Heather Colicchio is the president and founder of the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM). You can learn more about AADOM and reach Heather through www.dentalmanagers.com.

Heather Colicchio

My answer to the question above is, "Definitely!" Flipping the calendar affords you the opportunity to change up systems that are inefficient, hard to administer, or were disappointments. By running your 2014 summary reports, you’ll be able to see if you have enough data to make these decisions. Our members love to compare these metrics from year to year:

New patient numbers
Production and collection

MUST-READ: How to overcome the 3 most common battles in the dental practice

This is not a complete list of statistics you should review, but it’s a starting point. Are your new patient numbers following an upward growth model? If not, how can you change up your marketing or referral programs? Are you tracking 

? It’s the only way you can determine how effective your 

 have been. The outstanding treatment plan report is lengthy but always full of surprises. Names will appear that you have forgotten about. With most insurance benefits resetting for the New Year, this is a good time to reach out. Block off time to make strategic observations then strategic decisions for a fantastic 2015!

Editor's Note: AADOM is partnering with the Yankee Dental Congress for AADOM Day @ YDC on Friday, January 30. Two half-day sessions are planned and all education will go toward Fellowship status within AADOM. To learn more about AADOM Day @ YDC, watch the video below...

Articles

For dental office managers: Will 2015 be your year?

We hear from many office managers who tell us they are overworked and spend time worrying about their job obligations. During one of these conversations, I remember asking a member if she had any help and was surprised when she said, “Yes, but I still have to do everything!”

Could this be you? The typical manager has a gazillion job duties (yes, it’s a true measurement!). All kidding aside, I know that you have many plates spinning in the office but isn’t it time to unload some of your burden? Delegation is not easy, especially for self-starters, but if you continue to perform your duties and take on more as time goes on, then you can see that something has to give â¦ and usually that something is you.

Overworked managers will burn out fast â¦ we’ve seen it happen with AADOM members. Tension with the team and even the doctor will emerge as you will inevitably start to think that you are the only one working at 150%. Your personal life will begin to suffer as you take the worries of work home with you.

Start with the little tasks and add in a measure of faith and yet another of patience. Your trainee will need to be taught and encouraged to perform some of your duties. Letting go of tasks does not signal weakness â¦ it means you’re a smart manager!

The American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM)

 is an organization of professional office managers, practice administrators, patient coordinators, insurance and financial coordinators, and treatment coordinators of general and specialized dental practices. AADOM is the nation's largest education and networking association dedicated to serving dental practice management professionals. For more information, please call (732) 842-9977 or e-mail 

For dental office managers: Is it time for delegation?

Answering phones with a smile â is it too much to ask? In today’s customer service world, it seems that the answer may be yes. Too often we are impressed when we experience good 

. Shouldn’t that be the norm? Shouldn’t we expect service with a smile, detailed instructions, and follow-up calls?

I hear from our members that it is increasingly hard to hire team members who have had basic customer service skills. A 20-year-old should know how to shake hands firmly, the proper way to call a patient from the waiting room (it’s not “next!”) and to check with patients to make sure they are comfortable. Has your current team been through any customer service training in the past three years? Training in this area now extends to handling patients socially in the online world as well. Don’t be left behind in this arena â offices are continually competing on customer service and first impressions. Your office should be the one that comes out the winner â with a smile!

RELATED: Meet Lisa Marie Spradley, the national dental office manager of the year

More for dental office managers: Is it time for delegation?

For dental office managers: Does your team's mood show through the phone?

Now is the time to prepare for the busy last quarter of the year. This is when our dental office managers start the full court press to finish the year on a high note. Have you sent out the perennial insurance benefits reminder letter? Many offices are changing the wording to remind patients to use up their health savings account and to plan ahead for 2015’s deductions.

Fall and winter marketing is also in full swing â our forum is abuzz with talk of candy buybacks, turkey trots and 

. And, of course, it’s time to select your holiday or New Year’s cards. The high school sports season is also in full swing â are you sponsoring any local teams? Are you participating in any fall festivals? What do you plan to do for your patients this holiday season?

Related article: How to create buzz for your dental practice's event

It’s also time to plan the annual holiday party! Yes, it’s stressful to plan but so much fun to enjoy! For many of you, the gathering is only one of many times during the year to hang out. However holiday parties always seem to hold a special place in the team’s heart. If you haven’t had one recently, why wait? Your team has worked hard for you this year â 

 is only one trait of an office leader. Happy Fall!

Editor's Note: For more information on the American Association of Dental Office Managers, 

For dental office managers: It's time to kick off a busy fourth quarter!

, we celebrated our birthday with more than 700 of our closest family and friends. Over the years, we have seen our attendees grow right along with us as we find our way in the dental landscape. A few observations stand out to us as we enter our 11

 year of being THE resource for dental business knowledge:

We are seeing more males attend and many of these are dental spouses.

Managers are asking for more advanced level courses such as accounting and goal-setting.

More administrative positions are available now more than ever. However, we see more employee turnover and this causes frustration among senior managers.

Managers are not as opposed to outsourcing their duties as in previous years.

Group practices have the same basic issues as solo practices: HR, insurance frustration, and leadership vacuums.

We keep all of this in mind as we go into our own strategic planning sessions. Let us know what you see as the big changes in the world of dental business.

RELATED ARTICLE: The importance of job responsibilities in the dental practice

RELATED ARTICLE: Meet the dental office manager of the year, Lisa Marie Spradley

For dental office managers: AADOM turns 10 ... and the best is yet to come!

