Written by: Rhonda Savage, DDS CSP
Have you ever noticed the individual who can connect with everyone they come into contact with? This person can make you feel special each time you meet them, have great social skills and are a pleasure to be around. A genius with social interactions, these people thrive on meeting new people and interacting with them. On the other hand, I’m sure you can think of several people on the opposite end of the spectrum. They’re truly great people, but they tend towards awkwardness or even worse, have a stand-offish nature. What’s so great about the world we live in is the fact that though every person is different, we can work together, play on our strengths and create something truly epic. I like to call this idea the Likeability Factor.
When working in a team setting, these differences in personalities can be uniquely felt. We tend to start asking, why do some teams seem to function wonderfully, yet others struggle with negativity, accountability or worse, drama? Have you seen those groups who do so well that they never struggle? Every day seems like a dream? Your perception: They’re lucky, graced, blessed or something? It appears to happen with little or no effort. How unfair!
The truth of the matter is, you are not going to like every person you work with, and not every person you meet will like you. But that doesn’t have to be detrimental to your team and your practice’s success. There are ways for you to help your team run smoothly. My first piece of advice is, know your team.
Each member of your team brings something unique to the table, and it’s your responsibility to understand and use these unique things productively. If someone is particularly negative, support them with encouraging words. If someone feels passionate and excited about a new technique, use that to train and guide them. Use that knowledge to make your team happy, and the job satisfaction will come.
My next piece of advice is to have set roles within the team. Staff productivity and accountability has been proven to go up when each member knows what they’re supposed to do. Use that knowledge of your team’s strengths and weaknesses to give them the opportunities to be successful. Hold them accountable for those jobs and have clearly defined job responsibilities so there will never be a question of “who was supposed to do that?”
Not everyone has the talent of likeability, but that doesn’t mean your team needs to suffer because of this. Get to know your staff and use each member’s strengths to make your practice run smoothly, decrease contention and become one of those outstanding teams.
It can be done, I’ve seen it! By getting to know your staff and using their strengths to become a strong and effective team is a surefire way to increase job satisfaction and productivity. Your team can work like a dream!
If you’re looking for more great content, click HERE for another article from Dr. Savage, “Your Phones: A Joy or an Ouch!”
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