Episode 799: Adding More Ease To Your Practice

 Tiff and Dana talk about how to know if the best personalities are being utilized in the right ways in your practice. Amid growth beyond gateway positions and desperate hiring, it’s important to consider the larger picture when bringing on new (or moving around current) employees. Tiff and Dana discuss building positions around the needs of your practice, and how to have hard conversations when someone just isn’t working out anymore.

Transcript: 

Tiffanie (00:01.468)

Hello, Dana. We are back again. I cannot stop thinking about your assault bike in your garage now that we have talked about that. I hope everyone listened to our fun conversation on the last one. If you've not listened to Dana and I on a podcast yet, you will learn very quickly that I love quizzing her and learning more about her fitness life. Dana has so many amazing things in her life that I admire her for.

fitness is one mostly because one I just think you're incredible for what you're able to do in the fitness world and I love watching you constantly grow in there and then two it is a rare occasion Dana I'm gonna put this out there and this could sound a little conceited it's a rare occasion that I come across many people in my life that I'm like

I need to know where you got those leggings. I need to know, I need to know where this fitness style came from, because that is like all I wear in normal life and I am extremely like dedicated to that. So you are constantly, you are constantly making me level up my game. And not only that, you're just an incredible wife and mother too, and consultant, and your clients all love you. So thank you for being here with me. I think it's incredibly special to be able to podcast with you. I love that I always get to see you.

in person quote unquote when we do these now. So it makes it even better for me. So thank you for being here today, Dina. And I'm so excited for this. Tell me one I want to tell I want to hear something that you're excited for this year. I know we're a few weeks in now. You and I have talked a lot about goals within our company and within our team. And we've got like our word of the year.

that we're working towards, but a few weeks into the year now, what's something that you're really excited for this year?

Dana (01:53.158)

Oh, so 2024 is a big year of milestones for me, like personally, right? I think there's a lot happening in DAT that I'm super excited about. And then this is a year of milestones for me personally. So I will turn 40 this year. So that's a huge milestone. I'm also celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary. So that's a big milestone and I will have a teenager this year. So.

Tiffanie (02:09.059)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (02:18.292)

girl. Welcome to the club. Yeah, that is a big year. Holy cow.

Dana (02:23.115)

So 2024 is just like a packed year of like just celebrating like still being here, still being together, still all of those things. So I've got just a lot I'm looking forward to this year.

Tiffanie (02:32.273)

Yeah.

I love it. Those are huge. So all of my Dental A team listeners here with us today, if you have any tips on 40th birthday parties and celebrations, 15th wedding gifts, anniversary gifts, and raising a teenage daughter, right? It's your daughter that's gonna be, yeah. So raising a teenage daughter. When your son gets there, I'm here for you. Your daughter.

Dana (02:54.367)

Yeah, yes. Right.

Tiffanie (03:00.464)

I mean, I raised my sister, but that was a long time ago. If I don't count that anymore. So good luck. So if any of y'all have anything you want to send Dana, maybe well wishes and gifts, and you're gonna be just fine. Hello at thedentalateam.com, we will send it her way. I promise you that. Dana, that is a huge year. Thank you so much for sharing that with all of us, not just me, but with the whole community. That was cool. I think that's cool, because you're like, you're just.

Dana (03:21.014)

Yeah, of course.

Tiffanie (03:28.7)

you're moving into so many different spaces of your life. And I think that kind of makes me think of what our topic is, honestly. Like you're moving into these new spaces where the seat that you were in before is no longer your right seat, which is like crazy emotional, first of all. Crazy emotional, but you're just becoming this new version. And it makes me think like when we're in a practice and we're sitting in...

Dana (03:48.55)

Yeah. You did.

Tiffanie (03:58.3)

you know, the space of being 39 and we're, but we're 40, but we stay in that seat of 39 and we're still doing the duties and the things like, are we accomplished? Are we being our best selves? And it makes me think like, if I'm me, and hopefully you guys know me by now, fairly well. I'm a little scatterbrained. I'm a lot of fun. I don't, you know, I'm not super good at details. Not, they're not my favorite.