 Annual Conference is coming up and we are so excited to visit 

 in the first week of September! Our lineup is an impressive one - I urge you to check it out at 

. My favorite aspect of the conference is seeing old and new friends alike. I look forward to hearing how your office is performing and catching up with stories of kids’ graduations, weddings, and other events.

VIDEO: Check out more about AADOM's 10th anniversary celebration

Our members are friendly and inviting to new attendees. Managing a dental office is not easy and I can see that experiences shared at the conference help new managers immensely. We hear this on our conference feedback as well as anecdotally. Reaching out to newer managers is a great way to pay it forward. You have so much knowledge about dental operations, so share it with a fellow manager. The rewards are richer than just a good conversation!

The AADOM team plans to incorporate more member experiences into our magazine 

 and as part of our annual conference. The Member Section of our magazine features knowledgeable tips from those who are still putting in 40-plus hours a week at their job â¦ just like you. The value of having a large connected dental manager network is priceless and we look forward to hearing your most valuable tips. We hope to see you in San Diego!

For dental office managers: It's almost time for the AADOM annual conference!

It may be weird to think about, but fall is just around the corner. When I walk through the stores, I see that the fall fashions are out and back-to-school specials are common. Dental offices should think in a similar fashion â what do we need for the new season?

Every new season is a marketing opportunity and fall is one of my favorites. When was the last time you raffled off a fall basket? My favorites are the ones that are complete with pumpkin seeds, candy corn, and a fall wreath. A “back to school basket” is also perfect (don’t forget the coffee shop card, Domino’s card and cool notebooks). Fall is the time to approach coaches to offer mouthguards for the players and to investigate sponsorship of the teams.

This is also a good time to ramp up the review of the outstanding treatment plans. Our patients can schedule appointments to use their yearly benefits and any health savings account funds they may have. They need reminders to schedule though! This is where you come in by emailing or calling them to discuss their options.

Although the lazy days of summer are coming to an end, you can see that fall will bring much activity. Plan accordingly so you can keep your schedule full. Good luck!

Editor's Note: Also around the corner is the 

American Association of Dental Office Managers'

, set for September in San Diego. Check out this 

 on the conference with AADOM executive director Kim McQueen.

For dental office managers: It's time to get your practice into end-of-summer mode

I’m not talking about Windex and Lysol! Every spring, it feels like I need to do something different in the office. It’s time to rid myself of clutter and review my notes on my yearly goals. Allow me to share my tips with you:

 My office is full of industry journals â¦ some read and some flipped through. I start out with good intentions of reading every article but there are just not enough hours in the day! The good articles are torn out and read â¦ and the rest of the magazine goes. I read the articles right then, not just put them away for later. I’ll just find them again next year if I do that.

. Every team member has his or her goals, plus we have an overall set for the organization. I pull out those goals and pay close attention to the ones which I haven’t started yet. Are they truly attainable or was I on a “goal high” when I set it? I also congratulate myself and the team on the projects that have significant progress. Positive reinforcement is the name of the game!

 Could you do away with some of the paper piles in your office? I know that paperless doesn’t always mean paper-free. I’m sure that you have documents that you are holding onto “just in case.” Put them in a file titled “just in case” and move them off your desk!

I hope that this season brings you productivity and success â the clutter-free way!



 is an organization of professional office managers, practice administrators, patient coordinators, insurance and financial coordinators, and treatment coordinators of general and specialized dental practices. AADOM is the nation's largest education and networking association dedicated to serving dental practice management professionals. For more information, please call (732) 842-9977 or email 

For dental office managers: 3 spring cleaning tips

When I am feeling introspective, I like to think back to people who encouraged me to start my company and those who have helped me to move it forward. The list is long â¦ and when I think of their faces, I smile. Without them, the road would have been longer and much harder to lead to where I am today.

When was the last time you thought about your supporters? A friend once told me that you can go back to your school and college days to find these “game changers,” but I want to focus on the ones who make a difference to us today. Is there someone in your life who makes you laugh no matter what kind of day you’re having? What about the person who you know you can call with a rough situation and you won’t have to explain yourself? For many of us, there are two to three key people who we could not imagine absent from our lives. Tell them that and tell them often.

In the dental office, we see so many people with different personalities â¦ and not all of them are pleasant! But often there are patients who make a difference to us â ones who we look forward to seeing. Tell them too â our patients are our mission and they should know how important they are to us. Take time to show your appreciation for those who help you succeed â I bet you’ll put a smile on someone’s face!

About the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM):

 is an organization of professional office managers, practice administrators, patient coordinators, insurance and financial coordinators, and treatment coordinators of general and specialized dental practices.  AADOM is the nation's largest education and networking association dedicated to serving dental practice management professionals. For more information please call 732-842-9977 or email 

For dental office managers: Who motivates you?

It is so hard to find the right puzzle piece to complete your jigsaw picture of a team. When you think of the different personalities found in the dental office, it is amazing so many offices have smoothly run operations! The typical corporate office has many titles and job responsibilities, unlike the dental office where team members tend to share duties. Although it’s nice to engage in teamwork, there is still a need to delineate duties.

I’m a big fan of job responsibilities and holding team members accountable â it just works. What does your employee manual say? Is it just a listing of your team mission and office hours? It must be more than that â not just to be compliant (a compelling reason!) but to be effective. Take a minute to review your manual. If you would not be able to run a performance review based on the job description, then perhaps it’s time to revisit your manual. 

’s article base and sponsoring companies are wonderful resources. Is it time to update your policies?

 is an organization of professional office managers, practice administrators, patient coordinators, insurance and financial coordinators, and treatment coordinators of general and specialized dental practices.  AADOM is the nation's largest education and networking association dedicated to serving dental practice management professionals. For more information please call (732) 842-9977 or email 