COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY WITH EMPLOYEES

 Unclear Expectations

One of the first glaring problems many offices have is the lack of detailed human resource (HR) manuals and job descriptions.

The HR manual should include basic expectations and policies. It should also inform employees on how they are to communicate with you in various situations. Does your HR manual make it clear that employees must reach you live by phone to call out sick? If you don’t wish to be contacted by email or text, did you include that in your manual?

Unless new employees are apprenticed for a month or 2, a simple office walk through and a 30-minute speech will not be enough to give them the confidence and understanding to do their job well.

Take the time to write out a detailed job description and standard operating procedures for all complex tasks. Through this, you are setting up future employees to succeed and hopefully clearing up any ambiguities regarding their jobs.

Unclear Instructions
Many dentists are mystified as to why staff can’t follow simple instructions.

Clarity is a crucial factor on dentist/staff communication issues. The dentist asks his assistant to order more bleaching kits. Two weeks later, the kits haven’t arrived. When asked, the assistant says she didn’t realize it was a rush and only placed the order a few days ago. Whose fault was it? The dentist felt he was being clear while the assistant just heard another task to add to her long list of the things to get done. The dentist wasn’t clear about time frame and the assistant didn’t ask for clarification.

When requesting actions, be sure to cover all pertinent issues: what needs to be done, why, when, and how you’d like it done. Be sure not to leave out the crucial issues of priority and deadline. This will diminish the opportunity for misinterpretations.

Performance-related Communications
Giving Feedback—Providing feedback is one of the most important things you can do for your practice and staff. It takes courage and careful preparation.

Two things will make your feedback effective: immediacy and specificity.

1. Immediacy means addressing the issue as soon as possible. The more time we wait to reprimand or praise, the less effective the feedback will be.

2. Specificity is using clear language and substantiating with specific examples. Employees should be told how their actions have affected the practice. Be able to give specific dates and situations where their performance has been lacking. Support your feedback with data and evidence.

Appropriate Feedback Methods—Immediacy is vital in effective feedback. But that might not mean the very instant a problem happens, depending on where you are and who is around. If the problem happens in front of a patient or another employee, it is best to wait until you can speak to the person separately.

The second issue is using the appropriate vehicle to send this message. Today, email has become one of our favorite forms of communication. Without the aid of gesture and vocal tone, too many false inferences can be made from emails. Take the time to give feedback in person.

Dealing With Conflict
Conflict is inevitable in the work place. Avoiding conflict and not addressing the problem immediately will only result in bigger flare-ups in the future. Most of us know that we should listen well and try to remain calm during a conflict. Here are a few additional things you could consider:

Ask Clarifying Questions—People try to deal with conflicts by making strong statements instead of asking clarifying questions. Validate or nullify your assumptions before you plunge in. Using questions like “I heard you say such and such. Is that what you meant?” will encourage the other person to clarify the issue and provide information in a rational, nonemotional matter. Use “I” and “we” statements rather than “you” statements. Any “you” statement only assigns blame. “I” and “we” statements help solve the problem by partnering with the other person.

By asking clarifying questions, you stop misleading interpretations and work collaboratively toward a solution.

Don’t Get Stuck in a Fixed Image—When employees do something or say something especially wrong, we tend to linger on it well after the conflict is finished. By this, we’ve created a fixed negative image of them. No matter what they do or say after the fact, we can’t seem to let that flawed image go. We essentially trap them in this perception with no hope for further growth. If they truly make efforts to improve on that fault, recognize the change. Be flexible regarding your perception of an individual and be willing to alter your opinion.

Where Are They Coming From?—The way employees act in a certain situation is most likely a direct result of their previous experiences. Maybe an old boss wanted it done that way or perhaps their social or cultural background may explain why they chose to act in a certain way. Try to truly comprehend where employees are coming from so that this issue can be dealt with properly.

If you are unable to resolve a conflict and the conflict only seems to be escalating, consider hiring a mediator or a counselor with a background in negotiations and conflict resolution.

Closing Comment
Improvements in communications can reduce turnover and create a harmonious, organized office where everyone pulls together in alignment to achieve common goals.