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How to Manage Remote Team Members Effectively By Pete Mercer
In the beginning months of 2020, employees and employers everywhere were introduced to remote work, something that was likely a novel concept for many. Remote work became a consistent part of life for a lot of people: a hot topic discussed ad nauseam by thought leaders and influencers on LinkedIn, a burning question of efficacy for business leaders, and an overall discussion on the work-life balance for American workers as a whole.
Not every industry is equipped with the tools to make remote work feasible; for example, restaurant and retail workers have no choice in the matter. Many employers struggled with the decision of moving to remote operations, and not without good reason for concern. For industries that weren’t accustomed to
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implementing remote employees, it became a question of how to operate smoothly and efficiently without the controlled variables of an office environment. It’s not entirely unfair to say that it’s a bit of a gamble – some employees simply aren’t made to work outside of the office.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 • DENTIST ENTREPRENEUR ORGANIZATION
For many dental groups, the possibility of working remotely became a cost-effective solution that allowed them to hire more support staff to make the in-office operations more efficient. It’s all about equipping your teams with the tools and software they need to perform their jobs like they would in an office. While hygienists and doctors aren’t able to perform their duties outside of the office, there are plenty of other ways to implement remote workers that can improve your bottom line, support your patient care outcomes, and increase productivity. Ken Kaufman, Chief Financial Officer at Community Dental Partners described his remote team, saying, “At the practice level, we’re not doing anything remote. From our perspective, it was kind of the support center functions that really have the most opportunities to go remote. My finance team is remote, and my accounting team is split. It’s a challenge sometimes to figure out how to keep everybody aligned, to keep the culture going. We’re testing and trying things a bit to figure out a good solution.”
Adopting new technologies A crucial step to managing remote workers is adopting new technologies to bridge the gap between remote workers and in-office workers. These
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