In the past, most businesses would motivate their employees through
raises, bonuses and other monetized perks.
The struggling economy has caused many employers to find other ways to
incentivize performance. You may be like
others who are searching for ways to improve your staff’s satisfaction and
performance without spending a lot. Here
are a few simple ways to motivate your team which will improve their
performance and have a positive effect on growing
your dental practice.
Get to Know Your
Employees
Employees, like customers, are diverse and aren’t
cookie-cutter alike. An important step
for you would be to get to know them and how they are best motivated. One way to do so would be to use an
“Everything DiSC® Workplace Profile.” DiSC® is
an assessment tool that increases a person’s understanding of what motivates
them, how they respond to conflict, and how they best interact within group.
Strategic Practice Solutions is an authorized DiSC® distributor and offers several workshops for
you and your team. For more information, go HERE.
Listen
Thoughtfully
Take time to truly listen during staff meetings and
one-on-one interactions. We know you
have a lot on your mind, but people can tell
when you aren’t in tune with what they’re saying.
How to Demonstrate Effective Listening
- Maintain good eye contact
- Eliminate distractions like your computer, phone, stack of papers
- Relax and engage your posture: sit or stand squarely to the person, try not to cross your arms, don’t doodle on paper, tap your fingers or otherwise fidget
- Show signs of attention like nodding or leaning toward the person speaking
- Repeat a summary of what the person said
- Don’t interrupt or make conclusions
Mentor, Educate and
Lead by Example
Take an interest in their career path and mentor them. Provide opportunities to learn and grow through
training and education. You have a
breadth of experience so it is tempting to share stories as examples. Yet, the focus needs to be on their journey. Ask them open ended questions and guide them
toward answers.
In addition, it is important for you to also continuously
improve by seeking education and training.
The world is ever changing and everyone needs to make an effort to keep
up! Your employees will view workshops,
training and skill building more serious if they see you place a high value on
continuous education.
A Little Faith Goes a
Long Way
Show faith and trust in their abilities; perhaps appoint
them to head a committee or a special project.
Give them some autonomy to problem solve rather than a list of tasks to complete. It’s important to share your expectations
while allowing them room to take tasks to a new level. They’ll rise to the challenge!
Good Job!
Give Praise to those who have earned it. Try not to give
generic praise to the entire staff when work performances are not the
same. When everyone wins a trophy, it
tends to devalue the reward. Be mindful
how a person best receives praise. If
you are aware that an employee does not enjoy public attention it may work
better to praise them on a quieter or individual level. For example, place their name and
accomplishment in the company newsletter versus calling attention to them at a
staff meeting.
Properly motivating your employees has great benefits. Happy employees will perform better and help
your practice run more efficiently. They will also be more likely to provide
excellent customer service, which is likely to have a positive effect on your
profits.
If you’d like to learn more, contact us today. We can help
you keep your team motivated and working more effectively! Ultimately, this will grow your dental practice and get you on the way to a happier, less
stressful life.
Strategic Practice Solutions
Toll Free 888-421-1808
