Building a Successful Dental Team

You may remember reading our post from a few months ago about Getting Your Practice Started. After completing the initial task of starting a practice, most dentists strive to reach their highest potential possible. They often do this by taking great care of their patients, attempting to maximize their potential from a business standpoint, and by striving for the ability to get great reviews, referrals, and build their practice up overall. However, this journey cannot be completed by merely one individual. On November 23, 2010, Ryan Swain DMD explained in his article “A Conversation That Will Change Everything” how “As dentists, if we could reach our goals all by ourselves, we would.” However, because no dentist would be able to operate all aspects of a profitable practice by his/herself, Ryan later explains how imperative it is to find the right people to work for your practice.

Through building a successful team, a dentist will be able to reach his or her highest potential successfully.  Ryan states “it is impossible to run a successful practice without building a team.” A Dentist must take pride in the team that they decide to hire. The people on a dentist’s team, according to Swain, are the people who will essentially help them to reach their goals whatever they may be. Ryan Swain explains that “The best team members are those who work hard towards achieving these goals. This may seem bold to some and simplistic to others, but the simple truth is that we want to hire and pay employees who will work for our best interest.” “A Conversation That Will Change Everything” explains that there are many different misconceptions regarding who “dental team members think they are ultimately working for.” The list is long according to this article, but generally includes the following responses:  “I work for the patients, I work for my team leader, I work for the dental practice, or even I work for myself.”

The problems with these goals are widespread. Swain explains how some team member focus solely on the patients and thus lose sight of the fact that they truly work for the dentist. The "allegiance to the patients" exclusively and not with the dentist could potentially cause issues. Also, if team members work primarily "for the team leaders" as we see in larger practices, their best interests are not with the objectives set forth by the dentist. If an individual “works for a dental practice,” this could cause problems due to having a focus on only driving a profit and patient satisfaction, rather than what the goals and overview of the dentist truly are.

All of this information may seem somewhat overwhelming. If team members are confused and do not have a clear focus, no matter what the overall greatest potential of a team is, it will never be met. The solution to these issues seems to be found through having a conversation as Dr. Swain explains with new employees within 1-3 days of when they come on board. The results of doing this, according to Swain have been amazing. “The conversation needs to be bold and clear but balanced with grace and positivity. The conversation looks something like this:

“I’m so glad you’ve joined our team. I hired you because I believe in you and I think you can make a great addition to my team. Now that I’ve explained the history of the practice and what my vision is for the future, I want to be clear about a few very important items. My goals are to provide exquisite care for my patients, maximize profit and build this business in a way that allows me to sell it when the time is right. I aim to hire team members who understand those priorities and actively work to help me reach those goals. I want to be very clear about one thing. You work for me. You don’t work for the practice, or the patients or your team leader. You work for me. That may sound bold but I need you to understand that. One clear measurement of your success is whether or not I am happy with your performance. If you’re ever wondering how you are doing, just ask me. I will respect you and I want you to enjoy your job. But, ultimately, I need you to understand that a good team member is someone who understands what my best interest is and works toward that. Everyone wins when we are all operating in the appropriate mode. I’m looking forward to a bright future with you as a part of the team. Welcome!”
Dr. Swain has seen positive outcomes from using these above mentioned tactics. In your own dental practice, do you have conversations with all new employees about what your goals and mission statements are? Swain encourages dentists to come up with their own version of this conversation. “If done in the right tone, this message delivered to new employees will change everything. Start commanding the respect that you deserve. It’s your business. You’re the boss. Every great organization needs a strong leader. The ability to set the stage for hiring success is one aspect of a strong leader.”

"Dr. Ryan Swain is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Dentistry. He practices in Rochester, NY and focuses on Short Term Ortho and other conservative cosmetic dental procedures. He is president and chief clinical instructor for Six Month Smiles. Dr. Swain is a pioneer in the field of Short Term Ortho and constantly on the forefront of GP orthodontics. He has trained dentists internationally and prides himself on de-mystifying orthodontics for GPs."
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