How confident are you in your dental team? 

How confident are you in yourself as a dentist?

Confidence in the workplace should be a priority, but it can be difficult unless we make it fun! 

A close doctor friend of mine says that they create videos with their team that highlights what they do, and then they post them on social media. They sing, laugh, dance, play games, and have a good time doing excellent dentistry.

When they got their first intraoral scanner, they had a contest: Who could accurately scan in the least amount of time? 

They practiced on each other until everyone on the team had it down to under 6 minutes, from start to finish. They left this training feeling more confident and experienced some team bonding along the way. 

This made me think of different ways to help build confidence in your team, all while having fun! 

Build Confidence the Fun Way

• Make learning fun: Turn continuing education into a game with quizzes or interactive sessions. Offer a prize for the team member who learns the most!
• Celebrate their successes with humor: Instead of just giving a pat on the make, back a funny award ceremony and present them with the "Dental Jedi" trophy!
• Empowerment with a twist: Give them creative control over a part of the office decor, or let them come up with their own team anthem.
• Inclusivity with humor: Organize team-building activities that involve laughter, like a joke-telling contest or funny video-making competition. 
• Opportunities for growth with laughter: Offer training sessions with a comedic twist, like a "stand-up dentistry" workshop or a "how to present without boring your audience" class
• Encourage work-life balance with a smile: Provide opportunities for team members that bond outside of work, like a "dental team goes to the movies" night.
• Lead by example with laughter: As a leader, show that laughter is the best medicine and make fun a part of the workplace culture. Share your own funny experiences and encourage your team to do the same. 

The confidence of your dental team translates directly into great patient relationships, respect, and fulfillment in the workplace. 

We can try to do this without threats, but with encouragement to make the process fun for everyone!