do the job? ideally, if she’s going to achieve the outcomes you want, she needs a clear space with a computer and phone. A dedicated office is best, but sometimes not possible. if you don’t have a dedicated office, work with her and the rest of the team on some creative problem-solving (e.g. maybe you have a spare surgery onWednesday afternoons that could become her practice management space). 4. Have you trained the rest of the team to problem-solve for themselves when she is doing her management work? if she’s constantly being interrupted with small things, it will be hard for her to get the big things done. Make sure all of the team know what to do in the event of predictable small things going wrong. 5. Has she got the skill set to actually manage? Practice management is more than just high-level admin. is she capable of, for example, setting clear expectations with the team and following up with them? Does she understand how to interpret KPis? Does she know how to manage difficult patients? this should be cross- referenced with your job description to make sure she’s had the training she needs. All too often, we see practice managers promoted into positions for which they don’t quite have the skills, and they don’t quite achieve the standards required. Most of the time this happens because the practice owners don’t even know quite how the role should work. if you follow the steps here, you should be able to set yourselves up for success! u For further information on Momentum Management, visit www. momentummanagement.com.au or call 1300 510 000 for details on short courses, Momentum’s Management Program, coaching packages, short courses, in-practice visits, or other ways in which Momentum can assist you. “