THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE YOUR TEAM

Think for a moment about all the advantages your team has by working for you and in your practice. I can name a few off the top of my head, such as the advantage of working in a caring profession focused on helping patients.

Another advantage is that dental jobs are generally well paying with long-term job security. A third example could be the advantage of working every day as part of a relatively small and closely connected team where each person has a vital role.

Now let’s turn the question on its head. What are the disadvantages of working in an endodontic practice for your team members? I would venture to say the lack of opportunities for promotion are probably at the top of that list, compared to many other professional jobs in society. Endodontic practices aren’t big enough to have much room for vertical promotion. That’s the nature of small business in general.

A dental assistant, even after 20 years in the business, is still likely to be a dental assistant. It’s the same with a practice administrator (although some might become an office manager). Equally, there are no pay bumps that come from promotions like those that occur in larger organizations.

In a lot of endodontic practices, team members reach a steady state where there are no upward opportunities, and every day starts to feel the same in their individual role. That’s a bit of a danger zone because complacency can develop, and they can feel de-energized. In some practices that have issues with gossip or drama, some team members stir the pot just to fabricate entertaining distractions.

Nobody wants to feel stuck, and that is especially true for the kind of intelligent, caring, people-oriented individuals that we need on our dental teams. So how do you give them “progress” in a small business environment where promotions aren’t possible and there is a natural market limit to what their job can pay under normal circumstances?

The solution, which is the greatest gift you can give your team, is challenging them to help grow the practice. Incidentally, practice growth is also how you avoid feeling stuck as a doctor and business owner.

Endodontic practices grow through better teamwork and improved systems that increase efficiency. This is an area that can constantly evolve in your practice, and everyone has a part to play. All that is needed is for you to make it a priority, to commit to it, and to engage and align your team in a higher vision.

And what a difference it makes. It gives the team a focal point for progress. It sets new goals and re-energizes everyone. The achievement of each goal becomes a victory, celebration and point of pride. Each goal is an emotional promotion for the team.

It can also be a tangible promotion: When the team rises above being a “normal” endodontic team to being an exceptional team, and the economics of the practice rises also to exceptional levels, then you have the freedom to reward them at a higher level. Their compensation doesn’t need to be limited to the market value of their generic dental position. You can recognize the special level of teamwork they have developed together with well-earned bonuses each month, and that is incredibly motivating! You will never regret it.

Endo Mastery has worked with hundreds of practices to re-engage teams and drive growth in a way that everyone feels invested and rewarded in the process, and celebrates their progress as a team.