So if you put me, and I say this all the time, the billing seat, I can do that job. I will tell you right now, hands down, I can do that job. I know how to do it, I've done it, I can train you how to do it, but I'm gonna take two to three times longer than someone else who's more suited for that position. So that's like me staying in my 39-year-old seat, trying to be 40, like I'm more suited for the 40 seat, put me in that seat.

instead of leaving me there. So that kind of, that was perfect. And you know, I'll spin and riff anything. So that was great. But it really makes me think about right seat, right person for the dental practices in any company in general. I think every company should live and breathe by this. So Dana, I wanted to pick your brain a little bit on making sure that we have the right person for the right seat. And I think...

Tell us what is your step one? If I were your client and I were calling you and we were on a coaching call today, we'll say it's our 30 minute coaching call for ease of podcasting. What would you tell me to do to ensure that I had the right people in the right seat? Like what's step one to even know what that looks like?

Dana (05:37.718)

I think whether or not they're great or not, I think pull your job descriptions. I think pull your job descriptions out and look at one, do we need to update and create a job description for what we truly need? But I think it's a looking at each individual position and what do you need out of that position? What do you need as far as the person that is in it? What do you need as far as what are they actually going to do? And then I think evaluate who you have.

And it may be simply as like, we want this team member, right? But we just have to shift them into a different role. And I think it is oftentimes that's where we lose efficiency because we have someone who is doing something that it just isn't their strength or it doesn't truly align with like who they are as a person. So then we get this inefficiency because truly their efforts would be better put somewhere else. And I think sometimes it's

hard to have those conversations. It's hard to think that maybe, you know, we might have to shift things. But I think oftentimes when I hear, well, like the culture or specifically the culture of a specific department, right? Well, my front office, like they're just not motivated and they just aren't organized and they just don't have any systems. And it's oftentimes that it's just truly that the wrong person is holding the wrong responsibilities. And so I think evaluate.

one, your job descriptions that you have, and then say, is this truly what I need? And identify if you don't already, what is the best personality for the needs of the practice? Or the needs of that position for that practice?

Tiffanie (07:15.516)

Mm.

Tiffanie (07:18.772)

I love that. I love that because I think oftentimes we get calls or texts or emergency texts right from our clients and they're like, this person's just not working, I've got to get rid of him or her. And I think you hit the nail on the head there that is it the person that's not working? Or is it the position they're in and Dana, I know you have a couple clients that this has happened with as well. And I just worked through this with I'm working with through currently with the client to but where they're like,

gosh, I love this person. She's so fun. She brings so much value to the team. A ton of culture add, but she sucks chair side or she sucks at calling the patients when she's supposed to. She's just not getting to the things that I asked her to do, but she's so valuable on my team. And I think that's that spot where it's like, okay, cool.

Keeper, like why are we getting rid of someone because they're not doing the task? What if you just have that person in the wrong seat? Now the only caveat I would say to that, not the only caveat, I think there's two things to say to that. Number one, don't build positions around people. And I think that's what Dana's saying here when you go back to your job descriptions. Build your positions around the needs for the business. So do you have those positions built out? Can you clearly see them? And then like Dana said,

What's the personality that fits that position and can you clearly see that? So if you've got someone on your team that you're like, gosh, they're just not working, but I love having them on the team. I think that's like a self-evaluation too, because one, do you love having them on the team and are they bringing value? Or are you afraid to have a hard conversation with them? And then two, are they just in the wrong seat? So then don't go building a position around them.

to keep them, if the position that they would fit in is open and you need it filled, great. But if it's not open, you don't need it filled and you have somebody in there killing it, there's nothing wrong with that person and there's no reason to evaluate that person. Now we go back to the drawing board of square one again with the person that you're having a hard time having a hard conversation with. So Dana, what do you say to your clients?

Tiffanie (09:39.18)

When that call comes, they're like, gosh, I really love them. How do they go about this hard conversation? And we'll do two scenarios. I think scenario one is they love them, and they just need to find the right place for them, and it's available. And then maybe scenario two is like, gosh, we're totally tapped out on team members and overhead for team members, and I need somebody to do that job that this person is in, not someone else's job. So let's...

maybe chop both the scenarios. What would you suggest to your client?

