Many of us grew up playing sports. When I started playing baseball, I can clearly remember my coach saying, “We’re working on the fundamentals.” This was the focus every single week for many weeks. The reason? When you repeat the basics over and over, they become second nature. Only then can you build on them to master more complex systems and tasks.

The same principle applies to dental practice management. The fundamentals are what drive us day in and day out. But when things get busy and stressful, we often lose sight of them—leading to poor decisions, broken systems, or a lack of productivity and accountability.

Let’s break down three key fundamentals every dental practice manager should prioritize: organization, coordination, and adaptability.

Organization

Organization plays a critical role in managing our teams. Without solid systems in place, chaos can quickly take over. Being organized goes beyond having your sticky notes on one side of your desk and pens on the other—it means having structured systems that guide your team to know exactly what to do and when to do it.

Here are a few actionable ways to boost organization in your practice. First, have a daily morning huddle with clear preparation guidelines. This aligns everyone on the day’s schedule, patient needs, and any special circumstances.

• Checklists by Role: Create checklists for each position in the office. This builds accountability and ensures no task is overlooked.
• Organizational Chart: Provide a clear chart so every team member knows who to go to for specific issues—saving time and increasing efficiency.
• Yearly Meeting Schedule: Plan your meetings at the start of the year. I structure them like trimesters—3 Admin/Front Desk, 3 Assistant, 3 Hygiene, and 3 All-Team meetings annually. This sets clear expectations, ensures preparedness, and gives the ability to have smaller meetings that are more intentional.

Coordination

Coordination is key in any team environment—just like hand-eye coordination is essential in sports. In a dental office, coordination ensures seamless communication and teamwork between departments. Without it, patients feel the disconnect, and our systems suffer.

The most vital area where coordination shows up? Patient handoffs. Here are the three essential handoffs that must happen every time:

• Front to Clinical (Hygienist or Assistant): Introduce the patient by name and affirm they’re in great hands. This builds trust and reassures the patient.
• Clinical to Doctor: Share updates on concerns, medical changes, and patient preferences. This shows the patient that their voice has been heard and respected.
• Back to Front (Checkout): The assistant or hygienist should escort the patient up front, recap the day’s procedures, and warmly introduce them to the front desk (e.g., “This is Susie, and she’s going to take great care of you!”). This reinforces teamwork and leaves a lasting impression.

Remember: each department is like a body part. If they don’t coordinate, the whole system suffers.

Adaptability

What does it mean to adapt? I think of a chameleon—it changes color to blend into its surroundings. Now, I’m not saying to hide in the practice so no one can find you (though that may sound tempting sometimes!). What I mean is this: our days will never go exactly as planned.

Patients’ no-show, emergencies walk in, treatment plans change, phones go down, software crashes, and team members call out sick. These unpredictable moments require quick thinking, clear planning, and confident leadership.

Here are two powerful ways to build adaptability into your practice:

• Create a Troubleshooting Guide: List common issues and how to resolve them—include phone numbers for IT, repair techs, labs, etc. This empowers your team to act without always needing you.
• Cross-Train Your Team: When team members can step into multiple roles, you’re never stuck when someone is out. Think of it like a cross-stitch: the back may look chaotic, but the front shows a beautiful, seamless picture. That’s how our offices should feel to our patients.

Final Thoughts…

We could talk about practice management fundamentals all day long—there are dozens. However, organization, coordination, and adaptability are three that we can live by every single day. If you focus on just one of these and master it, you’ll already be making progress. Then, build from there.

And remember – believe in yourself as much as your team believes in you. Show up each day and give it your all. That’s how real leadership happens.