Lisa Mergens

Psychological Abuse in the Workplace: Its Cost is Higher than You Think

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When I first set out on my journey to help dental practices create workplace cultures that allowed everyone to thrive, it was rooted in two main areas: leadership and communication. I’m still committed to that vision and it truly is my life’s work. I have experienced, both as an observer and recipient, the deleterious effects where each were lacking. I knew there was a better way to lead and communicate, thereby enriching a company culture and helping practices position themselves for greater success. The last 6 years have been spent researching, learning, practicing, and teaching. It has been life-changing not …

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The Story of a Micromanaging Dentist: How It Impacted Her, Her Team And The Benefits Of Changing

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(Name changed for privacy) Dr. Peterson had spent a lot of time, money and energy building up the practice of her dreams. After years working as an associate, she struck out on her own and created a dental office that had a steady influx of patients, was aesthetically beautiful and had the latest technology available. Her overhead was manageable and she enjoyed what appeared to the outside world to be a comfortable life filled with travel, a nice home and well-adjusted children. Face value, however, is often very deceptive. What Dr. Peterson was dealing with during the work day created …

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Disengaged Employees Are Costing You A Fortune: Hello, Doctor, It’s Not Just a “Corporate America” Thing

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Companies across America spend untold hours and dollars trying to increase the engagement of employees in corporations mostly, as Bob Nelson PhD states, because it “has become the holy grail in the management of Human Resources”. The Gallup Organization has estimated that disengagement of employees cost the United States over $450 billion dollars annually. Employee engagement is defined as having a greater desire to work harder, to be more productive and to be more responsible in completing work to the best of their ability. Among other things, engaged employees: Increase profitability Increase productivity Increase flexibility Increase employee longevity Increase attracting …

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Bored With Your Job? Let’s Get Reenergized!

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Few careers keep even the most dedicated excited on a daily basis. Getting swept into the more mundane tasks, day after day, can wear on us and in dentistry many procedures are often rinse and repeat: different patient, same insurance issue, same MOD on #19, same 28 teeth to clean, same staff issues to deal with. While we find enjoyment in providing care, interacting with patients and (hopefully) each other, in the end we are all still slaves to the wage we earn- and rely upon. Break the Mold of Boredom In our profession, roles are very defined: dentist, hygienist, …

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Employees Not Getting Along: An Epic Clash of the Titans.. and Ways to Handle It

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Tension so thick you need an electric saw to cut through it: two (or more!) employees simply can’t get along and it’s causing you to dread going into the office these days. You hired smart, but after the honeymoon period was over, little land mines began popping up eventually threatening nuclear war. Hey- they’re great workers otherwise, but their obvious disregard or disrespect for one another has spiraled out of control and is spilling over into the entire office. (Can you see it: huffing and puffing, eyes rolling, closing doors a bit too loudly or heaven-forbid engaging others in their …

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Caught Being Good: The Pitfalls Of Praise And (Possibly) A Better Approach

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Consultants around the globe have worked with companies large and small across all industries telling them “best practices” for implementing systems to measure Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), and many have also included adding ways to “recognize” team members along the way. From gold stars on a poster board to “Employee of the Month” plaques and even recognition ceremonies, each one has a unique way of approaching it. Indeed, there are many who’ve gone so far as to require that each team member or manager to find a way to acknowledge the “good work” of a set number of people every …

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Delivering Feedback To A Defensive Employee: Tools You Can Use To Calm The Storm

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People with defensive tendencies walk amongst us, and there’s little we can do to prevent it. They are who they are and for the most part, in our personal lives, we can choose to deal with them, or not. At work, however, we’re forced to interact with these people, and delivering feedback can prove challenging. Consider an otherwise excellent employee, someone who shows up in every way: on time, reliable, pitches in, doesn’t watch the clock. You’re happy with their overall performance, but like any manager, there have been occasions when you’ve had to step in to correct something they …

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Transitioning a Dental Team: 6 Tips for the New Dentist-Boss

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Buying an existing dental practice is an exciting time, especially when it’s your first practice. Perhaps you’ve been there for a while as an associate and know the systems and players well, but if you haven’t, you have many considerations to ponder, especially when it comes to the employees already in place. Who are the go-to people? Who will pose a potential problem? Will they be supportive? Can you TRUST them? Will they help by making patients feel comfortable with you there? Fear of the Unknown That fear is a two-way road, and the team is just as nervous as …

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Assuming the Dental Office Manager Role? 3 Helpful Tips As You Make the Transition

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You’ve put your time in, learned the ropes and know your systems inside and out. There are some office managers who came to the position completely by accident- knowing more than others and being given the position. Others had a definite career path they set out to follow, with practice management being the ultimate goal. Either way, the position is now yours and how you handle the changeover helps to set the stage for your success. A Delicate Dance: How to Begin the Transition If you’ve promoted up the ranks, there’s a good chance you’ve made some deep friendships along …

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