How can fee-for-service practices compete with insurance-driven practices?

Recently, an online dental discussion group brought up this topic:

How can fee-for-service practices compete with those who are in network?

There were a lot of ideas from the group like:

Have the dentist call the new patient the night before to say she is looking forward to meeting them.

Get up from the desk and walking around to greet patients as they enter.

Recognize special events in their lives.

Acknowledge when you are behind schedule.

Provide stellar customer service.

All good suggestions. But if it comes down to numbers, you won’t be able to compete simply on that level. There are TWO DISTINCTIONS above all else that will give you an edge.

The FIRST DISTINCTION is to identify what makes you distinctive. What do you provide that your insurance-driven colleagues can’t or don’t. Are there services that you are particularly known for such as TMJ therapy, sleep apnea solutions or sedation dentistry? Is your specialization one that is unique and notable? Do you offer second opinion consultations? Do you have a comfort dog at the practice?Without something compelling, you are just another dentist. Whatever that distinction is, name it and claim it. Identify who your audience is and above all else, remember the second distinction.

SECOND DISTINCTION: Build your entire practice around this question:”How can we make our patients lives better than when they first walked in?”  You see, no one goes to the dentist for no reason. People have complicated lives and one of the last things on their list is you, the dentist. They only contact you when they believe you can help solve a problem they have – then they want you to go away. And their expectations are usually low because their previous experiences (in an insurance-driven office) were probably less than stellar in part because no one cared to learn about what was important to them. So, the more you and your team develop exceptional behavioral and problem-solving skills, the more you will learn about your patients and what they care about. Everything you do from there is built around that objective: “How can we make your life better than when you walked in?” Identify the answer to this question and remember it throughout each stage of the process. Provide individualized care, fashioned just for them and keep going back to what problem, in quality of life terms, you are helping them solve.

All the other things such as calling patients to find out how they are feeling, acknowledging birthdays or asking about their vacation, even filing insurance on their behalf are nice but it won’t keep a patient from switching practices because they have insurance.

What will make the difference is your unrelenting desire to solve your patient’s problem so they feel good about the experience and can go on with their lives. That is what will distinguish you from everyone else in the marketplace and for a lot of people, that is worth the difference they are willing to pay from what insurance will cover.  It’s really very easy once all the systems and the right people with the right skills are supporting you.

We help dentists evolve their practice to this new model.

The High Cost of Doing Nothing Part 3: Going Paperless

Subtitle: Who’s got the chart?

Many practices treat their computer system and software like buying an expensive car that can perform at a really high level and just parking it in the driveway. It has the potential to do so much more than what you are asking it to do.

Many years ago, Omer Reed said, “If it has been done, it is probably possible.” Well, IT has been done in a multitude of practices. In fact, in Australia, most have been paperless for over a decade – yes, a decade!
On the other hand, in the U.S, we still enter way too many practices where the computer is simply being used for scheduling while a full wall of ugly paper charts is somewhere close by. They are looming like a monster, consuming time and resources and creating chaos and confusion, while the lowly computer, with it’s hidden potential, sits and waits…and waits to vanquish the foe.

There are many compelling reasons for moving to a paperless practice. I’ve combined my thoughts with those expressed in an article by Sandy Roth over a decade ago to address all the excuses against and reasons for going ALL PAPERLESS.

Let’s first examine the excuses we hear for NOT making the full leap:

1. It’s too time consuming (translation: cost and hassle). Baloney.  We would argue that nothing that you purchase for your practice equals the savings you will discover from going fully paperless. Investing the time necessary to fully learn the software and train staff is no different than the time required to learn how to use the digital xray equipment or other clinical tools you have integrated.

2. Not enough space. Baloney again. Flat panel displays and wireless keyboards with wireless networking can fit into almost any treatment area. And what about ipads that can fit in drawers and can be readily available? No excuses here.

3. Fear of losing data or compromising data. If its good enough for the Federal Reserve Bank it ought to be good enough for a small business like a dental practice. If you don’t trust storing or backing up your data on the Cloud, perform a double backup of your data every day and store one set off site. It can happen seamlessly without supervision. No excuse here.

4. Legality and HIPPA. Triple baloney. That problem has been solved and we would submit that digital documentation trumps written notes any day when it comes to litigation.

5. Staff doesn’t want to do it. Too bad! There is such a thing as outgrowing a team. Technologically resistant staff are obsolete staff. If the job requires learning a new skill, that is the requirement for continued employment. Living in the dark ages is not acceptable in a modern dental practice.

