Continued professional education for the dentist and staff members is the avenue to increased clinical competence, more effective relationships with patients and greater reward—both financial and emotional. The experience of leaders in continuing education (CE) in dentistry indicates that dentists and their entire practice staff should develop higher levels of competency continuously in four areas:
- – knowing their patients;
- – knowing their work;
- – knowing themselves;
- – applying their knowledge.1–5
An emotional intelligence study of dentists conducted by The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education6 indicates a direct correlation between highly developed interpersonal skills (including emotional self-awareness, realistic interpretation, assertiveness and self-actualization) and the practice that provides high satisfaction and financial health. This practice is relationship-based and comprehensive health–centered. Proactive planning of each team member’s CE to include interpersonal development and continuous investment in each person’s development are likely to result in the greatest personal growth, the most rewarding career for all team members and increasingly effective and appropriate care for patients.
Without developing the ‘soft skills’ of dental practice, the dentist becomes disillusioned—and patients rarely discover the kind of care that is in their long-term best interest.
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DEVELOPING THE ‘SOFT SKILLS’ OF PRACTICE
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The most informed layperson is unable to objectively judge the clinical quality of care given by a dentist but readily develops an opinion about the dentist’s abilities based on circumferential interactions and the way things look in the mirror. Dentists who spend their CE time and resources only on clinical concepts and training become disappointed because their patients are unable to differentiate their clinical abilities from those of dentists who have less training. Without developing the "soft skills" of dental practice, such as listening and questioning in an empathetic manner that enables patients to understand their oral health conditions, the dentist becomes disillusioned—and patients rarely discover the kind of care that is in their long-term best interest and/or understand the quality of care that has been received.
As dentists and their staff members become adept at interpersonal communication and at applying their knowledge in a caring way, a relationship of trust develops. Selecting educational programs and readings that are designed to help the team increase awareness and develop these behavioral skills results in patients becoming more knowledgeable about and appreciative of true talent.
Many CE institutes and dental practice consultants offer seminars and interactive workshops focused on interviewing patients, and making the examination process a collaborative discovery process for the patient. The emphasis is on understanding and minimizing the patient’s concerns and fears, service/hospitality attitudes and behaviors, and office systems that make the patient’s experience peaceful and rewarding. Involving the entire team in these learning venues, as well as discussing articles and books that offer models and tips for growing a culture of caring, nurture patient trust and engage them in their oral health circumstances. The results are patient satisfaction and loyalty.
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DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS
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Balancing development in all of the four directions mentioned previously also means that the dentist and each staff member should dedicate time and effort to learning about themselves. What are each team member’s strengths and passionate interests? What are the temperamental traits of each person that need to be understood to work effectively together? What motivates the various people? What aspect of dentistry does the dentist most enjoy performing? Research has proven that matching talent to tasks is fundamental to high performance.2,7
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PLANNING BALANCED TEAM DEVELOPMENT
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Balancing the doctor’s self-development objectives.
In addition to learning new materials and methods, mastering clinical procedures and becoming adept at the practice’s business management, the doctor’s educational plan should include diverse learning opportunities designed to develop greater competency in patient and staff relations. Becoming adept at implementing hospitality strategies, leading others through the self-discovery process, communicating effectively and responsibly helping others make informed choices are the most prominent of these skill areas. Examining CE content and questioning providers for details of instruction and training concepts in those areas will lead you to programs of value. Many books also are available to guide development, understanding and appreciation of the relationship-based practice principles. One excellent text on implementation strategy is "The Art of the Examination" by Dr. Barry F. Polansky.5
Behavioral development should be proactively identified and included in each staff member’s development plan.
Involving staff members in their own plan for professional development.
Crafting a CE plan for the entire practice will result in a greater return on investment and a more cohesive growth strategy. Through annual assessment of the behavioral and clinical areas that each team member needs to develop and of the resources available, as well as some collaboration with each staff member, the dentist can set a realistic plan for annual improvement.
There are benefits to the dentist’s independently reviewing and identifying who on the team needs what type of learning and then involving each department in crafting an annual growth plan. Team collaboration in the development of the plan motivates the desired growth. For example, the hygienist(s) can help identify desirable areas of learning and help with planning the time and resources to make this learning possible. The clinical assistant(s) can receive similar focus and planning, as well as administrative employees. Behavioral development should be proactively identified and included in each staff member’s development plan.
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EVALUATING THE CONTINUING EDUCATION OPTIONS
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The venues for CE are increasing dramatically. There are many choices to weigh as you attempt to make best use of your CE investment.8 Subsequent to the analysis of who requires what learning, ask, "What source of learning will provide the best results?" Keep in mind that dental associations’ educational sessions provide great diversity in topics and talent. University-based CE generally is free of commercial underwriting and is diverse in its selection of topics. Institutes provide information and hands-on experiences in a format that nurtures the interaction of peers as part of the learning process. Institutes can be for-profit or not-for-profit. The not-for-profit variety is by definition not commercially biased. Commercially underwritten seminars are of value but may have a bias toward the underwriter’s product or service. Commercial sponsorship of any CE should be explicitly mentioned in its promotional or introductory material—and, where they exist, alternative choices of products or services to those of the sponsor should be displayed and discussed by the host organization or presenter.
Scratch beneath the surface of marketing ads, e-mail announcements and sales calls. Ask for a list of the course contents, presenters and source materials, and go as far as to ask the providers for a written list of the learning objectives of the program. Search for your own best options to meet your individualized objectives. Ask dentists who lead happy teams and successful practices you admire what CE has helped them most. Search the Internet for CE programs that go beyond simply clinical methods or practice financial management to those that include focus on developing patient trust and relations. Be aware that multiple-day, hands-on and role-playing formats likely will be more effective than will a one-day lecture program. Follow-up sessions of individualized mentoring or coaching can be an effective motivator and are invaluable for implementing what you are learning.
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COST CONCERNS
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Low-cost and free CE programs seem appealing, but sales, advertising interests or both underwrite free CE from manufacturers, laboratories, trade publishers and other sources. These programs are apt to focus on the production of hard dentistry and not on building the communication skills common to high-performance practicing. To gain balanced development and information, financial investment is required.
Although the expense of providing CE for the total team is a large obstacle for many, dentists who budget and invest as much as 1.5 percent of annual practice revenue in well-planned, team-based CE financially and experientially outperform others who plan for and invest in less learning (Moss Adams LLP, unpublished data, 2003).
In-office, Internet-based learning may be an option for expanding staff training in a cost-effective manner. For example, some CE programs for dentists include exercises and learning activities they can do with their teams online without the expense of funding outside CE for every staff member. The cohesiveness of learning together will keep the practice team growing in the same direction.
Taking turns at reading and presenting on a topic, followed by team discussion, often is an effective means of developing objectivity about one’s own soft skills and encouraging more helpful behaviors. Study hospitality. Study listening. Study persuasive communication. Learn about each other’s jobs. Practice sharing knowledge about your patients and collaboratively craft a team plan for enabling your patients to make optimal choices.
Given the opportunity, talented teams choose CE investment to be part of their total compensation package because it is an investment in their preferred future and in a meaningful work environment.
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SUMMARY
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Continual growth over time will lead to the rewarding practice every dentist envisions. A balanced CE plan that includes programming and dedicated funding for the development of interpersonal, clinical and financial skills leads to greater practice success and professional fulfillment. A substantial CE investment for the dentist and staff members has been the choice of many of the most successful dental practices.
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DEVELOPING THE ‘SOFT...
DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS
