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Episode 780: Know When to Let Go: Hiring Your Next Office Manager

The Dr. Phil Klein Dental Podcast
Guest: Dr. Phil Klein CE Credits: 0.5 CEU
Release Date: 6/25/2026
 |  Viva Learning LLC
Practice Management

Are you dealing with that nagging feeling that something just isn't right with your office manager, or are you dreading the process of hiring a new one? Most doctors don't wake up one morning ready to fire their office manager — it's usually a slow buildup of small frustrations that eventually signal bigger problems.

Dr. Philip Klein, DMD, brings over 40 years of dental profession experience spanning private practice, education, and industry innovation. With his background as an endodontic specialist and founder of multiple successful dental companies including Viva Learning LLC — the world's largest dental CE entity — Dr. Klein understands the critical role office managers play in practice success. As Chairman of the Board at Viva Learning and host of a podcast drawing over 30,000 monthly listeners, he has witnessed countless practices struggle with this exact challenge.

This episode tackles one of the most uncomfortable yet crucial decisions practice owners face: recognizing when it's time to replace your office manager and how to hire the right replacement. Dr. Klein breaks down the systematic red flags that indicate a change is needed, from chronic defensiveness and lack of ownership to declining team morale and broken communication patterns. More importantly, he provides a comprehensive framework for attracting, screening, and hiring an experienced office manager who can truly lead your practice forward.

Episode Highlights:

  • Chronic defensiveness is an early warning sign — when every concern you raise is met with excuses, blame, or pushback rather than problem-solving, you're dealing with resistance instead of leadership. Strong office managers view feedback as information and take ownership of issues rather than deflecting responsibility to team members or patients.
  • Your job posting should function as a filter, not a flyer — experienced office managers are interviewing you too, so clearly state required experience levels, software systems, leadership responsibilities, and practice culture. Speak directly to quality candidates by emphasizing clear authority, supportive leadership, and organized growth-focused environments.
  • Pre-interview questionnaires serve as one of the most effective screening tools before live interviews. Ask specific questions about systems management experience, team supervision history, key performance indicators they value, and reasons for leaving their current role — strong candidates provide clear, thoughtful, specific responses.
  • Online interviews should focus on leadership assessment through targeted question groups covering decision-making authority, conflict resolution, upward communication skills, systems management, scheduling optimization, billing responsibilities, and patient experience philosophy. The goal is confirming communication skills and professional presence, not selling the position yet.
  • In-person interviews reveal emotional intelligence and cultural fit through deeper conversations, practice tours, and team interactions. Pay attention to how candidates interact with your staff, their natural leadership presence, and ask questions about their first 90 days, accountability approaches, and doctor-manager relationship preferences to understand their thinking process.

Perfect for: Practice owners struggling with office manager challenges, dentists preparing to hire their first office manager, and dental professionals seeking to understand the critical role effective practice management plays in overall success.

Stop letting office management issues drain your practice energy — learn the systematic approach to getting this crucial hire right the first time.

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Viva Learning is a registered continuing education provider in the state of CA. Dental Board of CA Provider #RP 5747. Approved through 6/30/2026

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Presenter Information: Dr. Phil Klein

Presenter Bio
Dr. Phil Klein Dr. Philip Klein has over 40 years of experience in the dental profession including private practice, education and industry. Dr. Klein attended the University of Pennsylvania College of Engineering and Applied Science, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree. He then went on to earn his DMD degree from Penn Dental, spent a year internship at Graduate Hospital and then earned his Post-Doctorate specialty degree in Endodontics from Penn Dental in 1985. Dr. Klein was in private practice as an Endodontic specialist for fourteen years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 1994 Dr. Klein founded and served as President and CEO of Dental Logics Inc., a research and development company specializing in endodontic and restorative products. At Dental Logics Dr. Klein patented and developed a new post system and composite material designed to repair compromised teeth. Both products were subsequently sold to an international dental company, Premier Dental Products Company. Dr. Klein currently holds three dental patents, including the IntegraPost System.

In 1999 Dr. Klein founded and served as CEO of Learn HealthSci Inc., a San Diego-based company specializing in live and on-demand streaming media using Flash Media Server and Real Player. Through the technology he developed, he was one of the earliest companies to broadcast live learning via the Internet which paved the way for Viva Learning, LLC, now the largest dental CE entity in the world.

In 2006, Dr. Klein founded Viva Learning LLC, a global e-learning company based in Austin Texas where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. He is actively involved in new product development and technology innovation and hosts The Phil Klein Dental Podcast Show which draws more than 30,000 listens per month. With a user base of over 460,000 dental professionals, Viva Learning LLC has taken a global leadership position in Internet-based continuing education for the dental profession.
Commercial Disclosure
This free Viva presentation is made possible through the continued support of Viva Learning Originals. Dr. Phil Klein is a consultant and/or speaker for the following companies and/or organizations: Viva Learning, ENDOVATIONS. Dr. Phil Klein may receive an honorarium as compensation from the CE Supporter of this presentation and/or from Viva Learning for the time involved in preparing and delivering this online presentation.

Viva Learning is an approved AGD PACE Provider and California State Dental Board Provider of dental continuing education. Viva Learning strives to deliver balanced, objective and clinically relevant information grounded on scientific research. Lecturers who are invited to deliver Viva CE webinars are advised to substantiate their claims with research-supported data and to disclose all commitments to, or relationships with, any commercial entity within the dental industry. In many cases, lecturers are sponsored by a dental manufacturing company, which provides them with support in the form of honorarium and/or dental products and equipment in order to help with clinical presentations. Prior to each live CE webinar, lecturers are made aware of the importance of delivering their presentations without commercial bias, and where appropriate, to mention a variety of different product choices that may be relevant to the subject matter of the lecture, for the educational benefit of the participant.
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