6. Too much trouble. A learning curve for any new system or task is to be expected, so build that into your budget of time and energy. Give yourselves a break as you’re integrating any new concept into your practice and you won’t be disappointed.

Now that I’ve tackled the objections, let’s outline the benefits in more detail:  

1. Information is available to everyone on the team – simultaneously. When you work with a paper chart, the only person who can access the information is the one with the chart. In a paperless, computer-driven practice, data can be accessed by every terminal on the network. The dentist can be planning treatment and the patient care coordinator can be entering financial arrangements. The assistant can be charting and the business assistant can be sending the insurance claim for processing. The telephone receptionist can be looking up the date and time of the next scheduled appointments while the facilitator is looking at the notes regarding previous conversations with the patient. (I know – some software systems haven’t quite figured out how to let you do this and I say, shame on them!)

2. Writing notes takes longer than typing them into the computer and are likely to be less complete. When tasks are easier, they are more likely to be done and to be done consistently. Notes taken on the computer are almost always more complete, and people report that they get into the habit of writing notes on the computer pretty quickly. AND THEY ARE LEGIBLE!

3. The computer is easy to find…charts cannot be counted on in that way.They have a way of going missing. Who has the chart? Did the
doctor take it home? Is it buried somewhere in his black hole office? Does the hygienist have it? Has the business manager held onto it for collections purposes? Where can it be?
When a patient calls in to cancel, or with an urgency, or to ask an insurance or billing question, having instant access to the chart on the computer can save huge amounts of time and provide important history to address the call in an expedient and appropriate way.

4. Tired of bringing an expandable briefcase or box full of charts home? You can tap into your computer off-site and access patient information.

5. Handwriting and legibility is no longer an issue.

6. No more confusion about where the information is. No more asking if it is in the computer notes or in the paper chart. No question of whether information goes on the green sheet or yellow sheet. And no more routing slips. Information is stored in logical and consistent places on the computer and everyone knows where to find it.

7. Saves trees.

8. Eliminates the ugly, untidy chart wall.

9. Records of insurance submissions are kept on-line so no riffling through stacks and piles of paper to find what you need.

10. Miscellaneous information is easily scanned into the database, so
letters from and to referring dentists, notes from the patient, signed financial agreements and authorizations can be kept handy and easily accessible.

11. One-write systems. Write it once and its done. No writing things on the chart, on the route slip, on the day sheet, in the notebook that is kept in the front, in the display board in the lab and the log of lab cases. It’s enough to drive a person crazy. No wonder there are so many mistakes and so much confusion in so many practices!

12. Information is power. When more information is collected, recorded, retrieved and reviewed, the practice runs more smoothly, relationships with patients are stronger, confusion is minimized and misunderstandings are headed off at the pass. Less confusion, misunderstanding, mistakes, and angered patients equal less legal vulnerability as well.

If you were to visit a fully paperless practice, you would see the impact it has. Team members are more prepared, more informed and more involved in patient relationships as a result. Information is more accurate and more likely to be recorded. When it is recorded, it is more likely that team members will look for it. As a result, information which is gained is actually used and the relationships with patients are more successful.

Find out exactly what it would take for you to eliminate the paper and plan to GO FULLY PAPERLESS before the end of the year. Circle the date on the calendar and contact me for your Going Paperless White Paper and to arrange a team teleconference to get started.

High Cost of Doing Nothing Part 2: Underperforming Staff

All too often, dentists choose to ignore underperforming staff instead of addressing the problem. Why? Because doing nothing seems like a better option than going through the time and hassle of correcting the situation. But ignorance is not bliss.

Whether your employees are texting during work hours, slacking on the little things, stirring you-know-what among staff or committing major errors, your under-performing employees, to put it harshly, are stealing from you. The focus and energy these employees sap from the practice deprive you of much more.

You can not be as effective in your role when you are worrying about whether your staff is doing their job. Add to that the internal conflict that can develop when an employee doesn’t pull her own weight or “gets away” with it and others have to pick up the slack. The rest of the team begin to resent it and factions form. The next thing you know, trust and teamwork has eroded and you have a full blown dysfunctional team.

When all you wanted was to avoid all the hassles, you end up spending more time managing the inefficiencies and conflict.

Enough already. You can no longer afford to work with people who are inefficient, ineffective, and cost your practice time, money and negative energy.

The first step is to admit your role in allowing it to occur, take a big breath, then set out your plan for a course correction.

