When does a good thing begin to feel like too much of a good thing? When the perfect employee begins to feel a little too perfect, how do you handle the doubts with sabotaging yourself? What is the tipping point for trust?
So often, I hear from my clients about how lucky they feel to have found a real cracker-jack employee who thinks on their feet, knows their job and does it well, and has that little something extra, along with a strong can-do attitude. They revel in delight at their good luck and feel blessed. And then, small doubts begin to creep in. When is too good, too good?
There seems to be a cultural phobia amongst dentists, to some degree with good reason, about whether an employee is to be trusted. There is a lot at stake. Employees are handling money and billing at the front desk, while the dentist is kind of held hostage in the back. It takes time to establish trust. And sadly, I have been witness to a few cases where even a long time, trusted employee turned out to be untrustworthy. It’s a vulnerable place to be. So what’s to be done?
At some point, I think dentists need to be cognizant of paranoia and doubt and know how much damage it can do to what is actually a trustworthy relationship. Dentists can put systems in place so that as much as possible, there are checks and balances that promote honesty (extra sets of eyes, awareness that records are being audited, etc.) and know the signs. I have a client who has a real cracker jack at his front desk and feels he is lucky to have her. She is always the last to leave the office, however, and that is all it takes to instill an element of doubt in my client, who has been burned before. Is there cause for alarm? I doubt it, but I couldn’t say for sure. There is a lot to be said for these checks and balances but they aren’t foolproof insurance. So, at some point, I think you have to be a good judge of character, know the signs and be prepared to trust – not blindly, but with intent because you have no reason to not trust.
