Proactive High Performance Teamwork

Proactive High Performance Teamwork is made up of nine proactive components and will provide the growth you are seeking in your practice. Two of the nine components are Performance and Opportunities.

Performance=Profitability

High Performing Staff=High Performing Bottom Line!

Successful practices excel in the filed of Patient Services

**It's not about product...It's about Service!! ....your "Absolutely outstanding service"!

Opportunities

New service options and availability can create tremendous opportunities for revenue and profit from existing (as well as new) patients. Seek to provide so many services and benefits that patients choose to keep returning.

**Every patient is an Opportunity looking for a place to happen!

Learn to look and listen for Opportunities!

Patients must be made to feel important, appreciated and valued.

Focus on making each patient feel they are the most important patient you have....because they are!!

Position your practice to do more cosmetic dentistry. Although insurance doesn't cover cosmetic dentistry, more and more patients are choosing cosmetic procedures.

All too often we think the patient in the treatment room knows what cosmetic procedures are available to them, when 95% of the time the patient doesn't have a clue! Many times it is just a matter of mentioning what's available.

Don't speak in technical terms, speak in simple laymen's terms so the patient will understand what you are saying. You're the one who took dental terminology, not the patient.

Speak in terms like:

"Have you ever thought of closing the gap between your two front teeth?"

"Did you know those two 'pointed' teeth could be made to look as nice as the rest of your teeth?"

"You have such pretty teeth, you are a perfect candidate for making them whiter!"

Remember: Every patient is an Opportunity looking for a place to happen! Look and Listen for Opportunities.

There are 72 + million Baby Boomers in their mid-fifties, who's children are now out of college (no more college education to pay for), who have more disposable income to spend, and who are extremely concerned about their appearance.

Strengthen and enhance your practice's image by building a reputation of excellence and becoming an office that provides so many measurable benefits in services to your patients that is reinforces their decision to keep returning.

Services so beneficial to your patients that receiving care in your office offsets any inconvenience the patients may have ("You are not on my provider list", "your fees are too high", or Your office is too far away").

Often your most creative ideas come from your employees and your patients. Learn to listen and understand both your employees and your patients.

You and your team are marketing a high quality service...and the patient defines quality. From their first telephone call through enrollment and treatment, make sure your practice presents an overall "Absolutely outstanding service" experience for your valued patients as a benefit from your....

Proactive High Performance Team (work)!

About The Author

Livvie Matthews, Business Office and Patient Relationship Specialist helps you FOCUS on narrowing the gap between your practice -- your business. Visit <a href="http://www.LivvieMatthews.com" target="_new">http://www.LivvieMatthews.com</a> Business Office News <a href="mailto:subscribe@livviematthews.com" target="_new">mailto:subscribe@livviematthews.com</a>

<a href="mailto:officeconsulting@earthlink.net">officeconsulting@earthlink.net</a>

Your Administration Team - Look After Them

In most organisations the administration/support team, although they can be acknowledged as being important to the business, they are treated as if they're not.

Day after day, week after week they are in the office, slogging away making sure the work gets done. Many of them are so conscientious they won't take time out and stay at their desks until the work is done. Not only are they integral to the running of any business, their income and the way they are treated may not always reflect the importance of their role.

Jenny's Story

Jenny has worked for her current employer, for the past three years and thoroughly enjoys her role as Personal Assistant to the General Manager. They have a great working relationship. Whenever she needs time off to attend her children's sports days and special events, it's never an issue. If she requires the occasional afternoon or morning off to deal with personal matters, all she has to do is ask. Because of this attitude with her employer, she does her utmost best in her work and never thinks twice about working overtime on the odd occasion. In fact she works twice as hard.

This is a totally different situation to Jenny's previous employer. Jenny had been working for another organisation where her boss was 'married to the job'. Although he had a wife and family, his behaviour didn't reflect this. He worked all hours of the day and night and couldn't understand why everyone else went home at 5.00 p.m. Although she did her utmost best to organise him and get the work done on time, he would always ask for tasks to be done just when she was getting ready to leave for the day.

On the many occasions when she worked back or took work home so that her boss would have what he wanted for the next morning,he never thanked her. He just assumed that's what she should do. He never considered her needs. She was a single parent and therefore had major responsibilities. She had a life too. Her boss on the other hand was fortunate to have a a wife who didn't work and took care of their personal life.

Prior to Jenny being in this role, there had been three other people who had worked in her position, and all three had lasted less than three months.

