Dear Doctors and Team,

Life would be great, if it weren’t for other people! Yet it is through relationships with others that you often obtain the greatest rewards. Your office is where you spend many hours of your life. Getting along and working productively with your colleagues is so important, yet many offices experience stress because team members argue, give each other the silent treatment or allow someone else to do all the work.
How well does your team work together? Can you depend on each other? Trust and respect one another?
Trust and respect are two essential elements for a successful office. But how do you increase trust or respect? It’s relationships – and not necessarily friendships. Relationships are built over time, when one person has respect for another. As a team member, you do not have to be a close personal friend with everyone in your office, but you do always need to show respect and professionalism.

Many offices experience conflict when team members do not follow through on their commitments, which creates a lack of trust. Here are some guidelines to facilitate accountability and build trust among your team members:

1. Defined duties are a must in any workplace. First, write down and detail the steps/duties in each person’s job description. Eighty percent of your time at work should be defined by your job description and responsibilities. Twenty percent of your time is spent helping colleagues and clients however you can. A successful, trusted and well respected team member uses words like, absolutely or certainly when asked for help.

2. Outline the time commitment and set aside adequate time for each task. It is not fair to assign or accept a responsibility and then have no time to accomplish the task. Be realistic about the timeframe, and make sure your team members are aware of the deadlines for each project they take on.

3. Be careful to not overload your staff with too many commitments or too many interruptions. They will get discouraged and burned out. Instead, focus on delegating one task at a time, communicating the objective and timeframe clearly.

4. Follow through by putting a note on your calendar to check on progress. If you don’t check on progress, the task may not be accomplished. Find out how the project is progressing and show interest. Ask questions about the task, and offer your advice and help if needed. Recognize your employee for taking on the responsibility. It is discouraging for a team member to work hard and not received recognition for a job well done!

5. Avoid showing favoritism toward specific team members. To build trust and accountability, offices need consistent leadership. One way is to have effective team meetings on a regular basis for feedback and input on projects. With team meetings, allow your staff members the opportunity to volunteer for special tasks and projects. Create a strong team by not showing favoritism to certain team members. It is impossible to build trust if one person is favored over others. Ask yourself: Does your staff believe they are treated fairly, without prejudice? Do some feel excluded from the decision-making process? Does one person “do it all?” When there is no accountability, often times one person will pick up the slack and take on too many responsibilities, to the point where he or she becomes upset with the situation.

By following these steps and increasing the accountability of your staff, you create trust and respect in the workplace. With these changes, your sense of teamwork and trust will grow, while decreasing your levels of stress and conflict!

Have a Wonderful Summer!

Rhonda Savage,DDS/ CEO Linda Miles & Associates
rsavage@harbornet.com