Trait #3-  “The Do-Whatever-It-Takes-Hard-Worker”

The most successful hygienists we encounter are ones that understand the commitment of pitching in.  The idea that some duties in the dental office are below them and are, “not my job” doesn’t exist for the rock star hygienist. Rock stars are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the hygiene department AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE OFFICE on top of its game.

This may mean taking more CE than is required. It may mean calling past due patients on your down time, making confirmation calls, sending recall cards, taking impressions, researching new products on your own time, etc. Not only does this keep your schedule productive but it creates goodwill amongst your boss and co-workers. When you scratch their backs, they’ll scratch yours.

Doctors, want to eliminate the “it’s not my job” mindset? Try leading by example:

Our most successful doctor-leaders lead by example.  For example, if a doctor takes the bare-minimum amount of CE, how can they expect their hygienist to take additional CE?

Here are 2 steps to implement right away to encourage trait #3 in your team….

1) Even if you have your hygiene on some type of commission, include them in the team bonus. You may need to adjust the commission rate but it is crucial to have everyone playing on the same team and supporting each other.

2) Encourage and expect ALL team members to do whatever it takes- and intentionally express this in your next team mtg. Identify the most important things to do with downtime…here’s a hint…patient service and team support come first.