Jenny had enough, she left after 6 months and found her current position. It wasn't the money that was her main issue. It was the flexibility and appreciation. Although her boss was pleasant enough, he just didn't understand that there is more to working with someone than just paying their wages.

The Final Word

When employing staff make sure they are the right fit. If you're looking for someone who can be extremely flexible in their hours and can come in early and stay late, then make sure that person is in the right personal situation to do that.

Employing people is a skill in itself. Keeping them happy so that they will be an important part of your business is another story. As mentioned in prior newsletters, when you look after your people, they will look after you and your business.

About The Author

Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. <a href="http://www.office-organiser.com.au" target="_new">www.office-organiser.com.au</a>, <a href="mailto:lorraine@office-organiser.com.au">lorraine@office-organiser.com.au</a>

How the P.R.I.D.E. Team Changed my Call Center

Several years ago I took an assignment as a Manager in an outsourcing Call Center. Shortly after I started it became clear that several areas within the department needed improvement ; absenteeism was high (19%), call takers lacked the enthusiasm about the programs to deliver quality customer service and seemed unconnected to the goals and metrics.

With the overall morale of the center in a less than pleasant state the management team weighed our options. We determined that any new rules rolled out by management may be perceived as &quot;us vs. them&quot; by the call taking teams. Rather than try to manage down with force we decided to get the people who were doing the work involved in the improvements.

It was clear, in order to make positive changes the call takers had to embrace the existing goals and embrace any changes we tried to make. What better way to do that then to include them in the process of making the changes. From this idea the P.R.I.D.E. team was formed
.
P eople R eally I nvolved in D eveloping E xcellence

The first step was to roll out the concept of the P.R.I.D.E. team to the supervisors. I explained how the team would work and what we hoped to accomplish with it. The supervisors then rolled out the concept in their team meetings.

Basic Roll out:

Each team on the floor votes for a representative from their team to attend the P.R.I.D.E. meetings. P.R.I.D.E representatives gather issues, concerns and ideas from their teams and present them at the P.R.I.D.E meetings. The P.R.ID.E. Team will take action for improvement based on the ideas and discussions from each meeting. Meeting minutes will be distributed to the floor.

Once the roll out was complete and the teams elected representatives, the first meeting was called to order. We congratulated the new P.R.I.D.E. team representatives for being voted in by their teams and broke the ice by getting to know each other.

The group agreed on some ground rules and established time limits for discussion. I reiterated that the meetings will not be a gripe session; we will focus on improvement. We began discussing the issues challenging the center.

The high rate of Absenteeism (19%) was the issue we chose to bring to the table first. We asked the group why absenteeism was so high and asked what we as the management team could do to help. The representative's answers provided insight and ideas to improve attendance. Suggestions ranged from things as simple as being welcomed to work in the morning, to more challenging tasks such as supervisors building better relationships with their team members.

The ideas and thoughts we tapped into gave us direction to improve this metric. Instead of pushing an elephant up the stairs, we were following the lead to reach our destination.

After listening to and acting on the P.R.I.D.E. Team's suggestions we started to see some very impressive changes . Over a three month period Absenteeism dropped to 3%! People were more excited about doing their jobs and finding ways to improve. There was a general buzz around the center.

Communication was one of the keys to our success . In addition to the P.R.I.D.E. Team members discussing the meetings with their team members and other co-workers, we documented the conversations from the meeting then distributed them to the floor to ensure no &quot;behind closed door&quot; perceptions. If time allowed supervisors would bring the P.R.I.D.E meeting notes to team meetings for discussions as well.

The meetings evolved. The more meetings we ran the more root causes we discovered. We listened to every issue big and small. We created subgroups to focus on large issues. Sometimes there were issues we could not do anything about, but we always provided an explanation on why action could not be taken. Listening to the representatives' ideas and making changes based on them created buy in for change. The call takers were more apt to make the ideas work because they came from them.

After the P.R.I.D.E. program was well in place, I turned it over to the senior supervisors to run. It was a great development opportunity and helped build relationships throughout the group.

Overall the P.R.I.D.E Team created a paradigm shift in the center . The existence and actions of the team sent a message that everyone in the center was part of the same team. The representatives realized their importance. There was only &quot;us&quot; instead of &quot;us and them&quot;. The program created involvement, strengthened commitment to the company and opened communication gateways.

