Command it-Don't demand it!

Anyone can walk into an office and demand respect from his or her co-workers. You can cause fear in your employees in order to get them to cooperate. However, at the end of the day if you want employees that complete the fine dance of dentist and assistant then you are going to have to work on tactics that command respect not demand it. Building a relationship with your staff can help improve the overall culture of the office and improve on your relationships with staff.

In order to build a relationship of respect how you talk to your employees is as important as what you say. For example, if the tone of your voice is impatient and demanding then the individuals around you will begin to resent you. Most of what an individual hears and interprets is your non-verbal’s not the actual words you say.

Everyone makes mistakes. We all have days where we even miss up a procedure we’ve done half a dozen times. How you handle the mistake is what is going to support or damage the relationship. In order to correct the situation, you may first want to determine what the problem was. Was it a simple mistake? Or was it something major? Does the individual who made the mistake know that they need to fix it or are they in denial? All of these determine the language and how you approach the situation.

            Use a calm, supportive tone in order to demonstrate respect of the individual. You might want to ask probing questions in order to determine if your employee is aware of the mistake they have made. Once you determine that the employee is aware, correct as necessary. For example, your employee may need to write down the procedure and have it posted. Or it may be a very simple correction.

            How you handle your employees will determine their success in the office. Success on their part equals a higher success rate with patients.