HCD Headlines 11-30-21

Rachael
Nov 29, 2021
3 min read

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break! It was so nice to come back today and see so many of your smiling, happy faces :D The break seemed to treat everyone well!

December Schedule

It's the last month of the year! Time to get into those end of year deals at your local Toyota dealer! Make sure you check your schedule before you go, though... We have a few people gone here and a few more gone over there. We also have a friendly face joining us again the end of December. It's return of HH! She'll help us cope with the temporary loss of KK.

Team Meeting on 12/2/21

This Thursday we will finalize our 2022 goals for each department. Please bring your thinking/imagination caps to help us come up with the best ideas HCD has ever seen! It all starts with a plan! Dentsply Sirona will also be joining us for a Breakfast and Learn moment. Be ready to have an awesome time!

Vacation Calendar

Per the request of our providers, here is the vacation calendar for 2022. Please let me know if you need a printed copy and I'll do that for you.

Interruptions

Let's talk a quick moment about interruptions. Our roles from front to back make it impossible to avoid being interrupted. Our trains of thoughts crash and burn and frustrations can rise. When those crashes happen, remember to take a breath - literally - and remember you can make the best of the situation. You can always control the situation through your attitude.

For those times when we might be the one that is going to interrupt, stop and take a good look around before jumping in head first... The pool might be more shallow than you think... Here are some quick tips that I've learned from front to back on how to keep from being called whack.

When approaching the front desk, ALWAYS call out the person's name and ask them if they're busy. Those headsets can lull you into a false sense of security. You start talking and they're talking, but they're not making sense - most likely because they're talking to someone else on the phone. SO, call out their name and make sure they're available before starting your conversation.
When no one at the front is available to help you immediately, please ask your patient to "make themselves comfortable in the lobby and one of the ladies/peeps/admin folk will help you shortly." This simple invitation creates a comfortable environment and allows the patient to practice patience as the front deals with other patients. A lot of patience is needed when we deal with so many patients, so make sure your patient is comfortable while they practice patience.
Need to drop a note off for the doctor? ALWAYS make eye contact with their studious assistant before speaking. Always ask if you can "talk over their shoulder" or "ask a question" before you start talking. Too many times the provider and/or assistant cannot hear you or doesn't know you're there and will miss valuable information. Since we can't yell over the handpieces without scaring the patient, making eye contact and then talking will ensure the message is received.
When needing to speak with the hygienist, the same rule applies. Make eye contact, blink twice to make sure they're engaged with you, and then start your conversation.
Stickies... stickies make sure the message was delivered and allows you to walk away confident the loop was closed... so long as that person doesn't accidentally throw away your stickie. (It happens.)

Perhaps the biggest lesson and the greatest skill is knowing when to ask the question or start your conversation. Let's be direct... We all think the world revolves around us sometimes and there are times when we just have to share what's within us before we burst into a 1,000 bubbles. As we said before, STOP, BREATHE, and take in your potential tea partner's current state of being. Bursting into conversations or acting as if your needs are above everything else can lead to resentment and silence.

Let's keep it positive and reduce the amount of interruptions we place on one another!

If you're wondering where this is coming from... you should know Dr. Henrie has a problem and I have a hard time talking to him directly.

Fitness Challenge

Who's up for a fitness challenge? It's been a while since Lori put us all to shame and won the overall prize of $50 (or was it $100?). Now's a good time to start making fitness goals that we can start right after we eat all the Christmas goodies. If you have ideas or recommendations on how we can make it awesome, drop me a line below or a text.

See you around the breakroom table when all the specialist start sending their Holiday Happy Bits and Delicacies as we discuss the many ways we can improve our overall health!