Partnership has a good chance for success if you follow a few business guidelines. Plus, you¿re in for some fun along the way.
WRITTEN BY Cherilyn G. Sheets, DDS, Jacinthe M. Paquette, DDS, and Jean C. Wu, DDS
Dentistry shares a unique position with other top professions of the world. We are first professionals, with all of the responsibilities and ethical expectations that a profession holds sacred. In addition, we are the chief executive officers of small businesses. When several of us share this responsibility, partnerships are forged that will determine the success of our joint professional and business concerns.
Business guidelines exist that will help a partnership have a better chance of success, and certainly numerous texts have been written on the subject. In this article, we will describe a few of the most important guidelines that have been effective in creating partnership success for our practice. They cover the critical issues of unified leadership, shared commitment, clarity in philosophy and mission, and flexibility for continued change and growth.
A unified leadership
Unified leadership requires a conscious effort from each partner in the business arrangement. Although opinions on issues may vary among partners, one voice should be heard in all public and private interchanges with staff and patients. Sharing leadership responsibilities allows each partner to participate in the decision-making process. Most dental professionals have an innate desire to control their personal and professional destiny. In an effort to meet that need, the leadership responsibilities for each partner must be incorporated into any joint working relationships so that these basic personal drives are realized. Flexibility and compromise are additional key factors that need to be frequently utilized to facilitate a smooth progression from challenging problems to agreed-upon solutions, thereby avoiding unnecessary conflicts. Mutual respect and admiration among team members help reduce the intensity of the conflicts and stresses of day-to-day professional life, and further strengthens the leadership team.
A shared commitment
A shared commitment to excellence can be viewed from three perspectives: a commitment to ourselves, a commitment to our staff, and a commitment to our patients. As care providers, we often place ourselves last in this trilogy of commitment. However, if the goal for the partnership is the establishment of a long-term, healthy working arrangement, those partnership relationships must come first. A healthy relationship between business partners, much like a good marriage where strengths are celebrated and weaknesses are accepted, is the foundation for a healthy business. As such, there will be times for celebration: when pre-established goals have been achieved, the staff is stable and happy, and patients are singing our team’s praises … and there also will be times of challenge, which put the partnership to the test. We strive to create an environment where strengths are nurtured, and vulnerabilities are understood and supported. We encourage productive conflict, which allows each partner to reveal individual perspectives and opinions while developing plans that will resolve normal office challenges.
These same commitments that are made between partners are then found in our commitment to the team. We encourage a team spirit that supports fellow teammates, yet allows for independent thought and personal growth. Any team member who takes the initiative to go beyond what is expected of his or her position is acknowledged and rewarded verbally and/or financially.
We expect our entire management team to be equally committed to providing our patients with the highest level of care we can provide. We believe that this should be reflected from the patients’ first phone call to our office, to each interaction that they have with a team member, to the quality of diagnostic and clinical care our office provides, to the follow-up and maintenance that help patients maintain the results of our work. We are committed to a professional, educational approach; we don’t “sell” our work. All of these principles govern our interactions with patients.
A concrete philosophy and mission
It is essential for partners to have a shared practice philosophy and common goals, allowing for a coordinated effort to achieve success. As partners, we routinely collaborate for the greater good of the practice and to establish an environment where each individual can reach his or her goals without impairing the collective goals of the practice. This concept is communicated to the team in the form of a mission statement. The practice principles are printed in an easily carried, small document called our “Office Credo.” The credo is reviewed in part each day during our morning huddle. In that way, each person is reminded daily of our commitment to our patients and to each other. If a patient asks a team member about our practice principles, we can explain our credo and offer the patient a copy.
Flexibility for future change and growth
Change in today’s world is expected. In fact, it has been said that we are in one of the most rapidly changing times in recorded history. To be successful, one must change at least as fast as our environment. Expecting and accepting change is also a requirement for the continued health and growth of a partnership practice. A healthy practice plans for future developments by proactively recruiting team members who will continue to strengthen the core, by encouraging continuing education for doctors and staff, and by planning for a financial investment in new technology. An engaged team creates strength for the practice and a feeling of ownership and empowerment for the individuals and group. Yet, an evolving and flourishing practice requires a disciplined method of making decisions.
We employ three levels of decision-making to facilitate change. Some decisions are made by the partners; often these decisions include issues that have greater impact on the practice policies and core values. Some decisions involve staff input and wisdom to gather ideas and individual opinions, with the final determination coming from the partners. Lastly, some decisions can be entirely team-driven and often pertain to the harmony or efficiency of the office and general happiness of the team.
A critical policy in our office is a strong emphasis on and commitment to continuing education and skills improvement. This helps us maintain the highest quality within our practice so that patients consistently benefit from technological advancements.
The perfect three
In summary, there are three additional concepts that help keep our partnership and team communicating and functional:
- 1. We believe that everybody has the right to be heard.
- 2. We believe that everybody has the right to be included.
- 3. We believe that the results of this input from our team, combined with our practice vision and business philosophy, allow for a more predictable creation of a consistent high-level experience for our patients.
The combination of our professional training, a partnership commitment to common values and principles, and a team who shares these values helps us meet the needs of our patients while creating an environment that allows each individual to reach his or her own chosen level of personal achievement.
Cherilyn G. Sheets,
Dr. Sheets maintains a private practice in Newport Beach, Calif., with an emphasis on esthetic and restorative dentistry and implants. She is co-executive director of the Newport Coast Oral Facial Institute. You may contact her at (949) 760-6288 or [email protected].
Jacinthe M. Paquette
Dr. Paquette is a prosthodontist specializing in esthetic, implant, and reconstructive dentistry and occlusion and temporomandibular disorders. She is co-executive director of the Newport Coast Oral Facial Institute. Contact her at (949) 760-6288 or [email protected].
Jean C. Wu, DDS
Dr. Wu is a maxillofacial prosthodontist who relocated to the United States from Australia in 1999. She is on faculty with the Newport Coast Oral Facial Institute and is involved with research projects on dental implants and materials. You may contact Dr. Wu at (949) 760-6288 or [email protected].
