Why not make a New Year’s resolution that can benefit you, your dental team, and your patients? Team building is more than a corporate buzzword. The activities cultivate group cohesion, teamwork, and morale, among other important traits. For dental practices, team building can lead to greater efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and even better health outcomes for your patients.
If these easy team-building exercises have you thinking of ways to improve your dental practice’s performance, we encourage you to take the next step and contact Dental Team Enhancement. Our dental practice management company has a long track record of helping dental practices recover uncollected debt while improving efficiency and other key performance metrics. Our founder has over three decades of experience in dental practice management.
If the New Year has you in the mood to try something new, begin with these simple team building ideas.
Jumpstart 2020 With These Team Building Activities
Scavenger Hunts
Break your dental team into two or three groups. Each group will be given a list of objects to find. Taking the time to hide non-dental objects throughout the office is one way to keep everyone on their toes. Encourage team members to document their efforts via smartphone photos or videos. The digital records can be posted on social media for laughs and to show your patients the lighter side of your hardworking team.
Schedule Outings
If your dental team members never meet outside of work, setting up regularly scheduled outings is a great place to start. If your office closes for the week on Thursday at 6 pm, try encouraging a monthly happy hour get together. Bowling alleys or other areas that encourage carefree laughter are great ways to set the mood for stress-free conversations.
On a slow day, consider closing the office one hour early for extra team-building results. Dental product manufacturers often host free workshops or seminars that include free airfare and hotel lodging. Scheduling work trips to fun destinations is one way to train your staff while breaking up the routine of day-to-day work.
Remember, not every dental team shares the same interest. A little open feedback may tell you that your hygienists prefer Top Golf over bowling or picnics over happy hours.
Mix It Up
Team building activities can range from team meetings to trivia or board game nights. What all of these activities share in common is a focus on teamwork and breaking out of the normal work routine. Taking your dental team out for a picnic or potluck dinner may not seem like a business strategy, but the relaxed settings allow your team to build trust through open conversations that they may not have at work.
Post-activity Meetings
“Good leadership requires you to surround yourself with people of diverse perspectives who can disagree with you without fear of retaliation.” ― Doris Kearns
After each team building activity, take a few minutes to discuss the merits of what tactics worked or didn’t work and why. If a team member was left out, make a point of discussing ways to be more inclusive in the future. At all times, remind your team that all activities take coordination, communication, and teamwork. The goal of team building isn’t to win. Each team should walk away with a renewed appreciation for the individuals who make up your dental team.
We’ve tried the activities. Now what?
After trying several fun team building activities, you’ve had a taste of what teamwork and a focus on collaboration can look like. By working with Dental Practice Enhancements, you can benefit from our customized team building programs. We also offer virtual assisting services that provide highly trained administrative professionals who can handle tedious administrative tasks from a remote location outside of your office.
To schedule your initial consultation, please contact our office online or call (833) 373-3678.
