Hello Friends,

Have you ever experienced the headache of dealing with a negative employee/co-worker or one that seems to always stir up conflict? Maybe you’re dealing with this happening now in your office.

As much as we may not want to talk about it or hope the “problem” will just go away – this is a topic that should be discussed with the offender(s) and as a team.

Why? Conflict & Negativity Happens! Make a plan and an agreement as to how all office conflict and negativity will be addressed and resolved.

Steps to deal with office conflict:

1. Calm down and talk with the other person. (Don’t go to anyone else to discuss the conflict.)
2. Attack the problem, not the person. Focus on behaviors and events.
3. Listen carefully – listen to understand and not to be understood.
4. Brainstorm solutions with a focus on the future, what it will take to move forward.
5. Celebrate your Success.

For additional ideas visit Forbes.com for 5- Keys to Dealing with Workplace Conflict. 

To manage conflict and negativity, Excellent Communication is Essential.

Communication  –

• Job descriptions and expectations must be clearly defined. This is a great time to ask every team member to write a list of their job description and responsibilities. Have them indicate next to each task how often it is done (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, varies, etc.). This will help you determine if and when and by whom these tasks are being accomplished. You might find some important tasks are not being done at all or not often enough and so on.

• Team Meetings/Morning Huddles are essential for a happy and smooth workday. Visit HERE for some tips on how you can have a successful morning huddle.

• Address quickly any needed discipline or correction, don’t wait for a staff meeting to address these problems. Instead, meet one on one with the offender.

• Avoid office negativity, it’s toxic and will infect your team – Rather, focus on and share positive experiences.
• Your team must know the why, what, and how of your vision. They may know the what and the how but not the why, oftentimes, this is why employees are there just to collect a paycheck. Talk about what you believe and attract those who believe what you believe. People buy the why not the what.
• Positive Gossip Only! The entire team agrees to stop gossip. Refuse to listen to it. Rather, encourage the person to go directly to the other person they have an issue or complaint about. Unless of course, they can let it go and move on.
• Acknowledge good behavior and actions. Reward the behavior that you want to see more of. Your team needs to hear how they’re doing and shown appreciation for what they’re doing right.

In addition to communication, Proper Training is Imperative–  Don’t hold back in this area! Invest in your team. Thoroughly train any new employees on your practice goals, systems, software, telephone skills, dental procedures, protocols, etc.  However, training isn’t just for your new employees, everyone in the office needs regular training. This leads me to the next point…

Continuing Education – Continuing education, not just for the providers but for the entire team is a wonderful way to ensure practice growth. Not to mention, it’s a great team-building experience, one that will give you a happier and motivated team. Think about this, your administrative team is the first and last impression made on each and every one of your patients. This includes potential patients that call your office. Certainly, you want to have the very best training and education for not only your clinical team but your administrative team too. You can do this with in-office training, webinars, lunch and learns, and seminars/classes outside of the office.

It is my wish that these ideas and tips will help you and your team experience greater happiness at work without unnecessary negative conflict. If you have any questions or concerns about what you’ve read today or would like to set up a complimentary telephone consultation to learn how I can help your office grow and succeed through coaching, please contact me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

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Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty

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