practice management
Keys to Successful Integration of a
New Team Member
No matter how long someone may have worked in the dental profession, they will not know your systems. Every practice is unique,
and new team members must be allowed to understand what you
do, how you do it, and why you do it a certain way.
A new person should know what is expected of them, how each system
should be managed and the acceptable time frames for the completion of
tasks. With this knowledge, the new person will work more confidently,
will make fewer mistakes, and will be productive more quickly. They will
appreciate the orientation, training time, and the effort put forth to integrate them gracefully into the team.
One of the great theorists of motivation in the workplace was
Frederick Herzberg. His work impacted the workplace at the time
of his study in the 60’s and has continued to impact the workplace today. His hypothesis was that if and when the leaders and
managers integrated an understanding of motivational factors,
26 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
by Cathy Jameson
the individuals and the organizations could benefit from
increased productivity and decreased costs due to ending the
rampant turnover of staff.
According to Herzberg (2007), there are two sets of factors affecting an employee’s performance. The first set relates to the work
environment itself. Herzberg calls these “hygienic” or extrinsic
motivators. He points out that extrinsic motivators do not actually stimulate a person toward improved performance. However,
if these factors are not stable and acceptable, they become “dissatisfiers” and can deflate a person’s performance or cause them
to leave. These are very basic needs of a person but must be fulfilled or satisfied before a person can move upward in productivity and loyalty.
It all seems so simple, doesn’t it? Yet, over and over again, team
members walk away from a position feeling a l X