4 Ways to Improve Communication with Your Dental Team

When it comes to successful dental team building, communication is key. Good communication makes your office more efficient, ensures good patient care, and improves in-office morale. Poor communication, on the other hand, leads to frustration, burn-out, and lost profits.

Unfortunately, knowing exactly how to communicate is a huge challenge. You may not be naturally gifted in this area. And, even if you are, what works with one team member may not work with all of them. In this post, you’ll find a few nearly universal tips to enhance the quality of your communication. Need further help? Dental Practice Enhancement offers team building and empowerment that can build on the existing strengths of your practice.

1. Remember the Mantra, “Less Is More”

Do you remember how you felt on an awkward first date when the person across the table from you wouldn’t stop talking? It was frustrating, embarrassing, and maybe even irritating. The same goes for office communication. No one wants to be stuck in a meeting listening to a lot of non-essential information. And no one wants to scan a long email, trying to extract the relevant text. (It’s likely to get lost anyway.)

Whether you are communicating orally or in writing, keep to the point. If you do most of your communication during meetings, plan ahead to determine exactly what you will say.

2. Be Aware of Your Non-Verbal Communication

It’s not just about what you say. What you do takes on tremendous importance, as well. In fact, an estimated 55% of communication is non-verbal, while 38% is vocal (tone of voice and inflection). To that end, there are a few things you can do to make your non-verbal communication inviting:

Maintain eye contact when speaking
Keep your body open (don’t cross your arms, etc.)
Sit down if you are having a one-on-one conversation
Sit at an angled position from the other person, not directly face-to-face

3. Be an Active Listener

How well can you listen if you are already determining how you are going to respond? When you listen to a team member, just listen. And that includes observing body language and tone of voice, too!

Then, only when the other person has finished talking, restate what you have just heard. This reassures the other person that you were listening attentively and also gives them a chance to clarify any misunderstandings. When you are on the same page, you can embark on problem solving and brainstorming together.

4. Get Some Outside Assistance

Only 27% of employees say they receive communication training. So it’s little wonder that only that same number say they feel confident in their communication skills.

If your dental team has never received communication training, it can be an invaluable investment in your practice. Our team training and empowerment can take your practice to the next level, improving interoffice interactions, patient communication, efficiency, and overall workplace satisfaction.

Learn More about How We Can Help Your Dental Team

To learn more about our dental team empowerment and to find out if it is right for your office, contact Dental Practice Enhancement today.

Reach us online or call us at (833) DPE – FOR – U.