By Sabrina Y. Hinkle, EFDA

Many dental offices have printed "official" office manuals that state rules, regulations, expectations of staff members, and procedures that should be followed. Can these manuals, formed for the consistency and efficiency of running an office, actually be a detriment to your team?

Let me share a story. Once upon a time there was an assistant named Nicole. Nicole was skilled, experienced, and well versed in all aspects of chairside dentistry. Nicole did nearly everything well — she had the patience of Job when it came to pedodontics, she had hands like Frederic Remington in the lab fabricating wax rims, base plates, and repairing dentures, and she had the charisma of Kelly Ripa when it came to small talk with patients.

But Nicole had a problem. She wasn't a morning person. She was the single mother of three, and had a morning commute of more than 40 miles riddled with railroad tracks, and all of this often challenged her arrival time. The office manual was strict, especially when it came to tardiness. It stated three strikes and an employee is out, no exceptions and no excuses. The office manager was a stickler for detail and established rules.

Nicole had worked with the doctor for more than two years. She was well liked by patients and fellow assistants. She was a good assistant. But could she survive the office manual's rules and the discipline of the office manager? The manager felt that "good employees" didn't break the rules. As efficient and effective as Nicole was when she got to the office, it was not enough to match the black print of the manual.

The other assistants never doubted that Nicole would arrive, but they didn't know if it would be 7:45 a.m. as mandated in the manual, or 8 a.m. when patients needed to be seated. They could count on Nicole to kick it into high gear when she arrived, and she was one of the few assistants who could juggle more than one operatory at a time. But since managers rarely work side by side with back office staff, the manager didn't appreciate what Nicole brought to the team, or how important her role was with the other assistants. There wasn't a dry eye in the office the morning that the manager let Nicole go.

It would take that office more than eight months to find a replacement for Nicole, and she wasn't nearly as skilled or qualified, though she was prompt every morning. The office learned a hard lesson — they did not anticipate the lag time to find experienced help. Nationally, the average cost to a dental office to replace a competent employee is $30,000, including lost time and production.

The office manual, designed to protect the office and establish guidelines for the benefit of the employee and employer, must have some flexibility without losing its effectiveness. The office manual can be legally upheld, so if your office has a manual, it must be followed consistently. If one staff member is fired for tardiness, a fellow employee who is equally guilty of time management must be held to the same standards to avoid legal repercussions.

Once this office let Nicole go and experienced the hiring dilemma, the doctor realized he couldn't lose another valuable employee based on how the manual was currently written. The manual had been written because, many years ago, the doctor had had a lousy employee who was consistently late, and there was nothing in writing to back his dismissal of her. He let her go, but it was a longer process than he would have preferred. Changing the manual was a concern for the doctor after Nicole's dismissal, but having the remaining assistants understaffed, overworked, stressed, and unhappy also concerned him.

A staff meeting invited discussion and a change to the current manual. Revisions were made so that the manual stated, "Upon three tardies the employee will be subject to a review at the end of the business day. The employee may face immediate dismissal, demotion, or other appropriate discipline based on past performance." To date this revision has been a good fit for the office.

So can your office manual be well written but a poor fit for your office? During your regular office meetings, make modifications and revisions so that it is a fair and undiscriminating policy for all. Isn't that what we all strive for?

Author bio
Sabrina Hinkle, EFDA, began assisting in 1983. She completed the Indiana University Expanded Functions Program in 1986. Through the years, she has gained experience in management and chairside, working with solo practitioners, group practices, and associateships, as well as large multi-location practices with commissioned dentists. Having completed advanced CEREC training, she is excited about dental technology and passionate about service. Contact her at Sabrina Hinkle.