When I practiced dentistry, one of the greatest instigators of the “head-drop-eye-roll” every owner feels in their role as an owner was having my name called from the hallway to change a printer cartridge…or fix an IT issue…or listen to the funny noise the autoclave was making…or figure out what the error code on the instrument washer meant.
I will also be completely vulnerable here and share that I went so far as to clean the toilets on the day I sold my practice. I wasn’t a martyr. I just simply didn’t put the pieces in place to enable my team to do what I needed them to do to protect my exclusive abilities at all costs. I thought that I needed to be able to do everyone’s job in my practice in order to truly be an exceptional leader.
WRONG.
I’m wiser and more selfish now. That’s what age and tolerance have done for me. And I am proud to say that I am effective at running the businesses I own. I never ever perform a task someone else can do better than I can (that’s a long list). I also promise myself that when I give away a task, I NEVER EVER take it back. These two rules have made my life as a professional one where I hope I never retire…That and the fact that my kids are in freestyle skiing, which I think costs more than F1 racing.
For those that missed our recent webinar on “Tools & Systems For Team Onboarding, Communication, and Delegation in Today’s Challenging Staffing Climate,” we discussed how today’s unique and ever-evolving climate in dentistry requires more adaptability and spokes in the wheel than dentistry has ever seen. With staffing challenges that have been seen and felt in the profession for the past 5 years, onboarding, communication, and delegation takes communication and negotiation skills on a daily basis.
In the webinar, we went through effective approaches to onboarding and communication, tools you can provide your team today that will enhance engagement and communication, and a framework that enables autonomy and problem-solving without having to call you out of the operatory.
The framework for delegation is shared with you below. This will likely seem ridiculously simple. But most effective communication is in fact very simple.
If you attended the webinar, the tools we discussed that will support how you give and receive communication in your practice were Kolbe and Clifton Strengths. I encourage you to take these assessments yourself, administer them to your team, and have a team-building meeting to discuss each other’s natural tendencies. It will make you more empathetic and cohesive. And don’t forget the power of these tools when you are hiring and onboarding new people. You can skip the fluff in an interview and go right to the deeper questions that matter. Prospective employees will be blown away by your processes and deeply appreciate the intel you give them about themselves. It’s a powerful tool to differentiate yourself as an employer, to align your team, and to increase productivity while preserving your ability to do what only you can do in your practice.
For those that have unique challenges and have a goal to increase their freedom as an owner (or in preparation of an exit), our Co-Pilot Program is built for you. An inquiry is one easy reply away – just put “Book a CoPilot call” in the subject line and we’ll send you our booking link to learn more about what you want, what you need, and where you want your future in dentistry to take you.