Dana (10:11.142)

Yeah, I think the first one if it is that they are truly in the wrong seat, I think it's having the conversation one I like, I think you and I talked hard conversation several times and it's like admit that it's hard, right? Admit that like, hey, I really, really value as a team member, I think you are great for our culture. I think you're great for our team. I think you're great with our patients, right? We just have you in the wrong seat.

And I think what it is saying, these are the things that I love. These are the things where you are just stand out. And this is the position that needs those qualities, right? You are so good at being organized. You are so great at numbers. You are so great at explaining things and breaking them down. You are so good at follow through. You're really great at tracking things. Well, then I'm going to sit you in that billing position, right? Because that's what the billing position needs. So I think it is one, admit that it's hard, right? Admit that like.

Initially, we brought you on being a treatment coordinator, right? But after evaluating and seeing your strains, we really think you would be a stand out Billing coordinator right now next whatever it is I think it is letting them know that you truly see them you see their strengths and You want them to be fulfilled oftentimes they hear well, they really like They really like insurance verification. Do they or always done insurance verification, right?

Tiffanie (11:10.376)

Whatever it is, yeah.

Tiffanie (11:23.826)

Yeah.

Do they?

Yeah.

Dana (11:29.87)

They honestly really like that. It's like, no, like they took the job that was available. That's what they've always been doing. That doesn't mean that like, they can't excel at something else, or they don't want to be challenged with something else, or they don't want to be put in a position where we know they'll thrive because it's the right position for them. So I think it's just giving them that feedback and saying like, after watching you and seeing you with patience and seeing you how organized you are, I think that this will be a shift that's great for us and great for you.

Tiffanie (11:32.296)

Yeah, yeah.

Tiffanie (11:41.972)

for sure.

Tiffanie (11:48.905)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (12:00.068)

Yeah, I love that. I love that and I love the idea of not being afraid that you brought somebody into a position that might not be the fit for them anymore. And the idea, like you were just saying, the insurance verifications, that's just what she's always done. So it doesn't mean that's what she's so good at, right? Dana's been 39 for a year, but she's gotta turn 40. She can't just stay 39, you know? We can't just stay the age that we are today. We've got to transition to that next year. And I think that's...

spot on with that same like thought process. I know when I was in practice and managing my practice, that position was my gateway position to my practice. So people who didn't have a lot of experience or no experience at all, that was my gateway position with the insurance verifications, bringing them in and really, really training them on the insurance side because they learned the insurance, they learned what we took, how it worked, they learned the treatment planning aspects of it. And they learned

how to read a schedule and the ins and outs of our software. So I couldn't imagine, one, I couldn't imagine doing that position forever, like for all of time. But I couldn't imagine most of the people that I brought into that position, they outgrew it within a year. They were ready for more. They needed a challenge. And most of the women that I put in that position,

And one man, actually one guy, he did really well, but most of the people that I brought into that position were like, gosh, I wanna learn how to treatment plan. A couple of them went to checkout where they were handling a lot of the money, but backup treatment planning. And a couple of them went to just straight treatment planning. Some of them were my scheduling coordinators, but it was a really good gateway position. So I want you guys to imagine that as well. Look at all those job descriptions like Dana.

like Dana said, and look at, do I have all of the positions that my business needs to thrive? And then who fits best personality wise, and also alignment of strengths and weaknesses. We talked about this on another podcast, and really aligning with the strengths and weaknesses for that position, and then the person that you're gonna put into it. Billing is always really easy to pull out, because it's so drastically different than a lot of the other positions in the practice, and a weakness of billing.

Tiffanie (14:22.224)

right, is pivot. The ability to pivot and change on the drop of a dime because they are set in stone. That is, it is a weakness and it is a strength at the same time because I also don't want somebody who's pivoting and changing and aloof because I want you to know that those numbers are right. I wanna trust that your strengths and your weaknesses make you the strongest person for this position. I don't need you to get better at your weaknesses.

I need that to be a weakness because that makes you stronger in the other areas. And so being honest with yourself on what the position actually requires and then being honest with the team members, like Dana said, having that honest conversation, hey, this is where you were, this is where I could see you going. How do you align with that? Like what are your thoughts on that? How does that feel to you? Dana, have you had, I feel like I've seen an uptick in...

people understanding and seeing the value in finding right seat, right person within their practices. I feel like I've had a lot of my doctors and practice administrators really coming to me like, okay, Tiff, I've got something, but like, I think this is what it is. Have you seen an uptick with that with your clients in the last six months? Yeah.

