I’ve long recommended that teams adopt ground rules to ensure they communicate respectfully during the workday and especially at team meetings. But teams tell me that creating ground rules is relatively easy. The hard part is what to do when a ground rule is broken.
That’s where things dissolve.
This makes sense. Most dental employees dread overt conflict, so it would take a lot of courage to confront someone who has violated a ground rule. But when nobody says anything (beyond giving the dentist the side eye) ground rules become as invisible as white wallpaper.
Here are some ways teams can hold each other accountable without sounding accusatory or blameful.
Simple Redirection Phrases
When someone “accidentally” violates a ground rule, they can be redirected simply and respectfully with statements like these:
- What happened to our ground rule about…?
- I think we’ve drifted away from our agreement about…
- Would you like to reset and try that again?
- Time out. I think our ground rule is to…
Playful Responses
The team can also respond playfully. For example, they can agree to a nonsensical word that translates to: “Ground rule violation needing a do-over.” Examples:
- Pineapple
- Moose
- Pretzel
- Blueberry
Imagine that your steamroller employee has interrupted for the third time. A team member simply says, “Pretzel.” No lecture. No drama. Just Pretzel. This redirection can even be accompanied by a plastic pretzel thrown to the violator.
Playful Responses Using Props
Redirections don’t even have to be verbal; they can be physical jolts:
- Form a “T” with your hands for timeout.
- Ring a tiny desk bell.
- Hold up a yellow or red card like a referee.
- Place a rubber chicken (or another office mascot) in front of the offender.
- Award a “Ground Rule Trophy” which stays with its owner until someone else earns it.
Playful Consequences
Some teams prefer physical consequences. They can agree that violators must:
- Bring snacks to the next meeting.
- Put $1 into the office coffee fund.
- Tell a joke at the next morning huddle.
Serious Consequences
These techniques work best when the violation wasn’t serious and it was a one-time thing. But if an employee breaks a ground rule repeatedly, you need a process for escalation. For example, if an employee chronically “forgets” a ground rule, their co-worker can redirect them once or twice but then the issue is brought to a manager or the dentist. This is not “tattling.” This is saying there’s a lack of accountability that has become a problem.
Making an occasional mistake is normal. Making the same mistake over and over is a pattern.
Responding to a Redirection
This leads to one more team agreement: how the recipient can respond. Otherwise, every redirection can turn into a Bravo Housewife drama. Defensive responses like these could be counted as more violations:
I wasn’t interrupting you…
I was only trying to…
Well, I saw you…
The saying, “You can be right or you can have peace” is often true. That’s why the team should establish standard responses everyone agrees to use.
- Ok. Let me try that again.
- That wasn’t my intention. Thanks for pointing it out.
- I hear you. Let me reset.
- I didn’t realize I was doing that.
The point is to acknowledge the feedback and move forward. When ground rules are integrated into the way your team interacts, it transforms the practice culture.
