The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

SET UP A RESOURCE CENTER TO ORGANIZE TRAINING MATERIALS

Most dental offices have a wealth of printed or electronic training aids, such as videos, professional journals, books, periodicals, and CDs, scattered about the office. But the helter-skelter way such items are stuffed into out-of-the-way nooks and crannies tends to let them go ignored and unused. Furthermore, the almost limitless online resources go untapped because there's no place for team members to access them away from the busy flow of the office.

If this is the case in your office, consider setting up a Resource Center, a quiet, out-of-the-way space with educational materials organized by source, subject, and date, and with a computer for online research.

Possible locations include a corner of the staff lounge, a large walk-in closet, or even a wide hallway out of patients' sight that can accommodate book shelves and a narrow work surface. One or two team members can serve as Resource Center "Librarians," keeping the space organized, with older materials rotated into storage or discarded as new materials are added.

If you doubt that such a space would be adequately utilized by staff, consider the following ways to build interest among team members:

• The dentist(s) and team leaders must show enthusiasm, discuss new resource materials, and use the Resource Center themselves, while encouraging others to access the information.
• Insert a three- to five-minute Resource Report period into each monthly team meeting. Let team members rotate through Report presentations along with the dentist(s). This can become an excellent habit for the team, building assurance among team members for organizing thoughts and presentations for the group, and to keep team members up-to-speed on the latest innovations.
• Reward individual team members with a modest bonus for their reading and study efforts. For example, Grady White Boat Company, a manufacturer in Greenville, NC, pays employees $25 for each book read. The book must be from the company's Resource Center, and the employee must submit a brief summary of material read to the department manager. According to Grady White's CEO, this effort has raised the awareness, skill level, and professional pride of the entire workforce.

Suggestion: discuss this idea with team leaders and adapt the idea to your practice. It's a win for the entire team.

Be sure to check out our Free Resources for Your Practice for additional insights, information, and practice management tips.