Throughout the life of this blog, we have discussed the size and significance of the staffing and employee cost in your practice. Over the coming posts, we are going to dig deeper into the human resources component of that cost. We’ll talk about components of costs, characteristics to look for in a new employee, hiring, firing, discipline and much more on incentives.
Today, we look more closely at one of the key people in your practice: the office manager. Over time, this person can develop into your right hand for carrying out the business operations of the practice and a trusted advisor on matters of future practice development. They’ll usually oversee the front desk area, monitor marketing, receivables, cash management, payroll and a host of other tasks. This person may also be responsible for other hires so his or her personality and preferences will touch every piece of the practice.
In this segment, we look at some of the characteristics we feel are most important when considering what type of person to put in this key position (aside from the obvious things like not being a psychopath). This characteristics are ranked in order of importance:
Marketing skill – In the majority of cases, we see consultants list “experience” as the top requirement for a manager, but based on my history with practices, marketing talent tops the list. Building a successful practice is, in large part, dependent upon bringing in new patients. And to bring in new patients in sufficient quantity, you need to have someone who has a marketing bent. While some folks may work hard at this, others are wired to sell. This ability can mean some extra contracts signed during each month, additional deals with local merchants or even the ability to schmooze folks sitting in the waiting area. The interpersonal and connection skills that generally come with a marketing-oriented person enable to you to build lasting relationships that lead to additional sources of new patients (and nonbusiness relationships too).
But wait, isn’t a marketing person a people pleaser? Someone who might give in easily to a staff vacation request or over order from a supplier? Very possibly. This is where good systems to support your manager come into play. More on that later. And even with occasional issues like this, having additional, quality patients trumps those routine issues.
Facility with numbers – A good manager has to understand what results are important, where to find them, how to properly analyze them and fix any problem areas if found. Some good technology can help with compiling the numbers and pointing out problems areas (see our version of that solution here). But taking those numbers from report to solution implementation is still largely a human function. You need someone who is willing to look at data and act on it. Not always the easiest task for a person who doesn’t want to be involved in that aspect of the practice.
Numbers skill also allows quick resolution of insurance issues, receivables questions, understanding of financial data and assessing customized financial arrangements
Technology skills - We’re not talking about someone who has experience with every kind of dental or orthodontic practice management software out there. Rather, this refers to a person who embraces new technology, new applications and isn’t afraid to learn more. There are constantly new developments that allow your practice to run more efficiently. You, as the owner, are probably too busy to examine all of the opportunities. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone in your practice looking out for potential enhancements to the practice, if only because it allows you to utilize a cutting edge piece of technology?
Everyone’s personal history is different, but for me, simply seeking out experience tends to be overrated (I’m not saying that experience won’t benefit your practice, just that it tends to be overrated). Someone with extensive experience in the field brings familiarity with situations and knowledge of how to handle problems. That cannot easily be duplicated with other skills. However, keep in mind that a lot of tasks like insurance filing, practice management software entry and human resources compliance can be taught in a relatively short amount of time. A number of positive developments attributed to experience are actually the results of good training and systems.
Feel free to share your own experience or concerns. We always enjoy hearing from you.
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