Dear Sharyn,
My dental assistant has been dragging lately. She does only what she needs to do and that’s it. She, and the rest of the team have been taking “mental health” days. When I asked her about it, she said she really wants to buy a house but she doesn’t see how she will be able to afford to on the salary of a dental assistant. You emphasize using patient’s motivators so they will accept treatment. How do I use this concept with her and my other employees?
P.H. OH
Dear P.H.,
As a dental leader, you can be a cheerleader and a coach to help others define WHAT they want, clarify WHY they want it and what they can DO now to experience it.
If your dental assistant wants a house, then support her by helping her prepare for that goal while she’s in your practice. Just like with patients, you want her to apply her motivation to her daily decisions and behaviors
Coaching questions you could ask:
- How do you imagine your life will change once you have a house?
- How will you feel? (eg: confident, secure, enthusiastic)
- What can you do now, in the practice today, to get that feeling even without having a house?
- If you decide you need to move on from being a DA, what skills do you want to develop so that you are marketable in a different field?
- Let’s look at ways you can learn/ practice those skills here so that you can build your resume.
