One of the absolute best ways to maximize team performance is to give your team members a “mega goal” to achieve each year with a reward that is significant enough to get their attention.
Most people love to have a goal, but they also want to know what’s in it for them. It may sound greedy, but it’s normal to want to be rewarded for doing an excellent job. A practice can use a mega goal to help focus the team and get everyone moving in the same direction. By establishing one mega goal each year, you create an opportunity for your team to focus more on the goal than on the day-to-day challenges, frustrations, and conflicts.
Everyone can pull together to achieve a goal if they understand it and the reward is big enough. Implementing the following three simple steps can revolutionize your office and skyrocket your practice production:
- Write out a goal that is extremely clear and post it on a large piece of paper in the staff room.
- Create an incredibly special bonus, reward, or prize. It must be big, or it will not get the attention it needs, and people will forget about it. It needs to create excitement!
- Reference the goal often and keep it top of mind for everyone. That is the job of the leader. Don’t simply think that by setting a goal and offering a big reward you’ve done everything you need to do. Often over time, people get caught up in their day-to-day issues, which can easily cause them to forget about the goal and even the reward. So, it’s important to discuss the goal regularly.
By keeping the excitement going, your team will be galvanized in a magnificent way, driven to succeed, and have lots of fun throughout the year.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the September 2024 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
