Australasian Dentist Magazine May June 2021

Category 128 Australasian Dentist it our job to facilitate the transformation to a productive, competent pro who can train others. Why? Because ultimately the goal is to remove yourself from the role of trainer – unless you absolutely love it. It would be misleading to think rookie- to-pro applies to some team members and not to others, but here’s something you should know: There are no exemptions. Creating a winning team means that every team member, regardless of whether their role is clinical or support, is working towards A-player status. A winning team is self-directed In the transition to operating as a training organization, there is an implicit need for the practice owner to give up a level of control and stop directing team members. This can only be achieved when team members are supported with adequate training and resources, and when there is a level of accountability that provides confidence to the business owner that things are done as they ought to be. Apart from the benefit of accountability measures, establishing expectations upfront during the onboarding phase helps practice owners navigate this process with more confidence and certainty. To create awinning teamrequiresmore than desire; it demands a mindset shift backed by systems and processes that start at recruitment, and continue with training for the duration of each team member’s tenure. Successful dental practice owners of the future will make this shift and enjoy the benefits to be gained from operating a training organization that produces income producing assets. u Dr Jesse Green is a leading business coach for dentists, author, speaker, and founder of the Savvy Dentist Academy. He is the creator of the Practice Max™ Scaling Framework, including the strategies that help dentists grow a winning team that will scale their business, so they earn more and work less. Learn more at https://savvydentist.com By Dr Jesse Green columnists Jesse Green Creating a winning team It’s possible in dental practice I n a world where information dominates, we could almost believe the answers to our every business challenges can be solved via a Google or YouTube search. In fact, while abundance of information is the reality, information alone will never solve the perennial issue of that scarcest of business resources: great people. Finding great people for our business – you know, the kind who buy into the practice culture, align to our vision and values, have talent, and a measure of personality – isn’t a case of just asking: Where are they? At least not in the world of dental practice today! What it really requires is a paradigm shift. More than a dental practice owner, you actually own a training organisation that attracts trains, manages and retains people. With that in mind, let’s explore what’s needed to create a winning team. A winning team starts with the right applicants At the time of hiring, if we assume our goal is to attract A-players to our team, it’s up to us to ensure selected candidates are made of the right stuff, but identifying the right candidate is never straight forward. Without simplifying it too much, here are just a couple of my go-to’s: 1. Ensure your job ad is written to appeal to the right people – We all know the market for quality rookies is skewed in favour of the applicant right now, so begin as you mean to go on. Write quality ads that attract quality people. 2. Have a recruitment pack – Invest in creating a recruitment that informs candidates of what they need to know about your business, including vision, mission, and values. Those who don’t align will be more inclined to weed themselves from the process. Remember, the recruitment process should work like a filter, eliminating unsuitable candidates. Onboard with ease Onboarding team members should never be left to chance. We can hardly expect an A-level performance if we haven’t supported them. That means from day one, the intellectual property assets, like documented systems, processes, and training are in place to facilitate rookie- to-pro transformation. This requirement must be baked into our business DNA as part of a broader strategy to produce income producing assets, that is, A-players who generate cash for the business through efficient performance. Train the team Let’s face it, few applicants will come to us with everything we need to grow and scale. Most are diamonds in the rough. In line with my earlier A-player sporting analogy, even the most talented rookies need training and development, making