Archive for Dental Business Tips
Create “Connection”
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People want more than a bi-weekly pay check. Believe it or not, they want more than health benefits, too.
They want to feel like they are “in the loop” on what’s happening in your dental practice, the business that they work for.
Share your vision and goals for the practice with the team. (Check out some more Open Book Management suggestions here). Make it part of your daily conversations. Let your staff know that they are more than an auxiliary expense.
Let them know that you value them.
When people feel connected, they are more confident and make better choices within the practice.
Give People Choices and Involve Them
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As THE DENTAL COACH©, I have many conversations with dentists. I often hear them take this “savvy” management approach: “It’s my way or the highway.”
I suspect it’s related to the simple fact that we dentists like to be in control. It’s true: We control tongs, we control cheeks, we control spit, and therefore we have to control everything around us, too.
The next time you have to come up with a solution, why not consider the 3 Solution Rule? Rather than allow your employees to dump a bunch of “stuff” on your desk and expect you to fix everything, expect them to come to you with the problem and 3 solutions.
After hearing their 3 solutions, ask them which of the 3 of those proposed solutions would be the best to solve the problem. Listen intently.
From my experience, I’ve discovered that oftentimes, the team member will come up with much better choices than I would have.
BONUS: Team members are more supportive of a decision when they have had an opportunity to influence it.
Set “S.M.A.R.T.” Goals
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These are the kinds of comments I typically hear when working with individuals and groups in planning for their future of choice.
- “Heck, I don’t need goals.”
- “Forget writing them down, I got them all in my head.”
- “I’m not goal-driven. My life just seems to work out all by itself.”
What a joke!
I bet if you check their bank account, it’s not as robust as they would like. I bet if you look at their life, there are some things missing. I bet if you ask them where they’re at in their life today, they may tell you that they are not exactly where they what have hoped for.
Setting goals and writing them down is critical for your success. Now, being prepared does not guarantee your success, but I will tell you that being unprepared creates failure.
When goals pass the SMART test (Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Time Bound) you will find they are more powerful and effective.
Team members enjoy making goals. They do it in less time, with less stress. Did I mention that your bank account will swell?
Take Field Trips
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Identify successful dental practices and other businesses that you admire. Who gives the most excellent service? How do they do it? What ideas can you take away?
New ideas can be life-changing. Sometimes all you need is just one more good idea. A lot of people have quit, when they were only a few steps from success.
My action step for you is to go out and look for some new ideas!!
Nothing is more powerful for your future than being a gatherer of good ideas and information. That’s called doing your homework.
So, how do you do this? Spend an afternoon with your entire team somewhere you admire. (Yes, this can be at the Ritz). Help yourself and your team experience first-hand what good service is really like. I promise this may be one of the best continuing-education investments you make for the entire year!
Here is a thought from Demming: “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” Remember — If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.
You Don’t Have All The Answers – Bring in Outside Experts
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Mickey had Minnie; Abbott had Costello; Lucy had Ethel. Peanut butter has jelly; Oreos have milk. Heck, even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
Why do you think you have to do it all on your own? This is akin to how men drive: they are most definitely lost beyond all recognition, yet refuse to ask for directions.
- If hygiene production is an issue → bring in someone who has established a successful hygiene program.
- If team communication is an issue → invite a trainer to lead your meeting and teach interpersonal skills.
- If keeping track of practice numbers is a concern → bring in a CPA or accountant.
No need to be macho, it’s very cool to ask for help! (I had to learn this the hard way and it damn near killed me.) When you ask for help, not only will the practice improve, team meetings will become more fun and productive.
Avoid the trap of assuming that you, alone, have to make every decision you face. It’s not your job to make all the right calls … your job is to make sure all the right calls get made.
Live the Platinum Rule
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“Do unto others as they want to be done unto.”
We have all heard the Golden Rule since age 5: “Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.”
When you add the Platinum Rule to the Golden Rule, you immediately enhance your relationships with your team members. You also empower them to make better decisions.
Use this standard to make all your “people decisions.”
When you learn personal likes and dislikes, you get to lead more and manage less.
Use What You Know – You Are Already Smart!
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Work smart.
I will tell you how to do it below. But first, schedule in some quiet time alone in your office with the door closed.
Now:
- Whip out your current policies and procedures; take a hard look at them. Do they make sense? Do they work?
- Take stock of team capacity. Who is best at what tasks? Determine strengths and areas for improvement.
- Review your most recent Patient Survey results. Are you proud of them?
- Solicit team members for ideas and resources to help. They will appreciate being involved and support your efforts to make things better.
Now, make a plan to make the changes. Give yourself ample time – say 6 or 9 months. Because you’re smart, you know that it takes time to plan and to implement changes in your business.
A successful dental CEO is willing to take action. Understand that change is often met with resistance, frustration, and doubt. Keep your eye on the goal, work with your team and consider outside support services to assist you in the process.
The Most Critical 72 Hours
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In most dental offices, this is what happens when a new employee is needed:
- The Dental CEO tosses a short ad in the local newspaper
- Hires someone with 18-20 years experiences
- Points them in the general direction of their work space and blurts out: “Get to work and go get ‘em!”
And… that takes care of the hiring, training and orientation.
Successful dental practices spend the necessary time with new team members. Studies show that organizational bonding occurs within the first 72 hours.
I coach my clients to invest early in staff members. Educate them, help them feel part of the team and give them tools for the job – in that critical first week. One idea is to ask each current staff member to take the new team member out to lunch each day that week (the doctor’s treat, of course). This makes the new staff member feel appreciated, acknowledged and supported.
When you take better care of your employees, they take better care of your patients.
When we model positive new behaviors, we create possibility for others to change their behaviors.
Do You Understand Your Staff?
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You probably do not.
Well, not as things are now, anyway. Staff members come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. They come with different beliefs, preferences, interests, and abilities.
If your goal is to work effectively with your staff members, you need to spend time learning more about each other.
Most people do not think like you. The more you understand this and accept it, the more effective you will be in communicating with others. When you take time to understand your team members, they will enjoy being with you. When they enjoy being with you, they will work harder.
Pay attention to differences in personalities and work styles. Understand that when expectations are not met, it is not the end of the world, as some would want you to believe. It is a beginning.
It is a beginning to understanding your staff better, working more efficiently together and having an overall more successful dental practice.
Action step: Take your individual team members out to lunch, just the two of you. Get to know him or her. When you learn more about your team on a personal level, your professional work together will be 100x’s better!
Passion and Dentistry
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Do those two words go together for you? Finding passion in our work is something that comes easy for some dentists. For others, it is nebulous. Passion is that great thing we feel when we are committed to something we love. Unfortunately, many people discover that passion at work has no place to blossom. They run into barriers — policies, procedures, technology. Unleashing passion is about fun!
How can you find passion in your work in your dental office?
- Encourage silly questions and dumb ideas. Creativity is enhanced in environments where new, outrageous thinking is nurtured. Those “dumb” ideas are often the basis for greatly successful dental practices.
- Share compliments with everyone. When people compliment your practice, make sure everyone – patients and staff – hears about it. Share the compliment with your staff by posting it on your bulletin board or sending out an e-mail. Excitement breeds excitement.
- Give employees credit for the work they do. By heaping praise and acknowledgement on individual efforts and accomplishments you reduce turnover, gossip, and mediocrity.
Action step: Have more fun in your dental office to unleash your passions. In addition to the ideas above, what would make you feel great and energized about coming to work?
