Actually I love bonuses. Don’t get me wrong, you have to read the article to get the point. You absolutely should have bonuses. Only people who are stingy, entitled, greedy, and stupid don’t believe in sharing.
What I don’t believe in are raises. Paying more money for doing the same work. Nope. Not in this country, actually not in any county, you don’t get to make more for doing the same. If you want more money you must become more valuable.
So yes you should bonus. The problem with bonuses is I’ve never seen a Dentist do it right. It’s probably one of the top 3 questions I get on a daily basis, top 5 for sure.
And just like everything else, every Practice is looking around at some consultant or management company that’s never run a legitimate business (let alone a sales driven healthcare organization in their life) telling you how to bonus your teams and then you go around copy catting each other with some dysfunctional strategy that doesn’t work.
Let’s start with 3 simple truths.
1. No matter how good you think you are, you are at the mercy of your team…no matter how much dentistry you sell your team can find a way to make it happen or to sabotage it from happening.
2. In their minds pretty much everything you are going to ask them to do is going to seem like more work…so why and so what…that’s what goes through their mind, whether they admit it or you believe it, it’s call basic human psychology. You can’t fight it.
3. You are either creating an environment of “employees” or an empowerment of a team, not both, one or the other
Usually Practices that have roller coaster production and a practice that requires micromanagement is because they have a bunch of employees not a bunch of team players.
Imagine a team who goes to work for a paycheck instead of to win a game.
Let’s take this concept “the morning huddle”, would you imagine a sports team would ever start a play, let alone a game, with out some specific idea of what they are going to do, without refocusing on their daily priorities.
I mean the best strategy would be to huddle every hour but that’s not practical so you are running a no-huddle-offense, still these people come out on to the field after every exchange of possession and they huddle up and figure things out.
Bonuses will never work, at least consistently, if you have employee mentality people, you have to have ownership driven, accountability people who buy-in to what you are doing and why they have chosen to be a part of it.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you hanging for forever, just until next week, and I’m going to explain to you exactly how to create an environment of people owning their job and being excited to achieve growth and also how to organize an effective bonus system – that I don’t call a bonus system – that you won’t have to change as often as you clean the carpets…
In order to get this breakthrough from me next week that will completely change your life, the way you look at your practice and the way they look at you, do this homework this week today, right now…
Please email info@DentalSuccessToday.com with the answer to the following questions:
On a scale from 1-10…
How satisfied are your team members with their job
How satisfied are you with your team members
How committed to you do you believe they are
How would you rate their overall level of initiative and ambition
Write down three specific things that you’d like to see improve with your team.
Finally, if you have or have had in the past a bonus system or some way for your team members to help you grow and get something for doing it, tell me what it is and how it’s worked.
And if you have any specific questions about bonuses or incentives or anything else let me know.
I’ll be back next week with some things that are going to amaze you and enlighten you and you’re going to love it.
Have a great week.
