Have you ever felt like the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland – as though you are constantly late for a seemingly never-ending schedule?
We understand better than most that dental practices are busy businesses with lots of twists and turns and large client bases to keep track of. Unfortunately, time management can be a challenge in a field with such high demand. But, on the bright side, there are several effective ways to adjust your schedule and improve the efficiency and happiness of your team.
We’ll explore the top three below.
#1: Delegation Can Free Up Time
Every dental practice has a team designed to accomplish specific tasks with minimal interference.
While some of your team will be dedicated to specific roles, such as hygienists, there are ways to allocate excess duties to those with the training to handle them. If you find yourself bogged down with too much to do, consider asking one of these professionals to cover it instead. Paperwork can easily be delegated to your administrative staff. If you have specific dental procedures that need to be completed with too many patients to see, delegate to an associate.
It is unrealistic to expect a single dentist to handle every task in the practice unless you see a limited number of patients a day. Either way, delegation is an effective tool that has been used since time immemorial.
#2: Automatic Software Handles the Nitpicky Tasks
Scheduling can take up an insane amount of time and lead you to block out valuable time in preparation for a patient.
However, when patients cancel their appointments and you are not made aware of it, time lost could have been dedicated to accomplishing another goal. While we are not saying that the error is strictly due to incompetence, it is possible for the information to go by the wayside because the staff member responsible for this information became busy with another important task.
The risk for this level of human error can be avoided with the right resources. There is scheduling software that will automatically ping the necessary staff when there is a change. The person in charge of altering the calendar will be able to adjust. Once confirmed, the software will send a notification to your device to inform you of the newfound opening in the schedule or any new appointments that have been made.
This level of automation allows you to get the most out of your time.
#3: Hiring Additional Support Can Work Wonders
We mentioned before the benefits of delegation. However, we know that it is not always a viable option if you are low on support. That said, you do not have to resign yourself to a shortage of talent in your practice.
Hiring new staff is common when you want to expand or need a support network. If you find yourself dealing with more patients than you can reasonably handle on your own, hiring an associate can offer the talent and assistance you need to reach more of your patients in a given workday.
Putting out the job listings can be a time-consuming and arduous task, but even that can be delegated if need be, especially if you are willing to work with a 3rd party to find the help you need.
Let Us Help to Perform At Your Peak
We know that the life of a dentist is a busy one and that getting to all of your tasks can be a challenge. This is why we also know that having the staff you need to operate at your best is essential to being able to cope. Peak Performers offers recruitment services for Michigan practices for a wide array of roles. So, contact us today and let us help you find the perfect professional.