          Use this step-by-step approach to do away with under-performers

Define your expectations:
Expectations are reasonable only when they are clearly conveyed and that is where you should begin. Before you decide to let anyone go, apologize for your lack of leadership. Then clearly convey your expectations and give your staff the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to change and perform at a higher level.

There are a number of areas that come up often in discussions with dentists and may have been overlooked in your employee manual. While they may seem like a no-brainer, you simply have to spell it out for them. These details have to do with work ethic, performance, code of conduct, and dress code. Bring your group together and discuss them along with other important expectations. Here’s a partial list:

-Dress and personal hygiene
-What is and is not appropriate to discuss with patients
-Cell phone use during work hours and breaks
-What to do when there is down time
-Calling in “sick”: advance notice and when it is appropriate NOT to come to work
-Showing up on time and being prepared before the work day begins
-Unacceptable behavior with fellow team members (ie: non-communication, triangulation, favoritism, tattling, passive-aggressive behavior, raising your voice)
-Responsibility to identify, call attention to, and catch errors before they happen – no matter who’s job it may be

Once these expectations are clear, everyone must agree upon them. You must also outline the consequences if the expectations are not met and emphasize that you will hold each person accountable.

Follow through with consequences:
Whatever your approach, stick to it. For instance, if you establish a one strike rule, one violation equals one strike. That’s it. You formally put them on notice, in writing, and monitor improvement with a specific deadline for a follow up evaluation.

Cut them loose:
Seriously. Fire employees who don’t get with the program. Get rid of the bad energy, increase your chances for a healthy and productive team. Your documentation will provide the support and justification for letting them go and it will demonstrate to the rest of the team that you are committed to a higher standard.

Provide lots of positive feedback and recognition:
Start establishing a culture of excellence by continually recognizing those who are performing at a high level.
-Verbally mention their performance in the moment, in front of patients and co-workers.
-Take time during team meetings to call attention to a team member’s exemplary work.
-Plan on recognizing high performance with unexpected recognition such as a gift card, or one time bonus to show appreciation to the group or individually.

If you aren’t getting your money’s worth, make a change in the way you address staff who aren’t living up to your standards and expectations. Start today because there IS a high cost for doing nothing.

High Cost of Doing Nothing Part 1: Marketing Basics for Dentists

Herb’s practice was struggling. His new patient flow had dwindled and after practicing for 30 years, he had become resistant to change. The thought of promoting his practice went against his long-held beliefs that it cheapened the profession. So, he did nothing.

On the other side of town, Sam had built her practice from the ground up. That was two years ago. And while she used her street smarts to market her practice, she wasn’t feeling confident that her time and money were being used in the most effective way.

The simple truth is, if you don’t tell people who you are and what you do, they will not become your patients. In today’s marketplace, there is a very high cost for doing nothing.

And while marketing is not usually the dentist’s area of expertise, it is essential to have a strategic marketing plan. Here are some basic rules that every dentist should know and use to guide their decisions for implementing a solid marketing plan. Successful marketing comprises of a combination of five key components:

REACH – Target your message to the specific group or groups you wish to attract.
If you are a pediatric or family dentist, you want to focus your efforts on targeting and appealing to young families. On the other hand, if you specialize in exquisite implant-supported dentures, you will want to reach out to affluent seniors. The more specific you can identify your niche in the marketplace, the more targeted your reach.

FREQUENCY – Send messages and send them often.
Each message or “impression” builds on the last. Consumers rarely experience one exposure or message and remember your name or what you do. It requires multiple impressions for a potential patient to connect with who you are and what you offer.

CONSISTENCY – All messages should speak with one voice.
Focus on identifying your niche and brand and tie together your messages with visuals and content that are similar. One logo, one font and color palette, one positioning statement, consistent approach and style.

VARIETY – Send your marketing message through a number of different avenues.
Identify unique opportunities in your community to raise awareness of your practice and cross-promote whenever you can. This will help increase your REACH and FREQUENCY. For instance, sponsor a charity event or a sports team, billboard presence, host a talk radio program, health fairs, personal letter of introduction to new residents, targeted print publications or magazines, collaborative relationships with other businesses, active community involvement such as Rotary and Chamber of Commerce.

TOP-OF-THE-MIND PRESENCE – Connect with patients when they are likely to need you. It is difficult to know or plan for your messages to connect with people at the very moment they decide they need a service that you offer. But if you are committed to a campaign that focuses on REACH, FREQUENCY, CONSISTENCY and VARIETY, you are more likely to connect.
So, when someone is “in the market” for your services and they either search online for or come across your information, they will think, “I know them. They are familiar. They are known for (fill in the blank). I’ll give them a call.” It is familiar to them because of the marketing foundation you have previously laid.

