Archive for Dental Coaching
Four Simple Tips on How to Make Everyone An Ambassador
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In a previous blog post, I suggested that you train every member of the team to sell themselves and the practice to their customer—the patient.
Here are my four tips on how to do so.
- Enroll in a sales training program. Every member of your team benefits. This program should include learning how to sell/recommend needed dentistry, asking for referrals, and how to deliver service excellence as perceived by the patient.
- Role-play “asking for referrals” at every staff meeting. Spend a few moments acting out a situation for how to ask for referrals; include all staff members.
- Visit a Ritz-Carlton or other 5-star hotel with your team so that everyone understands what true quality service feels like. Hold a team meeting to discover ways you can duplicate such service.
- Provide business cards for each team member and encourage them to share the cards with others in their community, i.e. at the grocery store, library, school, and church or synagogue.
“Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.” ~ David Frost
The Most Important Skill In Your Dental Practice – Hint: It’s Not Clinical
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“Soft skills” are the most valuable and most undervalued in your practice. Certainly, clinical skills are important; but your staff is already taught in their school training. It is up to you, the Dental CEO, to instruct and train on those “soft skills”.
- Invite guest speakers to a team meeting. Think about bringing in a business coach or customer service trainer—they don’t have to be related to the dental industry. In fact, it’s better if they’re not! They will bring a fresh perspective to issues facing your dental team.
- Do a Google search for course information at local colleges. What unique courses can you offer as an educational benefit to your team that will improve their “soft skills”? Look at courses in the Business, Management and Hospitality sections.
- Reward staff members who voluntarily add continuing education to their career potential by giving them gift cards for dinner and a movie. When other staff members see this, they will be encouraged to do so themselves. Post this new benefit on your team bulletin board and newsletter.
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” ~ Confucius
Recognize And Reward Your Stars
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Your STARS – Synergistic Team Member All Ready Stars – are the most important part of your practice. They are your biggest asset – yes, even more important than the building or equipment.
Your team dazzles new patients, comforts the timid, jumps in to help other team members, laugh and encourage smiles all around them, and get the job done right.
They can’t help themselves. Some are born this way, some are created. All have unique and special gifts to share. Some light the way for us and make our jobs easier, less stressful, and more fun. Some show up every day on time and ready to go. Others are skilled at calming frightened children and adults. Some need us to point out their specialness, while others are special because they never forget birthdays, anniversaries, or the first day you began your practice.
STARS are all around us and sometimes we don’t see them. Surprising, isn’t it? Each team member provides a special something in your practice. It is up to you, the Dental CEO to notice and reward that. Take the opportunity to recognize achievements – large or small. Your reward? Stars will shine brighter every day!
Action steps!
- Establish a service recognition system. Make a “big deal” out of every anniversary. Let people know you appreciate them and the job they do.
- Recognize individuals for STAR actions. Hang up a bulletin board and periodically spotlight one of your team members.
- Let patients know how much you appreciate your STARS!
- Invite a team member or two to lunch today, and don’t talk about business – focus on learning more about their lives, and sharing more of yours. People want to work with people they like!
Notice and reward “out-of-the-way contributions”:
- Write a thank you note
- Public praise at a group meeting
- Give out a spot bonus
- Schedule an offsite activity or a lunch
- Offer movie tickets
- Buy certificates for a special latte at Starbucks
- Provide enhanced facilities (on site masseur, concierge services, plants in the break room)
“The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” ~ William James
Tips on How to Increase Team Accountability
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Remember that increasing levels of accountability within your dental practice is essential if you are to grow and prosper. Below are my top tips on how to do so:
- Develop an “IDP”- Individual Development Plan. Schedule time to meet with each team member and outline a plan for continuing professional learning. Set times on the calendar for future meetings – quarterly, semi-annually, or yearly so that team members are fully invested in their professional growth. Calling this practice an IDP lets the employee know that you are committed to their professional development.
- Document all conversations with date and initials. Note any behavioral issues with full descriptions. Remember to evaluate observable behaviors against the IDP.
- Begin with positive communication. The best tip I can give is to engage vs. alienate. Start off the conversation with something commendable. For example: “I feel you are an important member of our team.” Make your comment sincere and honest. People see through a façade.
- Offer incentives. Offer incentives to develop the behaviors you need and want. If your team has not been asking for referrals, create a simple game where the individual who asks for the most referrals during the month wins a full tank of gas, an iTunes gift card or 4 movie tickets next month.
“If you don’t set a baseline standard for what you’ll accept in life, you’ll find it’s easy to slip into behaviors and attitudes or a quality of life that’s far below what you deserve.” ~ Anthony Robbins
Measuring: Making the Annual Performance Review Better
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Some dentists dread the annual performance review because they’re unsure how it relates to practice growth. Most reviews, in fact, talk about the past. That’s not how to do it.
The personal performance evaluation is one of the tools the doctor has at his/her disposal to recognize hard work and commitment, as well as determine how people can better perform. How can you make this better? When a performance review is based on a two-way match (practice and employee expectations), outcomes are measurable and profitable.