Greg Meares is the author of P.R.I.D.E. Teams and the President of Interactive Quality Solutions, Inc. If you are interested in reading more about PRIDE Teams then I recommend you visit: <a target="_new" href="http://www.prideteams.com">http://www.prideteams.com</a> If you are a call center professional you will enjoy <a target="_new" href="http://www.callcentercafe.com">http://www.callcentercafe.com</a>

Mastermind Team: Do You Have One?

The key to life is to be around the people who will empower you to reach the next level in life! In order to exceed your present reach, you need to be around people who will help you stretch a little farther. The secret to a productive mastermind team is for you to surround yourself with people who you can always learn from. A sign of a very intelligent person is to be smart enough to realize that you need to learn from others who can contribute to your WHY in life.

As you know, my ultimate outcome is to develop the #1 personal self-development company in the world. Each and every day I strive to immerse myself in material and people who will enable me to achieve our corporate mission.

As you look at your own mission in life, you need to ask yourself a very honest/straightforward question ....&quot;Is my personal development engine in Forward, Neutral or Reverse?&quot; The answer is very simple. All that you need to do is to write down the top 10 people you regularly associate with. As you review the list, realize that you will become an exact duplicate of those 10 people -- financially, spiritually, physically and psychologically. Once again, be honest with yourself. If you are not 110% happy about what you see yourself becoming due to your present relationships, you need to take ACTION immediately! Make a decision to develop a mastermind TEAM! Unfortunately, 95% of people will never take the action needed in order to become part of a mastermind team. They will continue to live their lives and wonder WHAT HAPPENED to their LIVES and all of their DREAMS. You need to stop whining and begin working on yourself to become part of a Mastermind Team!

I am proud to say that each and every day I associate with people who are either at my level of enthusiasm, excitement and intelligence or even more so than I am, which is the key to a personally productive mastermind team. You need to be a part of a group of people who make you want to exceed your present reach. Be honest with yourself and know that you need to change your associations in order to achieve your God-given dreams! You will be amazed by the results. Your life will SOAR like an EAGLE to the ends of the earth if you change your associations!

Find your WHY & FLY!

As a young child, John Di Lemme was clinically diagnosed as a stutterer and told that he would never speak fluently. Today, John has achieved great success as an international motivational speaker, accomplished author and multi-million dollar entrepreneur. John shocks millions globally by exposing the truth about how to achieve monumental life success despite the labels that society has placed on you. Through his award winning live seminars, power-packed training programs, live tele-classes, and weekly ezine, John Di Lemme has made success a reality for thousands worldwide. visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.FindYourWhy.com">http://www.FindYourWhy.com</a> and discover how you can finally create monumental success in your life today and achieve all your goals, dreams and desires.

Presenteeism - present in body absent in productivity

Presenteeism is alive and 'not well' in many businesses today. It will visit your business or may even be present as you read this article.

Presenteeism may be described as 'attending the workplace with minor or serious illnesses' when in fact your employee or you should be away recovering'!

It's a fact of life that when we don't feel good we don't operate at our best!

Many of us have observed workers and co-workers who have come in for the day and seemed present at the job only to observe a decrease in productivity or an overrun of deadlines. Some of us would have experienced this ourselves.

Employees or managers attending your workplace with minor sicknesses such as asthma, irritable bowel, migraines, arthritis, stress, fatigue may cause your business serious risk such as legal claims, productivity loss, declining employee morale and a occupational health and safety problem.

With more seious illnesses such as surgery recovery the effect on your business may lead to serious consequences.

In our business culture of lean and mean, fewer people more work, many employees come to work ill just to protect their jobs. After all there are bills to pay, medical expenses, school fees and the list goes on.

With many businesses reliant on team structures the presure by an ill employee to 'not let the team down' is a very real pressure. You can train your team to recognise these factors and save your business considerable grief.

Presenteeism is a concern in our workplaces today as pressure continues on individuals, families and enterprises to remain competitive. Fear is a terrible negative motivator! In the end your business will suffer consequences.

By way of example; at a company I worked for in a senior management capacity we disturbed an executive who had his door closed for quite some time. A staff member of mine had a master key and required access to the executive's office to get some material and on entering disturbed the executive who was sleeping under the desk on the floor. He was recovering from eye surgery and needed 5 days off on Doctors orders!

From our experience many workplaces do not have the human resource infrastructure or capacity to ensure that they comply with the myriad of regulations and complex legislation that is required to protect your business interests in today's workplace. However, you are not alone and there are practical solutions for your business.