IMPLEMENTATION
You must identify goals, and develop a plan and timeline for your marketing. This will likely require the support of a team member who is fully capable of helping you in this endeavor. Make sure this is included in her job description and she is given the time, tools, and authority to make it happen. If you don’t have the resources on your team, reach out to a local marketing specialist to help you deploy your marketing plans.

EVALUATION
When you are developing your marketing strategy, also plan for evaluating the results of your efforts to insure you are making good use of your investment of time and money. How will you assess the effectiveness? What indicators will you use and at what stage will you review the campaign and make course corrections, if necessary?

CONVERSION
If you spend time, effort and money to implement a solid marketing plan, you better have your internal house in order AHEAD OF TIME.

This is HUGE. You want to make sure that when the target patient you attracted through your marketing, calls and visits your practice, the experience matches what they have come to learn about you. If it isn’t exceptional, you’ve wasted your time and resources. Many practices make the mistake of spending large budgets on marketing their practice only to lose potential patients at the beginning of the relationship because their staff lacks the skills to connect with them in significant and meaningful ways.  In my opinion, this is the most common marketing mistake made!

Contact me to receive a marketing questionnaire to help you clarify what you are doing now and what you should focus on. And if you would like help reviewing your systems, communication skills, practice perception and marketing strategy, I invite you to call me for a more in-depth conversation.

Mercury Aligns With Mars

Do you promote yourself as a holistic or a mercury-free dentist? If you do, then you know that working with this special group of patients brings a unique set of challenges. Recently, I conducted a Team Teleconference with a group who was struggling with how to best serve these patients.

Their goal:  To better understand these patients and learn how to connect with them more successfully. In other words, how can we align with what they want?

Here’s the email they sent me to establish the agenda for our session:

Holistic calls seem to always be the challenging call in our office. The patients are always very detail oriented  and can really throw us off with some of the questions asked. Another problem we face is they take so much time on the phone. I immediately guide them to our holistic website and walk them through our holistic approach when removing Amalgam.
 
There seems to always be a lack of understanding by the patient about what is involved. What I constantly hear from these patients is that they don’t want to have an exam, (don’t want) x rays and just (want to) have their amalgam removed.
 
How can we efficiently handle these calls? How can we handle these conversations to help the patient better understand why the exam and digital X rays are important? How do I get these patients to understand our process without coming off “rude” or “condescending”?

Keep in mind we do offer the consult as a last resort to help convert the call to a future appointment.

Our session brought about some clarity by breaking down the knowns and unknowns.
To start, the team identified some common themes that emerge when working with these patients:

1) They do a lot of personal research on the Internet.
We know that there is an equal amount of incorrect information as there is accurate information out there and each patient will struggle to discern what is fact and what is fiction. When they call your practice, they already have a set of beliefs which may or may not be correct. If what you tell them goes against what they have begun to believe, they will experience some internal conflict.

2) They self-diagnose or have been told by a trusted authority that the mercury in their mouth is;

1) toxic and 2) may be making them sick.
This may or may not be true in their case but you will not change their belief system in a short phone call. It is what it is. Gaining clarity about what they believe is essential and you must use this as the CONTEXT for which you will begin your relationship with them.

3) They are apprehensive and slow to trust.
They may believe you want to perform other procedures that aren’t necessary or will also be harmful. Some individuals may have had negative experiences with health professionals in the past, which leads to their distrust. They have a story and you must take the time to learn what that is.

4) They are health-focused.
Some of these patients place high importance on their diet and their exercise regimen – sometimes to the point of obsession. On the other hand, they may have a multitude of health issues and their life revolves around illness and doctor appointments. This is a part of the story you will uncover and must understand in order to determine IF you can help them, and if so, HOW you will offer to help them.

Because of these issues, they will consume more time than your typical patient, asking questions  and discussing their unique circumstances. There is no way you will change this. If you are going to serve this special group, you MUST be prepared to take the time required to fully understand them.

Also, there is a BIG difference between being efficient, and being effective. Efficiency relates to paper and processes while effectiveness relates to working with people. And effectiveness can’t be measured by whether or not you convert the phone call to an appointment. Not all callers are ones you will want to invite to become your patients. You must know when to cut your losses.

