I’m a dental assistant for a private practice that recently added more employees. As the staff has grown, so has the drama. The hygienist has manipulated the new coworkers against me, yet I try hard to avoid any conflict between my coworkers and me.
The dentist is not good at handling staff conflict. One issue that has not been addressed is that team members are constantly on their phones, and this has led to them not doing a very good job with scheduling and handling patients.
I’ve brought up several issues that I think need to be addressed, including the hygienist turning staff against me, and the dentist/boss ignores me. He does pay attention to the hygienist, however. She’s taken it upon herself to hire her sister-in-law, who is an HR consultant, to help our practice. Is this fair for her to hire someone close to her to address problems? I'm all for a consultant, but I’d like to work with someone who knows dental offices, not someone who comes from corporate world. What can I do to make my job more bearable?
ANSWER FROM TAMMY HUGHES, EvolveDentalInstitute.com:
As a team grows, it’s common to encounter personality conflicts. Along with adding more support and expertise to the team comes different personalities and perspectives. Ideally those different personalities and perspectives will work together to form a cohesive environment for the practice, but that’s often easier said than done.
As a team grows, it’s common to encounter personality conflicts. Along with adding more support and expertise to the team comes different personalities and perspectives. Ideally those different personalities and perspectives will work together to form a cohesive environment for the practice, but that’s often easier said than done.
It is not necessarily about if it’s “right or wrong” for your doctor to take a particular course of action. As a member of the doctor’s support team, there has to be a level of respect for his decisions, and to explore what this particular consultant has to offer.
In order for a team to shine, every member has to share in the common vision of the practice. I think it’s important to understand the vision of the practice where you work and ask yourself if it aligns with your thoughts and goals as a dental professional. If so, then it’s likely that these are normal growing pains and resolutions will come with time and patience. If not, then perhaps it’s time to make a change.
Regardless of the outcome, I encourage you to maintain integrity and professionalism every step of the way. You will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment just knowing that you didn’t lose sight of who you are as a dental professional. Thank you for reaching out, and best of luck!
ANSWER FROM ROBIN BESOTOS, TheDoctorsRx.com:
Only you can make your job more bearable. It is not uncommon as a team grows for drama to occur, but it should be minimized from the top down, and issues should be addressed when they happen.
Hiring a Human Resources consultant who has no dental experience should not be a problem if the person addresses and implements proper protocols. Read your personnel manual and see what it states about how and who you are to report to with concerns. Request a meeting with your doctor to discuss the cell phone issue and see if he is willing to implement an office cell phone use policy. Explaining to him why the problems are affecting the practice can help him better understand why there should be a change.
Here are five tips to help make your job more bearable.
Avoid toxic individuals—Are you communicating with coworkers who may be poisoning your thought process or practice environment? Avoid them when they talk negatively.
Take the high road—Be the better person. Be a leader. Be friendly. Be a team player. Help your coworkers understand that you’re only trying to better the practice.
Create a positive attitude—Find something to be positive about your working environment.
Know when to let it go—If you’re the type of person who mentally takes your work home, learn to leave work behind and don’t dwell on these concerns after hours. If your doctor is not concerned about the scheduling and handling of patients, then you shouldn’t be either.
Know when to quit—If the drama becomes too much and begins to take a toll on you, then maybe it’s time to call it quits.
Only you can make your job more bearable. It is not uncommon as a team grows for drama to occur, but it should be minimized from the top down, and issues should be addressed when they happen.
Hiring a Human Resources consultant who has no dental experience should not be a problem if the person addresses and implements proper protocols. Read your personnel manual and see what it states about how and who you are to report to with concerns. Request a meeting with your doctor to discuss the cell phone issue and see if he is willing to implement an office cell phone use policy. Explaining to him why the problems are affecting the practice can help him better understand why there should be a change.
Here are five tips to help make your job more bearable.
Avoid toxic individuals—Are you communicating with coworkers who may be poisoning your thought process or practice environment? Avoid them when they talk negatively.
Take the high road—Be the better person. Be a leader. Be friendly. Be a team player. Help your coworkers understand that you’re only trying to better the practice.
Create a positive attitude—Find something to be positive about your working environment.
Know when to let it go—If you’re the type of person who mentally takes your work home, learn to leave work behind and don’t dwell on these concerns after hours. If your doctor is not concerned about the scheduling and handling of patients, then you shouldn’t be either.
Know when to quit—If the drama becomes too much and begins to take a toll on you, then maybe it’s time to call it quits.
Source: http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2015/11/thursday-troubleshooter-is-this-dental-practice-still-a-good-fit-for-this-assistant.html
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