Making Monday better: Seven ways you can kick off a great week in your dental practice

You’ve heard it over and over: “Put on a happy face and you’ll have a great day!” Or here’s another: “Only you can choose your attitude!” Ironically, these sayings, while cliché, are true and important, especially if the choice of attitude is tied with action. Productive people are happy people. Focused people are productive.

Negative emotions wear you down, tire you out, and take away the joy in your life. Negative emotions make you resentful, bitter, and not much fun to be around.

It’s important for your team and your practice, however, that you actively work to be positive, focused, and productive. You’ll make more money, enjoy more happiness, and feel more successful if you take full responsibility for your actions. You’ve got to know, deep down, that, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me,” no one else.

So, yes, on Monday morning, I’m going to ask you to get up a bit earlier if need be, and be a bit early to work. Start the day prepared, unrushed, and less stressed.

• Smile and be positive in all you do. Use the words, “Certainly!” or “Absolutely!” Talk positively about your coworker’s efforts. Make people feel good about what they’re doing.

• Be prepared.

A few examples:

• If you’re the hygienist, have the mirror clean, the explorer handy, and the patient light in the ready spot. Prepare the patient verbally by discussing concerns, past diagnosed but incomplete treatment, and periodontal needs.

• If you’re the assistant, be spot on with your setup, reducing the need to leave the operatory.

• If you’re the front desk, let the team know where the “opportunities” are on the schedule.

• If you’re the doctor, when the hygienist comes to let you know she’s ready for a check, smile, nod, and be thankful. Hygiene is an opportunity, not a nuisance. Doctors, get into hygiene early or on time. Don’t keep the hygiene patients waiting for an exam. Case acceptance will go up. Patients hate waiting for the hygiene exam. For every minute they wait, case acceptance goes down.

Is there an area that YOU need to be more prepared in? Define it and make this week be your best, most prepared week ever!

• Follow up at the front desk with patients who said, “I need to think about it” or “I need to check my schedule.”

• Call 10 to 20 patients per day that are past due for recare and haven’t responded to your automated system.

• Be flexible about the schedule. Try to do same-day dentistry, as long as the patient can pay and you don’t keep the regularly scheduled patient waiting.

• Doctors and team, start your day ON TIME. Get out of the morning huddle five minutes early to seat patients right on time.

• Doctors, close your office door. For today and this week, focus first on the patient. If you have time on your hands, focus on team training.

Start on Monday and harness the energy of your team, then repeat the formula on Tuesday. Make this week be one of your best ever in your dental practice! One of my favorite sayings is, "You can't be 1,000 times better than another dental practice but you can be better in 1,000 small ways.”