During our session, we broke it down into bite-size pieces to come up with a more effective way to work with these patients when they call.

What do they want?
In quality of life terms, what are these patients hoping you will help them with?

-They want to feel better
-They want peace of mind in knowing the possible toxins are gone

Above anything else, this is what you are providing. The procedure of removing the amalgam fillings will simply be the means by which you will help them get there.

How do they want you to accomplish this?
-They want it done in the least amount of steps necessary
-They want the safest procedure possible
-They want it done for the least amount of money

What don’t they understand?
-They’ve been told or read something they have come to believe that is different from what we tell them.
-Why xrays are necessary.
-Why a thorough exam is both clinically necessary and required by law.

How can you help them get what they want?

Because you don’t know what might be necessary just by talking with them on the phone and the approach requires a thoughtful process considering their unique situation, you will need to provide the context for why this is important in their case. Experiment with the following process and refine it as you get more successful:

1) Find out more about their unique situation – learn their story
When a caller begins the conversation by asking about mercury-free dentistry or removing amalgam, find out why they have an interest. It’s as simple as saying;

“That’s a great question. You’ve called the right place. Tell me a little more about your situation and let’s see how I can help you.”

2) Be quiet, listen, and take notes.
The patient will choose to tell you those things that are most important and can provide you with the foundation for how you will relate what they want with what you offer.

(Sidenote: if the caller begins by telling you every little detail that happened years ago, there are several ways in which to determine whether you must 1) disengage because of red flags, 2)  focus the caller, or 3) offer to refer them to a source of reliable information (like your web site), and call them back at a later time. More on this in a separate article.)

3) Use what you have discovered to provide context to the solutions you recommend.
It doesn’t matter that the protocol you use for each person is the same. You must make what you recommend unique to their particular situation. Remember to:

-refer to them by name
-acknowledge what you have heard
-explain what you recommend based on what you have heard
-get their approval

Here’s an example:

“Barbara, because you mentioned you suspect the mercury in your mouth may be causing some of your health issues, Dr. Holistic will want to learn all about those concerns. She will also want to evaluate what other things might be occurring in your mouth that you would want to be aware of and whether they may be contributing to your problem. I would like to suggest we arrange a time for you to come in to discuss your concerns with Dr. Holistic and she can to determine what diagnostic tests may be appropriate to discover the best way to help you. These may likely include xrays to see what the human eye can’t see going on under the surface. How does that sound?”

(Another sidenote: the subject of xrays and some patient’s reluctance to allow them is another layer of the story. You must peel back this layer in order to understand why this is a problem for them. Don’t assume you know what it’s about. Stay curious and relate to what they are telling you. If you would like to know more about how to address this issue, contact me for a primer on the subject.)

The TAKE HOME MESSAGEs:

Stop telling and start listening.

Use what you learn to create the framework for how you will help them.

Make it personal and unique to their situation.

You can use this same approach with ANY patient. It will help you connect more personally to each caller, begin to develop trust and help you establish a strong relationship from the very beginning.

Rube Goldberg and Stupid Systems

Every year, students compete all over the country in the Rube Goldberg Competition. Named after the American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer and inventor, it is now a noun. The process of creating a Rube Goldberg is defined as: doing something very simple in a very complicated way that is not necessary.

We see this every day in all kinds of businesses. The most recent example I witnessed last week at the new BurgerFi restaurant that just opened in my town. If you haven’t heard of this place, it’s a burger joint…plain and simple. And I’m guessing that because there are a lot of burger places, and most of them are less expensive, BurgerFi, which is a franchise, wanted something unique to set them apart from their competitors.

Enter the tracker system they use once you order. The order taker at the counter gave us our tracker and instructed us to place it on the mat on the table so our order could be delivered to us.

Now here’s where it gets tricky.

We find a seat and sure enough, the mat is easy to spot – right in the middle of the table.  We placed the tracker on the star in the middle of the mat which has black hole in the middle, which we assumed communicated with some high-tech GPS system so they know where to bring our order.

Sidebar: The BurgerFi logo is on the tracker pad. This is important information for later.

About two minutes go by, then the owner/manager comes over to our table and moves the location of the tracker, explaining we placed it in the wrong spot.

We take a closer look and in small print on the four corners of the mat are the words;     Place Table Tracker Here

We missed that. So I called the owner/manager over to ask him how often he has to change the location of the tracker for his customers. He told us “about 40% of the time…”. So, four out of every ten orders, he runs around the restaurant having to “fix the system”. I asked him if there might be a better way to find the right table without all the unnecessary effort. His reply was something along the lines of “Yes. But it’s part of the BurgerFi experience.”