Dana (15:39.242)

Yeah, yeah, I have. And I think it's just with the hiring climate, I think that it points those things out because we don't always right now have the time to wait to where it takes to find the candidate for that seat. So we'll take somebody right or we'll take someone with that Dillon experience. And I think it is we are seeing a little bit more of that because

Tiffanie (15:45.341)

Yeah.

Tiffanie (15:54.632)

pressure.

Dana (16:03.566)

maybe we didn't get the right fit in the beginning. And so now it is, okay, well, I like this person, but I don't necessarily love how they're handling this position. So there is some movement happening in a lot of practices. Yeah.

Tiffanie (16:17.232)

Yeah, I totally agree. Totally agree. Which is fine too. Like that's just where we're at. And I think it also points to hiring for culture. And I think that's fantastic. If you've got people in your practice that you're like, gosh, I just can't let go of this person because they're so fantastic for my practice and my culture. They fit in beautifully. I just need to find a place where they fit in tactfully. You've you've hit the nail on the head with hiring in my opinion, I think hiring for culture number one.

everything else can be trained. So gosh, right person, right seat. I think this is hugely beneficial, like I said, for all businesses, but especially your dental practices. And if you guys feel like you're struggling, if you feel like you've got that team member that you're just not sure what to do with, take those self evaluation tests I talked about earlier, like make sure that it's not you just trying to save someone and avoid a hard conversation that it's truly someone that fits within your practice, and then look at the seats and make sure that they're in the right seat. Or is there a better seat for them? So Dana,

You suggested some great action items throughout, so I'm just gonna pull those through. You said make sure the job descriptions are done and that they're updated. What do you need in your practice? Do you have those job descriptions done? And evaluate within the job descriptions, you said the strengths and the weaknesses, and then look at the people that you have. So I think one of the number one tips that you ever give.

When you're doing, I do watch you do the operations manuals. I know I'm not always there, but I do see you do it and I see you work with your clients all the time. But one of the biggest tips that you give to building out job descriptions is to forget about the people that you already have on board and pretend like you have nothing, you just have a skeleton.

and you're building these positions for the practices need, not the people. And I think that's huge because when you delete the team, like you're just forgetting that you have a team, you can really focus in on what that position needs to do in order for your business to thrive. So I'm adding that one in there. I know we didn't speak on that at time, but we've talked about it on other podcasts. So go listen to all our job description podcasts. I make Dana talk about this all the time. I truly do.

Tiffanie (18:24.132)

But build out those job descriptions, make sure they're updated, make sure it's what you need, that includes the strengths and weaknesses, and then evaluate your team members and make sure that they're in those right seats. If not, have those hard conversations, make those shifts. If you need help, you guys, we are here. Like I've said in all the podcasts that I record, if you're our clients, reach out to your consultant or reach out to our team. We are all here as a team for all of our clients. But you guys, if you're not our client right now either.

We're here for you too. So reach out, hello at thedentaleateam.com. We truly do live to serve. And we are here to serve all of you in the most magical ways that we can. Dana, is there anything you felt like I missed on that? I was feverishly trying to take notes over here while you were dropping some truth bombs over there, but is there anything you feel like they need to know or need to do outside of those job descriptions and evaluations?

Dana (19:14.114)

No, I think you hit it right where it should be.

Tiffanie (19:17.136)

Awesome, awesome. Well, thank you so much for your tips. Thank you for letting me pick your brain and for always throwing you into so many operations manual pieces. I think you're our wiz and I truly lean on you a ton for that. So thank you for being here, Dana. You guys, if you need us, reach us, please.

Hello at the dental a team.com drop us a five star review below you guys. I say that all the time It really truly helps us know that we're going in the right directions for you But then when people are evaluating and looking at podcasts to watch they like to make sure that it's going to work for them That's the easiest way for them to know that this is truly an exceptional podcast reach out to us Let us know what you think Let us know if we can help you in any ways and if there's any topics that you guys want that we're not providing Please send them our way. Thank you all and have a great day