The point of motivating the team begins with the understanding of reality, that the practice is your life and not theirs. \u00a0Yes, once in a while there will be a team member that has just the perfect life scenario and they can literally go all in with you, as if the practice is their own. \u00a0That\u2019s certainly wonderful, but just too few and far between to rely on.<\/p>\n
Now, motivating the team doesn\u2019t mean trying to force them to do their jobs, we certainly hope everyone shows up wanting to do well. \u00a0Although we know that is not always the case. \u00a0You can\u2019t afford to have weak links on the team because you know the saying.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is knowing your role as the Quarterback in the Huddle to orchestrate the Team Plays so that you have the best chance to score. \u00a0I can\u2019t come up with a better analogy than this one. \u00a0You chose to be the Quarterback \u2013 so be it. \u00a0Run onto the field, lead the Huddle and call the plays to win.<\/p>\n
The Quarterbacks take responsibility for knowing how to win because they are the highest paid players on the field. \u00a0Own that responsibility or put your success and outcomes into the hands of others and be completely at the mercy of the day instead of in control over it.<\/p>\n
To do this right, you don\u2019t have to do it all, you just have know how to inspire your team to want to own their responsibilities and to go above and beyond with their actions for the day.<\/p>\n
This always begins by setting the tone for the day but before that you must follow what I outlined in last week\u2019s Report about expectations. \u00a0This is critical because most people want to do well they just need to know what well is. \u00a0It is seldom defined other than haphazardly and left up to their perception.<\/p>\n
Assuming everyone knows how they fit into the play and what their role are in securing the victory and helping the team win.<\/p>\n
What I didn\u2019t say is \u201cwhat patients they are going to see\u201d or \u201ctake care of patients\u201d or anything with the word patient in it.<\/p>\n
Not because it\u2019s not about the patients. \u00a0It is. \u00a0It\u2019s because we already know they are going to be seeing the patients and we know what the basic objective is whether hygiene, doctor\u2019s side, new patients or whatever \u2013 what we don\u2019t know is what is each individual team member going to do to help make something happen today so that Team (not just the individual) does well and achieves their goals.<\/p>\n
And while we measure in financial success, that first comes from patient success, which happens to come from effective team work and having the awareness of how everyone fits together throughout every single visit.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get down to business here.<\/p>\n
With your team, you want winners. \u00a0Winners are people that have it inside of them innately to want to do well, to care about outcomes, to have character, to think beyond just themselves and, most importantly, they have some personal pride of contribution.<\/p>\n
Not all people care to do well. \u00a0We\u2019re not here to judge them. \u00a0Still, they have no place on your team. \u00a0People must appreciate the opportunity to be in your practice and to be a part of something that is more than just a \u201cjob.\u201d \u00a0Those are the only kind of people that we can accept.<\/p>\n
On the flip side, you must create a place that cultivates and nurtures those kinds of people. \u00a0That means having an environment that is a place they want to be in, feeds professional growth, drives good energy, and inspires them to want to do great.<\/p>\n
This is vitally important. \u00a0It is always so strange to me why there are not more patients being referred by team members month in and month out. \u00a0The most obvious and immediate question every person is asked in social settings is, \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d \u00a0If Team Members were truly passionate about what was going on in your practice, they would be talking about and proudly referring more patients.<\/p>\n
I want to restate the fact that most Team Members thrive and want challenged. \u00a0They want to pursue their own ambitions in their lives outside of dentistry and we want this to be a vehicle for them to do so. \u00a0This is what \u2018leadership\u2019 really is about.<\/p>\n
My question to you is: do you know who your team members are? \u00a0Do you really know them? \u00a0Do you understand their personalities and what drives them?<\/p>\n
Do you know that most team members don\u2019t leave because of things going on in the office but things going on out of the office? \u00a0In order to reduce turnover, you want to have people who are committed to your practice, not just committed to a job and a paycheck so that you can weather the things that will inevitably go on in their life.<\/p>\n
Next question: what are you doing to inspire your team to do well?<\/p>\n
Bonuses and incentives are a part of it. \u00a0Aren\u2019t they for you? \u00a0If you were capped at what you could earn every month, would you work as hard? \u00a0Most would meet the goal and stop. \u00a0How can you expect others to do or act any differently?<\/p>\n
On top of that, it\u2019s fun to have contests and to compete against your best records. \u00a0Having fun can drive performance.<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s work and it should be work. \u00a0I\u2019m the biggest preacher of reality regarding what it takes to be successful. \u00a0You are paid for a reason \u2013 not to be happy \u2013 to perform.<\/p>\n
Still, the theme is that winning should be fun, acknowledged, and celebrated.<\/p>\n
I have said it before and I will say it again: your Team Members are your first patients. \u00a0The more you take care of them, the more they will take care of your Patients. \u00a0Everyone will thrive and take initiative to perform at a high level in order to create results.<\/p>\n
Okay, so let\u2019s review. \u00a0The first step to motivating your team is having the right people \u2013 people that respond to motivation and who want to do well.<\/p>\n
Second, you must have clear expectations of the results that they are responsible for and they have to have the tools, understanding, training and resources to be able to achieve them.<\/p>\n
Third, you must make it personal for your team by attaching the practice success to their success. \u00a0This requires grasping the reality that they have a life outside of the practice. \u00a0You can use that to your advantage or you can let it be the most significant detriment to you.<\/p>\n
Fourth, you want to have ways for your team to win (money, holidays, whatever you want). \u00a0Everyone asks me \u201cwhat bonus is the best,\u201d and there is no \u201cbest bonus.\u201d \u00a0There is the most appropriate and effective bonus structure for you and your team. \u00a0This is why I customize everything and don\u2019t believe in cookie-cutter approaches. \u00a0They simply don\u2019t work.<\/p>\n
Fifth, remember the point and the purpose of the Huddle (and any meeting for that matter) is that every person has clarity for how they are going to help your team win. \u00a0This goes beyond just completing their tasks. \u00a0They must have awareness for how they are helping each other and working together with to achieve the goals for the day.<\/p>\n
I could keep going but that\u2019s enough to think about. \u00a0The last thing I would say is this: be a leader, doctor, owner that your team wants to win for. \u00a0Nothing will create more motivation in your team than you leading by example.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s my challenge to you, if you want to make this easier on yourself, sit down with your team and write out your own Practice Performance Standards of Excellence.<\/p>\n
Everything from showing up early to being helpful to each other and so on and so forth. \u00a0Work together to document it, if you don\u2019t have it already. \u00a0The more everyone collaborates, the more everyone will respond to it.<\/p>\n
Next week we move on to Educating Patients\u2026 the most powerful responsibility of every practice, doctor and team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"