People laugh at me when I say the secret to everything in life is treating every important relationship like a marriage without the sex. But, I’m not joking. I’m very very serious. I think this is the biggest problem in our industry and really with the human interaction – period. It has no consistency and there is not integrity in the communication.
When I talk with people I intentionally use the word “dialogue” and you know what – I do not think there is enough dialogue in relationships anymore. Dialogue implies two-way communication, back and forth, not one sided but interactive and participatory.
A marriage is grounded on communication, shared principles, collaborative ideas, attentive listening, mutual goals, vision, future and above all else a commitment to each other.
I believe one of the simplest and yet most important rules of a successful relationship is never going to sleep at night with something on your mind, bothering you, or being upset.
It shows a complete lack of civility, discipline, and respect. I think this rule should be placed inside of every dental practice in America between every admin and clinical team and between all members and every doctor, owner, manager.
Simply put, don’t end your day with things left undone; relationships not mended; conversations unconcluded, or any action, accountability or responsibility unattended.
This is why I advocate and insist amongst our clients there be an “end of the day huddle” similarly to the “beginning of the day huddle”. Doesn’t it just make sense?
Anyhow, aside from this tip that will result in more preparation, more profitability, more consistent follow-through with your patients treatment, more collections, and more effective value based schedule to maximize your day and ensure total efficiency … you will keep people happy, you will avoid conflict, you will always start the next day ready for it.
Teams don’t run off the field, hop on their cars and drive home. They meet up in the locker room to debrief, wind down, and prepare for the next day.
Every day has a beginning and an ending.
Finally, I say this – if you are in fact committed to your team and to each other, you must be adamant and firm about focusing on and developing relationships amongst each other by managing and nurturing them just like a family.
You don’t have to babysit, in fact you won’t have to when you do this. The number one complaint I get from all practices and team members is not communicating amongst each other…in all ways with all people for all reasons.
And to remind you, which I shouldn’t have to, between myself and my world class team we talk to, interview and get to know more dental practice team members every single week than any other organization on the planet. That is because we believe people matter and we treat them exactly that way.
So, if you want to have better communication, you simply must provide a conduit for it, schedule it, plan it and make time for it. You need to create a culture, an expectation and standard of listening where everyone is equal, where team members work through things everyday, and make sure you never go home when conflict still exists.
You will see the impact this will make on your team, on your daily patient success and especially on your peace of mind.