This is a classic Rube Goldberg: doing something very simple in a very complicated way that is not necessary. There are so many other systems for delivering food to the right table that don’t occupy someone’s time trying to fix what isn’t working. Unfortunately, no one wants to abandon the system for a better way because the company has invested so much in the system and has tied it in with their “brand”.

Is your practice guilty of some Rube Goldbergs? Do you have systems that don’t benefit you or your patients? Systems that are outdated? Systems that require remediation? Systems that occupy the time and energy of valuable staff for no payback? The router system? The half the record in the paper chart/half on the computer system? The hygiene post card/phone call/email reply for “confirming” appointments system?

Bring your team together and use this blog post as a conversation starter about the stupid systems in your practice and how you can think smarter, not harder.

Change is good

 

We may not like it but we are constantly in a state of change. Some change is hard.   For instance, It’s time to upgrade my iPhone but I have to upgrade my Mac’s operating system first, which I’ve put off because if I do, my database management software isn’t supported and it will need to be upgraded too. That’s not my idea of fun and it doesn’t come easy to me so I’ve avoided it. But change can also be good. You see, once I upgrade all my devices, I’ll be able to do things better, quicker and with less effort than I did before. So, I have to embrace change, take the plunge and not fight progress any longer. Things change in your patient’s lives too. What might not be a problem for them last month might now be an issue. Their priorities, their job, their perspective can all change quickly and you must be prepared to adjust to those changes as well. The more you adapt, the greater your success. Change is uncomfortable but necessary Think about all the changes that have occurred in your practice over the last year or so. Equipment, procedures, staff, your patient base. It’s likely that those changes were met with some level of cynicism or resistance before people realized the benefits. Just like the bad boyfriend or girlfriend, once you make the decision to change the situation and do something different, you probably thought to yourself “I wish I had done it sooner”. I want to help you embrace change. To start, ProSynergy has made some changes and we have a brand new web site. I would love for you to check it out and let us know what you think. As an incentive, I’ve posted a link to the home page for you to receive a free two-hour audio program called: No Two Days are Alike: A Survival Guide for Successful Change It is my gift to you for taking a look and learning more about how we can help you become more successful in the face of inevitable change. Click here to visit the web site and access the free program

Doc, I Want a Raise!

A recent poll conducted by Real Money magazine reveals that 71% of the respondents want a raise this year. The clients we work with will often give us two perspectives;

1) A call from a dentist wanting help with performance reviews. It’s time for raises and the staff is pressuring the dentist for a review. Or the dentist is panicked because she promised reviews six weeks ago, but has been avoiding it because it takes so much time. Or the dentist feels reviews and raises just create trouble and is tempted to just give everyone an across-the-board raise to get it over with.

2) A call from a team member wanting to know how to get her (or his) dentist to do performance reviews. She might complain that he keeps rescheduling them, and she needs some valuable feedback. She may feel she is entitled to earn more money because she believes she’s carrying a big load. Or the dentist promised a review after six months but she’s been working there ump-teen years without any feedback.

Here are some thoughts from Sandy Roth about this timely topic:

I’ve written several essays on the issue of compensation and performance evaluations. By now you know that we encourage our clients to compensate staff based on merit and work performance, not length of service or time of the year. For that reason, it is essential to establish a system of reviewing the performance of every member of the team at regular intervals. But how do you structure such an evaluation? And how can these evaluations be done without becoming a huge burden for the
dentist?

The process can be made simple if the preliminary work has been done. We can’t talk about evaluations without mentioning that a Statement of Performance Expectations must be in place for each employee. A Statement of Performance Expectations is quite different from a traditional job description.The job description was a union invention which outlined exactly what the employee was expected to do and thus guarding her from having to do anything more. This mentality makes no sense in dentistry, where each person is expected to grow and change as the needs of the client and practice change.

Whereas a job description outlines the employee’s tasks and limits the scope of her influence, a Statement of Performance Expectation widens her sphere of influence by suggesting ways she might have a greater impact on the success of the practice. When a Statement of Performance Expectations is appropriately in place for each employee, performance evaluations are a breeze.

The next step is to involve each employee in her (or his) own evaluation. The process is amazingly simple and wonderfully healthy. The employee begins by evaluating her own performance, using the Statement of Performance Expectations as a guide. Simultaneously, the dentist (and in more sophisticated teams, other team members) evaluate the team member’s performance, using the same guide. The employee, dentist and other relevant team members all participate in the Performance Review meeting, during which each of the participants contributes his or her perspective on the employee’s impact on the success of the practice. This meeting is held discussion style and everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.

