Dentistry

Monday Huddle: The wrong way to handle dental office drama (and how to do better)

June 29, 2023

Got office drama? Watching, waiting, and ignoring the issue won't help. To lead your team to a better place, try this.

Are you like how many (including, ahem, myself) used to be? Office drama: you watch and wait, pretend you don’t notice, hope the problem self-corrects, and think tomorrow will be better—only to see the cycle continue. Your team gets more frustrated, and you know deep down that the problem will only get harder to correct.

Office drama will not fix itself. YOU must step up and lead your team to a better place. Try this:

Call out the issue professionally.
Address the behavior—not the person.
Set expectations. (Our practice has zero tolerance for drama.)
Reward great behavior in public, and punish bad behavior in private.
Start today.

Dr. David Rice, ignitedds

More Monday Huddle videos:

Complacency—an obstacle to your growth

Dental office pet peeves

Editor’s note: This video first appeared in Through the Loupes newsletter, a publication of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group. Read more articles and subscribe to Through the Loupes.

About the Author

David R. Rice, DDS | Chief editor

Founder of the nation’s largest student and new-dentist community, igniteDDS, David R. Rice, DDS, travels the world speaking, writing, and connecting today’s top young dentists with tomorrow’s most successful dental practices. He is the editorial director of DentistryIQ and leads a team-centered restorative and implant practice in East Amherst, New York. With 27 years of practice in the books, Dr. Rice is trained at the Pankey Institute, the Dawson Academy, Spear Education, and most prolifically at the school of hard knocks. Contact him at [email protected].