Tuesday Tip from Pride Institute: Are you sharing all the right information with your team?
We’re now at the end of the first quarter of the New Year. You’ve tightened up your annual plan, you’ve done your fee increases, and you’ve let your team know how it’s all coming together. You have let your team know, haven’t you?
That last piece of the puzzle is often omitted. Even as savvy doctors hold their team meetings on a weekly or monthly basis, they often omit what I call the “so what?” This is a crucial part of information sharing.
Poorly run team meetings sound like this: “Here are our numbers. This was our goal and this is what we hit. We did OK here and here, but we didn’t do so well here and here and here and here. So we really need to get better, OK?”
You need to let your team know what the numbers mean. A great meeting focuses on what the metrics actually mean to the practice and the individual team members. Each number tells a story. Stay curious with the team. Ask them what they think caused the outcome and if positive, how to repeat that outcome. If the numbers don’t look very positive, discuss how to correct them for a better outcome next time.
Beware of blame-storming during meetings. Remember, you’re in a relationship with your team and your numbers. Blaming and public shaming will shut down the possibility of improvement. As an example, if you were in a relationship where you were blamed all the time, you’d stop sharing anything with that person. So stay positive, stay curious, and explore.
Oh, and your patients? They make all the difference, don’t they? Now is a great time to remind them that you appreciate who they are and actually ask them to recommend you to their friends and family. (Note that asking is a verb, an action word. You can’t just say, “We’re accepting new patients” and expect referrals.)
One more quick thought: 2016 is yours! Make it successful by reviewing and exploring your metrics, involving your team in their own bright future, and making your patients feel like valued members of your practice.
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Tuesday Tips from Pride Institute are provided weekly on their Facebook page as well as in this column in DentistryIQ. To ensure you don’t miss any of Pride Institute’s proven methods to take your practice to the next level, visit prideinstitute.com, and like them on Facebook.