At the conclusion of the meeting, new goals are set, new expectations are identified, new training and learning opportunities are planned, and supportive commitments are made to the employee. Finally, the next Performance Review meeting date is set.

The following structure outlines some of the categories of expectations which you might want to consider. Use this list as a starting point and add your own ideas. For each area, identify first the expectation then the actual level of performance or mastery.

Evaluation of Clinical Effectiveness or Administrative Accuracy/Efficiency
Clinical Acumen – Diagnostic Skills – Clinical Intervention Skills – Clinical Information Skills – Clinical Strategy Skills – Clinical Collaboration – Information Transfer – Administrative Efficiency and Accuracy – Record-keeping and Tracking

Evaluation of Client Relationship Effectiveness
Listening Skills – Questioning and Learning Skills – Other Communications Skills – Ability to focus on the patient – Sensitivity to patients and their issues – Ability to develop and advance healthy relationships – Ability to transfer information to the team – Ability to handle difficult patients – Social skills – Feedback from patients

Evaluation of Team Participation
Listening Skills – Questioning and Learning Skills – Other Communications Skills – Collaborative Skills – Conflict resolution skills – Respect for others – Finesse

Evaluation of Practice Alignment
Alignment with practice vision – Problem-solving skills – Willingness to commit to the success of others – Planning and strategizing skills – Ability to spot trends and stay aware of changes – Growth patterns/Personal commitment to learning

Please note that some evaluation points are duplicated under more than one evaluation category. It is not unusual for a team member to be extremely effective with patients and out of whack with the rest of the team. These differences are worthy of notation.

Obviously, the expectations will be different for each member of the team, depending on her (or his) role and level of responsibility, and, of course, not all team members will have clinical responsibilities. So, you must individualize the Performance Evaluation categories and items to reflect the expectations of the individual team member.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that every team member should have the same expectations and evaluation criteria. Although they are entitled to equal respect and attention, no two team members are the same, nor will they ever be. For that reason, the Statement of Performance Expectations as well as the evaluations for two team members who occupy essentially the same position will necessarily be different in some significant ways. The important thing is to set a time for evaluations and involve everyone in the process.

If you haven’t yet created Performance Expectation Statements for your employees, it is not too late. ProSynergy’s Hiring Kit is packed with information to help you learn how to create, even remedially, great relationships with your staff.

Top 5 professional habits you should commit to in 2014

With every new year, comes an overwhelming amount of commentary on new year resolutions and goals. A lot of them are common sense no brainers mixed with an equal amount of recommendations we know are unattainable. Reflecting upon 2013, I would like to shift the conversation to some things I believe have become overlooked.

I have discovered that many people have forgotten the basics. It annoys me when the professionals I work with don’t afford me these common courtesies. If you want to gain respect from your colleagues, patients, customers and employees and you want them to offer you the same respect in return, it is absolutely essential that you follow these very basic rules of business etiquette in 2014.

Here are my TOP 5 No-Brainers every business professional should commit to in the new year:

Number 5: Don’t interrupt.
Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule and if you made it through high school, you can surely figure out what those are. I’m talking about people who cut you off in mid-sentence because they believe what they have to say is more important than what you are expressing. It indicates they are not listening. It comes off as rude, disrespectful and confrontational. If you are guilty of this, listen more, talk less. If someone else violates this rule, let them know you weren’t finished with your thought.

Number 4: Do what you say and say what you do.
If you tell someone you are going to do something, don’t just talk about it. Do it! If you aren’t sure you will follow through, don’t commit to it. How many times have you been disappointed by someone who has said they were going to do something then dropped the ball? And it adds additional insult when they don’t give you the courtesy of letting you know, which leads me to 4a:

4a) If you commit to something then discover it was unrealistic or you can’t follow through, own it.   It’s as simple as saying you’ve discovered you’ve bitten off more than you can chew or your time commitments have gotten the best of you. You will continue to earn respect from your peers, co-workers, and employees when you are honest with them about your shortcomings.

Number 3: If you change your mind, say so.
Everyone has that right. But changing your mind and not telling us is not OK. People will have different expectations and you will inevitably disappoint them – possibly make them angry – if you don’t tell them your thinking has changed. We will continue to think you have your original mindset unless you tell us otherwise.

