Each person on a team has a role, and real leadership means bringing our best to that role every day.
Updated 6/30/20
Everyone wants to be a rock star! Rock star dental teams are made up of leaders who take responsibility for their own destiny and actively hone their communication skills. This process starts with an honest assessment of one’s own strengths, goals, and obstacles. Each person on a team has a role, and real leadership means bringing our best to that role every day. It also means taking control of improving on our weaknesses and seeking ways to break down obstacles as a team.
One of the greatest obstacles we face is our inner voice. It tells us that we can’t or shouldn’t. We make assumptions based upon our beliefs such as “they can’t afford this” or “I shouldn’t overstep my bounds and make this recommendation.” These beliefs affect our behavior such that we limit our results. Now we have impacted the type of relationship we have with our patients and become a “service provider” rather than a trusted clinician. This ultimately affects our patient’s care and our profitability. Read Patient Satisfaction Will Pay the Bills for more information.
There is a better way! Break down each patient interaction and examine ways to improve phone skills, greeting patients, and financial arrangements, as well as co-diagnosis and patient education.
Rock star dental teams are vigilant to eradicate negativity. Deal directly with the perpetual gossiper, the habitual complainer, and the blamer by engaging them in solutions, not problems. Finding ways to turn things around in a positive way can change the culture of a practice. Read How Attitudes Impact the Success of Practice for more information.
Finally, the most successful teams have protocols for everything, including periodontal treatment, photography, new patient call sheets, etc. Decide where you and your team want to start and take the first step on the road to becoming a rock star team!
Learn More
Read Tips to Create the Ultimate Patient Experience to get insights into communication skills, motivational techniques, and negotiation skills your staff needs.
Visit https://www.dentrix.com/training to learn about the training options available to you and your team.
By Dr. Tanya Brown
Dr. Tanya Brown’s speaking attendees and consulting clients benefit from her 360-degree, cumulative experience in the dental practice–from chairside dental assistant, to practice administrator, to owner dentist and founder of the Center for Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry. She is a fellow of the AGD and a member of the AACD, ADA, Speaking Consulting Network, and Professional Management Consultants Association. In her compelling lectures, Dr. Brown honors each member of the team as a vital contributor to the success of the dental practice.
Published as part of a collection of key takeaways from the 2014 Business of Dentistry Conference, along with:
- Stress-Free Claims and Collections
- Schedule for Productivity, Profitability, and Stress Control
- Managing by the Numbers
- Increasing Treatment and Getting Paid
- Secrets to Same-Day Dentistry
Originally published in Dentrix Magazine, Winter 2014
