CAD/CAM international magazine of digital dentistry No. 4, 2016

in passing? In retrospect, you may wonder how realisticthatexpectationwasandwhyyouthought yourmanagerwasinthestrongestpossibleposition to fulfil it. Inmyexperience,thefollowingscenariosaretypical of how unrealistic expectations are created: · The practitioner is busy and needs someone to take charge. He or she chooses the “best of the bunch”, hoping he or she will learn on the job. · The new manager has his or her expectations of the job and these are often unrealistic. · No detailed job description or objectives are ever provided. No on-the-job or any other type of training is provided; the practitioner simply assumes the manager will learn as he or she goes along. · The manager is excited about the new position. For some, the empowerment, the title and the kudos mean a great deal; for others, the chal- lenge and the task at hand mean more. When reality hits, so does the realisation that the original motivating factors are no longer as important. · Both practitioner and manager are reticent to discuss what is not working and often brush the issues under the carpet until it is too late. · Resentment grows and what is at stake—the patients, the practice and the staff—outweighs the actual issue, which is poorly managed ex- pectations. Of course, there are many practices managed by very capable staff members. However, for all the well-functioning practitioner–manager relation- ships, there are more people in these roles who pre- fer not to talk about the problems inherent within and who are only too glad for someone else to address the issues. One of my aims is to facilitate management teams to assess where they are at present, to plan for appropriate change and to implement that change. The outcome is that a weight is lifted from your shoulders and focus moves to a united partnership working towards the success of the practice. In or- der to move forward, however, you must recognise where you are now. An alternative approach The first step towards achieving a successful management partnership is to honestly appraise your current situation. If anything I have said so far has touched a nerve, if frustration exists be- tween you and the manager, or if you simply think things could be better, then acknowledge the fact and take action. Knowing what action to take for the best is probably the most difficult thing to assess. The following are tips on getting started: Vocalize your vision, agree that your vision is realistic and share it with your team. Create a job description withandatrainingplanforyourmanager,aswellas identify skills gaps and create smart objectives with and for her or him. Also agree and schedule regular one-to-onemeetingsandplantoassessandreview with your manager. Most importantly, however, keep communicating. Drive your success Expectations always exist, even if we do not know what they are and despite them often being un- realistic. Managers have expectations of their roles and their employers have expectations of the per- son given responsibility for managing the practice. The problem is that mismatched expectations can leadtomisunderstanding,frayednervesandruffled feathers. More seriously, they often lead to flawed systems, failed projects and a drain on resources. There is nothing wrong with having expectations; the trick is to communicate them and to agree how they might be satisfied over time and with therightsupport.Managedexpectationsdriveyour success._ realistic expectations practice management | 07 CAD/CAM 4 2016 © George Rudy/Shutterstock.com contact Lina Craven is founder and Director of Dynamic Perceptions, an orthodontic management consultancy and training firm in Stone in Staffordshire, and has many years of practice-based experience. She can be contacted at info@linacraven.com. Introducing a new qualification in leadership and management specifically for dental managers ThiscourseisaLevel5managementqualificationawardedbytheInstituteofLeadership and Management and is ideal for orthodontic and general dental practice managers or anyonewhohasdirectlinemanagementresponsibility.Thetrainingcoversteamleader- ship, management, coaching, performance management, as well as employment law and planning. This is a highly practical course enabling you to test out your skills and managementstyleswithinthegroup,withthesupportandguidanceofourhighlytrained and qualified management tutors.For more information,please visit www.dp-practice- consultants.com. 42016

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