Beverly Kicinski is the practice administrator at North Penn Pediatric Dental Associates outside of Philadelphia, PA. She oversees 50 employees and the daily responsibilities of this growing multi-location practice including pediatrics, orthodontics, and a pediatric laser center. Bev’s passions include implementing systems to improve communication and enhance positive and productive culture. Her multi-tasking and systems mindset stems from “on the ground training” she received while managing six children and coaching women’s high school volleyball.
We approach a new day enthusiastically and resolve to accomplish the needed tasks in our offices. I am not sure if you have experienced this or not. You come home from a long 8- to 10-hour day in the office, and your friend or partner asks, “How was your day?” or “What did you do today?” At that moment, you are hard pressed to answer with one substantial accomplishment. Rather, the answer is often: “I put out fires all day; I spoke to x number of patients regarding bills; I had to mediate an issue with some team members; I tracked down a missing order; I had to reboot a computer and fix multiple time clock errors; I conducted a lunch review; two dental reps stopped in with ‘offers of a lifetime’; I ordered flowers for a team member on medical leave; I spent a ridiculous amount of time on hold with an insurance company; and then I ran out to buy printer toner—not to mention the three phone calls and the 137 emails in my inbox!”
This is only a sample of the lists of “to-dos” office managers face daily. These things are all a part of the job and cannot be avoided altogether. They are out of the circle of things we can manage or control. The critical tasks needed are seriously delayed or not done at all due to insidious time suckers that we all face throughout our day. However, some strategies can increase efficiency and open time to block time for the essential, big-picture items we are responsible for.
Prioritize Tasks
Start a running list of everything you do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Keep a notebook and add to the list as things come to mind or insert themselves into your day. This can include everything from interviewing, social media, or monthly and quarterly numbers, to watering the plants and unclogging the patient restroom again! Once you feel you have a comprehensive list of duties, take each task and categorize them into frequency and then importance. You can use categories like “always, sometimes, and never” or “A, B, C, D” or “must do, should do, and when I wish upon a star”! Whatever makes sense to you. These lists will help make sure that the daily tasks do not overshadow the important items. Filtering concerns and requests through the priority list will make the resolution more efficient.
Delegate Responsibilities
Now that you have your list, look over the recurring tasks that can be delegated to other team members based on their strengths and abilities. Often, this means taking the time to train and supervise the team member until the team member can work autonomously. Training may initially cause an additional time expenditure, but in the big picture, it will free up your time for other duties and distribute the workload, giving others the opportunity to gain experience and advance.
Set Boundaries
Establish boundaries for interruptions and the everyday “low priority” items on your list. At this point, another exercise that may bring clarity is to conduct a time study. For a week or so, chart how you spend each minute of your day. Include all activities, phone calls, social media, email time, patient and employee interaction, accounting duties, doctor interactions, meetings, snack breaks, opening mail, IT emergencies, etc. Once you have a better idea of how your time is currently spent, you can begin to manage your obligations more efficiently. Consider these boundaries:
- Checking Emails: Set specific times throughout the day to check emails. If you just cannot help yourself, you must read them as they populate. Snooze those that need a response or action. You can then deal with them as a group rather than as they pop up in your inbox. Turn off your email notifications if you cannot ignore them.
- Phone Calls: The phone rings just when you have begun to make progress on the monthly reports, and answering will take you down a different path altogether. You are never quite sure which path that might be. Allow your phone calls to go to voicemail. A substantial portion of the calls we receive as office administrators are phishing or vendor sales calls, billing and collection issues, or patient needs. The benefit is twofold. First, you are avoiding interruption from the task at hand; second, after listening to the call, you have the time to prepare to give complete information to the caller immediately, rather than making an additional call.
- Human Interruptions: You may think being a “good” manager means being available 24/7 to speak to a doctor or team member, but switching back and forth between activities can lead to errors. Refocusing on the previous task takes additional time and can hinder and delay results. It is ok to put a sign on the office door, when appropriate, that says, “do not disturb” when working on a task that requires focus and precision, for example, while working on payroll. For those times when coworkers ignore all the signs and still poke their head into the office with “one quick thing,” a good strategy can be, “I am interested in what you have to say but I am in the middle of this right now. Please email me so I will not lose track, and I will address it.” Occasionally, there are emergent issues that do need your attention for resolution.
Consider your workflow
Simple changes in your office layout can significantly affect time and efficiency. Things like where your printer is located, communication systems, and the constructive interaction of your tasks and how they may depend on or relate to others’ work can have a cumulative impact on time in your office. Consider these areas to see if changes can decrease time loss in your daily activities.
Consider Outsourcing or Automation
Multiple resources can automate the repetitive and time-consuming processes in the dental office, from scheduling to appointment confirmations, insurance verification to billing and banking. Explore and utilize these resources to create time and efficiency in your workplace.
As we recognize and eliminate the “time suckers” by prioritizing, delegating, setting boundaries, and considering workflow and outsourcing, we will have more time to focus on key tasks and essential duties needed to give clarity and direction, aid in future planning, and help identify trends and recognize needs. These practices can give office managers more time and space to promote growth within the practice and provide vision and training for our teams.