A few questions could be

1. Have I noticed present employees who are not performing because of illness?

2. Am I actively looking after their welfare?

3. Do I know what my obligations are?

4. Have I policies and procedures to circumvent organisational illnesses such as stress?

5. Do I understand the risk involved in allowing the person to remain at work?

From our experience most employers are not aware of their obligations, consequences and risks and ignorance of these issues is 'no defence' in the eyes of the law. There are practical solutions to minimise your risks and give your biz momentum. For more information see www.biz-momentum.com

Philip Lye started his career in banking and finance as postage clerk for a major bank. He moved through various industry sectors and achieved executive management roles in business as Chief Executive Officer.

He has worked in small business, national and global companies and has significant international experience. Previous to founding Biz Momentum, Philip managed two companies out of impending ruin while being able to retain and develop the current employees.

Philip is a Certified Professional Human Resources Consultant and a qualified Accountant. Contact Philip at <a target="_new" href="http://www.biz-mmentum.com">http://www.biz-mmentum.com</a>

Top 7 Ways to Motivate Your Team

1. Involve them. Many employees want to be involved in the ongoing development and progress of their company. Plus, they often have insightful ideas that can make a significant difference in the company.

2. Communicate. A frequent axiom in business is, &quot;No news is good news.&quot; However, employees want regular updates on the progress of the business and their personal performance. Use memos, email, telephone, and one-on-one and group meetings to keep your team apprised of changes, updates, new products, etc.

3. Celebrate individual and team performance. Catch people doing something right and focus on recognizing excellent performance. Provide positive reinforcement, issue awards, use a corporate newsletter to highlight specific achievements. Send thank-you cards and congratulatory notes, make phone calls, and send emails.

4. Set challenging goals. My experience has taught me that people strive to achieve what is expected of them. If you set challenging goals your team will work hard to accomplish them, providing of course, they are realistically attainable.

5. Give them the tools to succeed. No team will stay motivated if they do not have the necessary tools required to do their job. This includes; equipment, internal support, inventory, marketing materials, training, etc.

6. Manage poor performance. Your team expects you to manage individuals who do not perform to standard. However, many managers ignore these situations because they are afraid to deal with them, hoping instead that the situation will resolve itself. It never does and this &quot;blind&quot; approach affects profitability, causes higher turnover, and generates low morale.

7. Believe in your people. The majority of people want to do well ? very few individuals approach a job with the intent of screwing up. Yet, many managers run their business thinking that employees must be treated with a &quot;watchdog&quot; mentality. They install hidden cameras, monitor email, and set up procedures that require employees to get multiple approval signatures for decisions.

Copyright 2004 Kelley Robertson. All rights reserved

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of &quot;Stop, Ask & Listen ? Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers.&quot; Visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com">http://www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com</a> and receive a FREE copy of &quot;100 Ways to Increase Your Sales&quot; by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.

Landscaping Business; Employee Relations

There are few industries or service type businesses, which are more labor intensive then that of the Landscaping Profession. Whether it is the installation of new landscape designs or the maintenance or mowing of the existing properties; it is done by people power working with the proper tools. Efficiency is king and teamwork is the key to staying on schedule and wasting little time or effort getting the work done.

One Expert Landscape Manager, Mr. Jon Bitzer, explains his secrets of maintaining his team of 20 employees. He breaks his employees into specialty crew teams. One of his teams is a group, which consists of four members, which mows 52 properties per week. Since the schedule is stacked there is little room for error or missed appointments. Especially since Jon is in charge of all the parks, downtown areas and many of the shopping center areas in and around Atlantic City. As a matter of fact much of the turn-around of Atlantic City is in fact due to its new image and nowhere is it more evident than the ambiance created by the landscaping out front.

How does John keep his crews motivated and the teamwork atmosphere strong? Each Friday he meets with his employees for breakfast and buys them pancakes, sausage, bacon and egg deluxe hardy style meal. On the clock of course; the team discusses family, hobbies and gets to know one another. They discuss suggestions of schedule changes and efficiency improvements. He gets total buy in from the team; using their ideas to propel the mission of staying on schedule and making Atlantic City, the city for lovers that it is. Jon and his crews and specialty teams are in-charge of your first impression when you come to the city. His strategy is working; the crews work as a perfectly well oiled machine and have the motivation of a Navy Seal Team. They flat get the job done each and every day and you know what? It shows, think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; <a target="_new" href="http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs">www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs</a>