You would think that the business of treating teeth with Root Canals in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Paradise Valley is boring business – I am here to tell you it is not. However, the workplace as we all used to know it has changed dramatically. This has to do mostly with changes in technology and the tools we use today to communicate with each other (internal), and with our patients and referring dentist offices (external).

Indeed the world has changed and rules that used to guide worker behavior and habits may no longer apply. Compared to today’s workplace, it feels like I began my business career at a time when “dinosaurs roamed the earth.” Contacting your co-workers wasn’t always just sending an Instant Message. Back in the day you had to be a little more creative.

1) Smoke Signals: Back when bartering was the foremost form of commerce, telling everyone that you had some hides to trade was as easy as sending a plume of smoke into the sky.
2) Morse Code: Samuel Morse brought texting to the 1830’s using dots and dashes, making it possible to ask your staff to”–..-/ -.-…–..”* without leaving your chair!
3) Long-Distance Calls: During the 1960’s, international calls would cost about $3.00 per minute – the equivalent of $25.00 today.
* Get my Coffee

Even in the stodgy old profession of dentistry, social media has forever changed the way business is done and how people communicate. If you are in pain and you need a root canal in Scottsdale, chances are you just type “Root Canal Scottsdale” into Google. Once you have found the name Phoenix Endodontic Group first in the search, you then access our web page and Facebook page. I am pretty sure that is how it is done today.

Mobile devices allow dental office staff to be more efficient and to look at information on their office in real time. This creates a challenge – understanding where the line is between work and personal as it relates to use of your own mobile device at work.

Here are 3 tips regarding social media/texting for employees in today’s workplace:

1. Put Family and Friends on Hold: Taking a few moments for personal calls and texts is ok as long as you keep it brief. Tell family members your hours so they know when they’ll hear back from you.
2. Friend request the Company, NOT your boss: Befriending coworkers and your boss on social media is a bad idea – you don’t want to mix work and play. That said, sharing company content online is a nice way to promote your company.
3. Texting at work is OK: Nowadays you are expected to be easily accessible which means email, messaging and even texting are all appropriate forms of workplace communication within office hours.

At Phoenix Endodontic Group, our staff understands that communication in our personal relationships and work relationships are constantly evolving and it’s important to be able to adapt in order to have a good work/life balance.