Number 2: If you are in a meeting or conversation, DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR CELL PHONE!
We’ve all been on the receiving side of someone who shifts their attention from us to their “next-best friend”. Why would anyone think this is appropriate? This is rude and disrespectful. Period. But it is occurring at epic proportions these days. Just because others engage in this behavior doesn’t mean it’s OK. It says they could care less about what’s happening outside the edges of their smartphone screen – so why should we? Business owners and CEOs can often be the biggest violators of this. Regardless of how important someone is, your time is equally important. If someone does this to you, stop talking until they look up and tell them you’d be happy to continue when they aren’t pre-occupied. Let’s shut this behavior down in 2014.

Number 1: Reply to emails. And do it in a timely manner.
Just like the sign in the public bathroom stall that says; “please flush after use”, this is so basic that I shouldn’t have to mention it. That being said, a large percentage of the emails I send out go unanswered. If email isn’t your thing, tell people up front or simply don’t give out your email address. Otherwise, people expect an acknowledgement or reply – THAT’S WHY WE SEND EMAILS! If you don’t reply, it’s the same as saying you don’t care or the sender isn’t worth your time. Your lack of response indicates your lack of interest which erodes your credibility, regardless of your position or role in any business.

Are you starting to see a pattern here? Every one of these has to do with professional courtesy and respect. And if we want people to respect us and behave in a certain way, we have to commit to that behavior ourselves. That is the hallmark of a leader. And yes, these are basic. That’s where we have to begin to build a solid foundation of professionalism, gain respect from others and to further develop our effective communication skills.

Do you have something you would like to add to this list? Let’s start a dialog and spread the word in 2014.

Smile Gallery No-Nos

What’s a dental web site without good Before and After photos?

But honestly folks, most Smile Galleries, or Results pages or Before and After sections – whatever you call it – they seem to fall short. Most of these pages look like a hot mess and I’ll tell you why.

Most dentists don’t understand why people visit that area of their web site and what those future patients hope to find. I believe it is because most dentists are looking at something entirely different. They are looking at their artistry. Their patients, not so much.  Please understand that what is appealing to you is not necessarily appealing to your patients. Frankly, while the intricate, artistic work you are trying to showcase may impress you and your colleagues, it is lost on most patients. Yes. I said it.

I believe that people look at these pages to imagine what might be possible for them. They want to “dream” and envision how they might look and how their life might be different. They might attract someone and develop a relationship, they may get that promotion, they might develop new-found confidence, maybe begin a whole new career path, or it could be as simple as feeling comfortable enough to smile again, or chew steak, or bite down on an apple. Anything you can do to help them connect with that feeling can encourage them to take that first step.

Here are my Top 3 Before and After No-Nos

No-No #1: Close-ups of just mouths

Detached mouths without faces are not compelling to patients. Besides the teeth, there are other subtle nuances that aren’t so attractive – namely male facial hair. Ugh. It really detracts from the beauty of the dental work. And while the work you’ve performed may be impressive, what they see does little to help patients connect with the benefits. I encourage you to display full faces instead of just mouths. It actually makes the difference even more dramatic and helps bring the humanity to what you do.

No-No #2: Scary Before Images

Clicking on a page and seeing scary Before images may do more to discourage than encourage potential patients – especially those who are fearful. I would prefer seeing beautiful After faces and smiles when I arrive on a Smile Gallery page.

How might they see the Before images to appreciate your work? How cool would it be to “roll over” the beautiful After image to reveal the Before image? I have seen this technique used in the past and it is SO much more impressive! Sadly, I searched my bookmarks and can’t find a single site that features after photos with a before rollover. Why not be the first? If you’ve fashioned your Gallery like this, please, please PLEASE send me a link. I would love to share it with your colleagues.

No-No #3: Anonymous Smiles

Who are these Before and After faces and what are their stories? Think about the impact it would make to include a brief story about their struggles, how they decided to make a change and how, with your help, it has made a difference in their life. This is where the magic can happen for people. Patients are more likely to connect with the quality of life benefits they are hoping to receive with your help. They will read something that makes them think “That’s me!”.  It can give them courage and motivate them to action.

With these three No-Nos in mind, you’ve got roughly a month before the season of self-improvement rolls around: January. Take inventory of your own Smile Gallery and consider if making some changes might better serve your practice and encourage more potential patients to take the next step.

And if you need help coordinating the effort or telling your patient’s stories, give me a call. I can help you make over your smile gallery for greater impact.