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Professional News Articles : FRONT DESK by Mary M. Byers, CAE : Check your list for the new year

Check your list for the new year

January 06, 2006

January is a month for keeping New Year's resolutions. It's also a time for fresh starts, new policies, and making sure you're ready for what's ahead in the months to come. To make sure your office is prepared, take a minute to do the following:

Spruce up the office. Now is the time to walk through the office to see what needs to be updated, upgraded, or replaced altogether. Get rid of any magazines in the waiting room that are older than two months. Also remove any that are ripped or falling apart. Take a look at the rugs by each door in the office. Do these need to be replaced? Remove any outdated items on walls or bulletin boards. Discard brochures or display racks which are damaged or no longer relevant. As you're walking through the office, try to view it with fresh eyes and notice things you normally overlook in the course of the day.

Take inventory. Take a minute to check the supplies in your office. Do you need to order more paper goods such as paper towels and toilet paper? How about soap? Do you have enough toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste for patient giveaways over the next couple of months? How about office supplies such as printer ink, paper, envelopes, stationery, practice brochures, business cards, etc.? Take a minute to order what you need now so that you'll be off to a good start in 2006.

Innovate. Are there ideas you've considered implementing or trying over the past year that you just haven't gotten around to? Now is a good time to do so. If staff needs to review the idea(s), add it to the agenda for your next staff meeting. If not, decide on the details now and implement the plan as soon as possible.

Review policies. The beginning of the year is an excellent time to introduce new and necessary policies to your patients. Take a look at what isn't currently working in your practice—and develop a policy to help things run more smoothly. If you're making a huge change in policy (such as your payment policy), be sure to announce the new policy to all your patients along with the date you plan to implement the policy. The bigger the change, the further in advance you need to announce the policy before implementing it. Changes that could be perceived as negative by your patients should be accompanied by an explanation of why the change is being made. When patients understand why you're doing what you're doing, they'll be more likely to accept it.

Plan your continuing education. The beginning of the year is a good time to identify the skills you'd like to learn over the upcoming year. Then, watch your professional journals and newsletters for continuing education that teaches what you want, and need, to learn. The Internet is another excellent source for finding educational opportunities. Once you've located the courses you need, get them on your calendar right away so that you can block out the time necessary to attend.

Take a minute now to prepare for the year ahead by completing each of the above steps. Doing so will help prepare you, both mentally and physically, for the year ahead.

CDS presents Front Desk, a column addressing problems dentists and staff members experience in the office. Front Desk is prepared by Mary M. Byers, CAE, a professional speaker and freelance writer who previously served as director of communications and member services at the Illinois State Dental Society. New columns will appear online on a monthly basis. If you have a suggestion for topics to be covered, or any comments on this column, drop us a line, review@cds.org. Ms. Byers may also be reached at mbyers@marybyers.com or www.marybyers.com.

Copyright 2006, Chicago Dental Society