Unless you’re in a job where you’re doing the same thing every day you will need to have some form of task management tool. As a dental business owner your role is varied with compliance, admin, calendar management and finances. There is no one so naturally organised that can get by with a task list in their head to get things done efficiently and correctly.
When I explain ways a dental practice can use agile project management I can sometimes feel the disappointment in the room, that I haven’t delivered them an expensive piece of software they can get their practice manager to set up which will do the tasks for them. Unfortunately, with most software, you get out of it what you put in.
There are some amazing project management softwares out there which I encourage you to look into as it may suit your way of working. In my experience, however, often each team member has a different way of managing their daily workflow (some better than others) so what works for you may not work for others. I encourage everyone to start with a physical, simple agile board and an agreed set of tasks that need to be completed in a certain timescale. You can then adapt your board as your needs progress and practice demands you to. As we did when we first started working remotely.
The problem with any software or physical board, you need organisation and prioritisation around it to make it work. Here are three things you can implement now to help you stay organised:
PUT PEN TO PAPER
I’m all for technology but for those visual people out there, nothing beats a physical list you can draw, colour code and adapt. I have all my tasks on a digital board which I then allocate into my week on paper. Each day is split between Zoom meetings (not moveable) and tasks (generally more moveable). You could split yours between production and sales or appointments and admin. The reason for this is so you can see how many hours in the day you have left once you’ve listed your more rigid tasks first. This will help you visually see if you’ve allocated too much to a day and if other days look a bit light.
It’s stressful when you have a to-do list the length of your arm that only gets bigger as the week goes on which is why allocating to days and times you’ll get the task done makes it so much more manageable. How many times have you gone to do something big and then broken it into smaller steps so you can get started on it? Your task list is the same.
MEET EVERY SINGLE DAY
A morning meeting every day can actually be one of the most productive ways to start your day. Every day you’ll meet with at least one other person to ask:
- ‘What did you do yesterday?’
- ‘What are you doing today?’
- ‘Is there anything blocking you from completing a task?’
- ‘Did anything come in yesterday that we need to prioritise/ do we need to reassess your priorities for the week?’
This meeting should take no longer than 10 minutes and gives you the chance to gain visibility, understand another team member’s work load and ensure things are being completed in agreed timescales. This isn’t a chance to chat about what happened on TV last night or what you’re doing at the weekend – it can be natural to start the meeting like that but make sure it is short and sweet so people don’t feel like it’s a waste of time being there.
The meeting also creates a routine and accountability you may not have had before. Imagine having to tell someone every day for a week that you didn’t complete that task you said you would – it’s often all the motivation some people need to get it done on time. It’s also essential the right people are in the meeting together as it may not be productive for your sales team to be in with production and vice versa – the daily demands and tasks are just too different and likely won’t be as productive.
REFLECT ON YOUR WEEK
I’m an organised person by nature but when I started dedicating an hour on a Friday afternoon to planning the following week rather than trying to rush to finish tasks – it transformed my productivity.
I think most people would agree that no one does their best work after 4pm on Friday afternoon. There are always times you may need to get that admin done or make those phone calls to patients, but if you spend time planning the following week you’ll find that rush slips away because you allocated a more appropriate time earlier in the week. I appreciate that hour is a luxury I get because my job role allows it (if you’re in surgery until 6pm you’ll not have time to plan). I know someone who plans their work on a Sunday at a nice coffee shop. It has become a weekly ritual where they set up for an hour in the morning and plan their week. The point is you can create the luxury too as it will benefit you in the long run – I promise.
I am sorry that I don’t have a magic tool to process and complete your tasks for you but hopefully with these simple yet very effective steps you should find your head clearing that never ending to do list in no time. There are other ways you can work more effectively in order to make your agile board work for you.
