Archive for Dental Coaching
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.
Avoid The Staffing “Scramble”
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Few dental offices have a system in place to make hiring a process that attracts, develops and retains talent. Generally hiring turns into a crisis when the doctor and team “scramble” to find a suitable person.
I’ve seen this happen with my Dental Contact Coaching© clients, when replacing a team member comes as a surprise and the doctor is ill prepared for this sudden open position. Vacancies appear in a dental office for any number of reasons: termination, maternity leave, spouse transfer, household move, health issues, and the list goes on.
Dentists who fail to evaluate staffing needs frequently fall into financial trouble. Their profitability falls, expansion capital evaporates, and they experience lost productivity and increased hiring costs. Vacancies, for any reason, need to be evaluated carefully before any decision to hire can be made.
For 2012: Calculate your “complete” staff costs in both real dollars and as a percentage of total overhead costs. Compare them to industry benchmarks to determine if your practice staffing levels are appropriate to your dental practice’s productivity.
Problem Solve – As a Team – To Make Your Life Easier
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Don’t be on your deathbed, having squandered your one chance at life, full of regret because you pursued little distractions– instead of big dreams.
What problems do you have in your dental practice today? Who can help you solve them? Your team! The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.
Give up thinking you have to be so smart and omniscient. You create an environment of openness and sharing by inviting team members to be a part of problem solving.
The teams who do this – the ones who discuss the “who, what, and how” — foster productive problem-solving communication.
Hire Another Set of Eyes and Ears
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No one is as smart as all of us. It is my favorite saying!
I mentioned in an earlier blog post that even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. When we think we can do this on our own— we add stress, move away from balance in our lives and struggle with finances.
(Delete this post if you feel like you are one of those people who can do it all on their own.)
If you’re still reading, I know you are one of those great individuals who “get” the message that I’m pointing out. You recognize that there is a huge value in inviting someone else to take a look at some additional solutions to your current challenges.
Often when we are “too close to the forest, we can’t see the trees.”
Bring in a business coach. They will be able to give you an objective evaluation of your practice. When they help you identify your “blind spots”, you have the opportunity to become even better.
So go ahead, hire Tonto!
