At ePractice Manager we often work with clients who are excellent doctors, but do not have the time to fully manage each role in the office while still providing their patients with top tier care. This is why delegation to a competent office manager is so vital to the overall health and longevity of a practice.

A well-trained office manager is one of the most important roles in the office and is the glue that holds all the other positions together. 

Here are some clear objectives that set a great manager apart from the rest:

Set clear goals: This means that the goals are defined for the practice, both short-term and long-term, and are clearly communicated to the team. This will help everyone stay focused and work together towards achieving the same purpose. Having meetings with all of the staff is a great way to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and in-sync with one another in regards to what is expected for the upcoming week.

For more detailed information on the different types of office meetings please check out our webinar, Running Effective Office Meetings.

Build a strong team: Hiring the right people and creating a positive work culture promotes teamwork, open communication, and mutual respect. An office manager must encourage and support the team’s growth through consistent training and the development of new skills. If you’re unfamiliar with hiring, or have had trouble in the past, check out our three-part series that covers all aspects of hiring a new employee for your practice—from start to finish.

Here is the first blog in our hiring series, Narrowing Down the Ideal Candidate.

Establish clear policies and procedures: It is very important that a practice have clearly defined policies and procedures in place, including general office protocols, financial policies, and patient communication guidelines. An office manager must ensure that everyone on the team is trained on these policies, and understands their individual roles in implementing them. During onboarding, each new employee should get a set of these policies to read and sign, and have on hand for future use and review.

ePractice Manager provides a full template library of job descriptions, policies, articles, and procedures to all of our clients and subscribers. View the Document Library Preview.

Focus on patient satisfaction: Patient satisfaction a top priority, and training the team to provide excellent customer service, listen to patient feedback, and address any concerns promptly will ensure it is so. Additionally, there must be procedures in place to collect patient reviews and to manage any online feedback. It’s vital that this is closely tracked and all feedback is promptly addressed and acknowledged.

For more information on this topic we recommend you start with the first blog in our two-part series, Evaluating Your Practice’s Online Presence.

Delegate tasks: The delegation of tasks to your team members based on their individual strengths and skills is one of the most important tenants of successful office management. Doing this will free up time for the doctor to focus on patient care, and for the office manager to focus on more strategic tasks. But remember, the only way this can be done is with a fully trained staff and the proper policies and procedures in place.

Be adaptable: This is simple, but can often be ignored or overlooked. A successful practice must have management that is open to change and adapts to new challenges or opportunities as they arise. Policies and procedures must be reviewed and updated as needed, meetings added or changed, the latest marketing and online tools reviewed—with the office staff trained regularly on all updates and changes. Being flexible and agile will help a practice thrive in a constantly changing industry!