Accountability: The Missing Ingredient in Dental Practice Success

Accountability is a key factor in achieving success. Without it, you simply cannot make progress. At Dental Edit, we frequently hear from dentists and office managers who reach out, frustrated that their team isn’t completing even the most basic tasks. The root cause? It’s almost always a lack of accountability.

A Common Scenario: The Empty Schedule

Let’s use a simple example: filling holes in the schedule. Most dental offices have experienced this challenge at least once. You’re the dentist or office manager, and you notice the schedule is full of gaps.

Typically, here’s how this situation plays out:

1. The office manager approaches the front office team and asks why the schedule is empty.
2. The dentist approaches the front office team with the same question.
3. The dentist asks the office manager why the schedule has so many holes.

No one likes an empty schedule—it’s not good for business. But when anyone is confronted about a sparse schedule, the answer is usually defensive, and that’s just the beginning.

What’s Really Going On?

There are often many unanswered questions:

• What is the system or protocol for filling schedule holes?
• Have staff been properly trained to follow the process?
• Who, exactly, is responsible for filling the schedule?
• Is each provider’s schedule assigned to a specific team member?
• How are staff tracking which patients have been contacted?
• Is there a set number of patients that need to be called for each opening?
• Does everyone—including staff, the dentist, and the office manager—understand the structure?

Without clearly defined systems, accountability is impossible—and questions can feel like personal attacks instead of productive feedback. If you don’t have a well-documented, clearly communicated system, your team will likely feel defensive when questioned because they don’t know your expectations or that it was their responsibility.

For example, if the entire front office team is responsible for filling the schedule, who are you holding accountable? Does everyone know how you’ll follow up, and what system you’ll use?

Why Protocols Fail Without Accountability

Imagine this: You implement a system where every patient contact is logged in a shared document for review each day at 4pm by the office manager. But instead, the dentist follows up by asking the team directly who they called. The team gets used to responding verbally and never uses the shared document. Two weeks later, the office manager is frustrated that the protocol isn’t being followed. This isn’t fair—if the protocol isn’t enforced, it simply won’t work.

Your team defaults to what’s enforced most consistently. If they’re only questioned by the dentist, that’s where the accountability lies, not with the system or the protocol.

How to Build True Accountability

It really is that simple:
We teach our teams to be accountable—first to us as leaders, and then to the protocol itself. If we’re consistent in holding our team accountable, they will, in turn, become accountable. If we’re inconsistent, provide contradictory information, or fail to enforce protocols, the team won’t learn. They’ll remain confused and disengaged.

Once you build a culture of accountability, your systems work. You can diagnose problems even when you’re not in the office. If you consistently follow up, your team will begin proactively letting you know when a protocol has been broken. They’ll come to you first, out of respect, because they know you’ll follow up. This becomes a chance to thank them, and to coach them on how to get a different result next time.

The Keys to Accountability in Your Practice

• Leadership must follow the same rules as the team.
• Systems must be clearly defined and documented.
• Training should be thorough, and you must be willing to coach through challenges.
• Leadership must consistently check on systems and give feedback.
• You need a system for follow-up and a clear expectation for staff.
• Always refer back to the protocol if it is broken.
• Address it directly when protocols are not followed.

Do these things and your office will thrive. Skip them, and you’ll always wonder what’s really happening in your practice.

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