Dialogue between the doctor and the employee about past, present and future job performance enables both to understand what is expected, how to best establish (realistic) goals and how the employee’s performance compares with those expectations.
Investing time to support team members identify their strengths, develop their talents, work on their weaknesses, and identify needed resources will help them enjoy their work more.
The result for your dental practice? A profitable bottom line.
To Grow Talent: Provide One Part of Frequent Feedback
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I know that dentists have best intensions when they offer “constructive criticism.” They hope that a team member will appreciate the information and make positive changes. My, how frequently that is not the case!
Every dentist has had the uncomfortable task of disciplining, correcting or modifying the behavior of a team member. How the communication is delivered determines if it is a positive or negative experience.
When the dentist starts with “Let me give you some constructive criticism”, a barrier is instantly created. The team member immediately goes on the defense and can often feel embarrassed. No chances of the behavioral change happening here.
By approaching a team member with, “May I provide some feedback to you?” or “I have some feedback to offer when you are ready” will open the doors to more effective communication. These simple “re-structuring” points create a positive environment and overcome resistance.
Hold The Team Accountable: Raise Your Standards
Posted by: | CommentsIn my last post, I talked about developing standards in your dental practice so that they come naturally.
Here are some actions steps to make sure that happens:
- Review standards for common areas and individual roles. Survey each team member and update or delete out-of-date standards. Ask team members to write standards as they might expect them to be five years in the future.
Hint: Consider levels of knowledge and technology changes. Think about what social media and smart phones have already done for/to your dental practice.
- Survey patients. Determine levels of service satisfaction and set standards for improved or new services. Patients will not be bothered, rather, they will be impressed that you care.
- Evaluate some current standards of practice operation: i.e. start times for Morning Huddles, office hours, sterilization procedures, and new patient intake. Standards must be posted and presented to team members so that everyone enjoys a common expectation of behavior. Better yet, have each team member sign off on the standards.
- Review your “short notice” cancellation and “no show” policy with your team on a quarterly basis. Be certain that all team members know, with total clarity, the scheduling boundaries by discussing the policy regularly. Ask individual team members to explain the policy succinctly, clearly, and correctly to the entire team during a staff meeting. This will immediately raise your scheduling standards.
“Don’t live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.” ~ Wendy Wasserstein
Are You Still Walking the Talk?
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In my last post, I talked about dental practice ethics and how it starts with you, the doctor. You know that you need to communicate your Core Values to your team in order to be successful, but how can you do that?
- Walk the talk. In your monthly team meetings, identify one or two instances where your Core Values have been supported.
- Ask yourself values-based questions when making a values-based judgement.
You might consider asking yourself the following questions posed by Rotary International:
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build good will and better friendship?
- Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Write out your practice Core Values. Identify what you prize greatly, what has a positive influence on your life, what you are willing to publicly affirm as your principles, and what are you willing to act on. Post them on your website and Facebook page.
“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” ~Roy Disney
The Biggest Asset That Should Be On Your Balance Sheet
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The most important resource in the dental office is the team. It makes sense to show them as an asset on the practice balance sheet. Unfortunately, quality talent is at a premium.
A study by a team from McKinsey & Co., The War For Talent states, “as the demand for talent goes up, the supply of it will be going down. The search for the best and the brightest will become a constant, costly battle.” We are fighting that battle not only with other dental offices down the block, but across all industries.
One of the ways to attract talent from today’s decreasing pool is to make the compensation package competitive. Remember that top performers command top wages — as they should.
Provide a package of benefits in addition to a base wage. With rising costs in healthcare premiums, I understand that it may not always be feasible to offer top benefits. In this case, think of what other benefits you can offer – a day off on their birthday, a $30/monthly reimbursement for a gym membership.
How do you find the right person? Ask the right questions!
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you are hiring a candidate for your dental office, answer three “C’s” about each candidate:
- Can they do the job? – Competence
- Will they do the job? – Commitment
- How will they fit in? – Chemistry
In our rush to impress candidates and fill the glaring void on our team, interviewers lapse into “Sell and Tell” mode. In fact, the most common mistake interviewers make is talking too much.
Follow my proven flow for a more successful interview:
- Establish rapport. Greet the candidate and help them get comfortable. Offer tea or coffee for them to enjoy. Ask them if they found the office okay—make small talk. It helps people relax and will give you a clearer insight into their personality.
- Explain your process. Take two minutes (and two minutes only) to lay out the agenda for the interview. Let the candidate know you will be taking notes.
- Follow the 80/20 Rule. During the main part of the interview, the candidate should do 80% of the talking. Ask open-ended questions, then LISTEN to the answers. Anytime you want to speak, bite your tongue and think first!
- Allow time for questions. Once you are done, give the candidate a few minutes to switch roles. Now is when you sell! This is your opportunity to tell them why working at your dental practice is great.
- Close with a commitment. Tell the candidate when you expect to make a decision. Be professional and let them know either way. When you close the loop and send a letter letting them know that you have moved on with another candidate, you still leave a respectful impression.
