Episode 743: Birdseye View: Practical Application for Growth

Kiera shares what happens when the Dental A-Team comes to your practice — the prep before a consultant shows up, the assessment once boots are on the ground, and the implementations that can bring about a maximum gain with the least amount of effort.

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Transcript:

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0:00:06.2 Kiera Dent: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team members perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner. And I have a team of traveling consultants, where we have traveled to over 165 different offices, coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you. Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress and create A teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team podcast.

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0:00:50.6 Kiera Dent: Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and wow, it's been a while since I've car casted with you guys. For those of you that are new, hi, I'm Kiera, and I'm super happy that you're here with us today. I love to travel, that's something that I'm very passionate about, something that I do. And since the company has gotten bigger, I don't travel to offices as much, but the bird is back on the road traveling to offices. I am late night car casting with you guys. So for those of you that have been with me for a while, you know that you being podcast listeners has truly been something that has kept me awake and alive on the road. So thank you. It's super late tonight. And if you know anything about me, I have a superpower of sleeping. And I love sleep, my body loves sleep. And so when it's late at night and my family's sleeping, because Jason has to get up for work tomorrow, my husband, I definitely will car cast with you guys. So tonight, I am headed up to Washington, just came in from Oklahoma, I kind of feel like a cruise ship in the night.

0:01:56.3 Kiera Dent: This is kind of how it works when we go to offices. So the consultants, we fly out and we get to your offices. And a lot of times they're remote. The offices I've gone to have been about an hour and a half away from airports, which is kind of fun for us. So just kind of peeking behind the curtain of what it looks like when the consultants come to your practice. We definitely... Like I flew out on Sunday to get to the offices, we drive, we get to our hotels, we prep, your team has sent in forms for us. I really believe that oftentimes we kind of focus in on the doctors, which I definitely agree with and I definitely think is an important thing to do. But I also believe that the team is super valuable and we need their input as well. And so before we even come to an office, your team fills out forms. We want to know what they do, what their position is, what they love about their job, because I don't want to be coming in to change those things. And then what's an area that all the team members in your practice think could be enhanced or improved and then any additional notes that they've got.

0:02:54.5 Kiera Dent: So before we go into the office, we get to our hotel and we review those notes and we prep to see what is your office going to need. We're also looking at your numbers and your metrics. What are the baseline numbers? We get... Our clients work with Dental Intel currently, we also work with Practice by Numbers and Divergent. And so we look at those numbers to see what are the numbers telling us about the practice. We've heard the emotional side, we've heard the team member perspective, and now we want to see what are the numbers telling us because the numbers are also the secret to success.

0:03:21.9 Kiera Dent: We're going to do a quick overview, look at your Google review, look at your web presence, look to see what are you guys doing as a very non-biased consultant coming into your practice. I think it's one of the most beautiful things we can do for you is really assess your practice from a non-biased perspective. All of us, oftentimes, especially as business owners and leaders and owners of practices and team members, we get very, very, I would say close to our practices. And so it becomes really hard to become objective. It becomes hard for us to know what is going on with my practice.

0:03:56.0 Kiera Dent: What do I need to do? What things can I change? Because we're in it every single day. So as consultants, when we come in, we're just kind of looking at all the pieces of your practice to see what do we really need to fix, adjust, change for you and make better for you all around. And so we do all that prep work the night before we go into your office. And then we show up to your practice the next morning. We like to be there for morning huddle. We like to see how your team's acting. Don't worry. I know people are a little bit nervous and I don't want them nervous. I understand that it can feel that way. I get it. That feels kind of scary. Someone's coming in to "watch us" even though we're not, we're there just to help you make your life even easier and make it to where you guys have more fun, less stress and better patient care.

0:04:40.6 Kiera Dent: So if that resonates with you and your team, that's what we're there for. And seeing lots of offices ourselves, I mean, I've personally been to about 200 practices across the nation. We really can bring a lot of different eyes and a lot of different perspectives for you that maybe you don't get because you're so close to the practice. So for that, we're able to come in with that. So we come in, we watch you guys for morning huddle, and then really we're just there to observe. So people kind of have called us a ninja on the wall and they're like, Kiera, I had no idea you were even there. And I say, good, I don't want you to know that I'm there, because if you know that I'm there, you're going to not act as normal. I want to hear your exams. I want to hear the things you guys are saying to your patients. I want to hear how you guys are answering the phones. All these little things can be super beneficial and super helpful for you because these are things you guys don't realize you're saying or you're not saying. And so really we're kind of there observing, but at the same time, please don't think of us just sitting there passively. It's a very active process that we do with you, which I thoroughly enjoy, because if I can hear a way that a phone call was answered, or if I can hear different ways that if you just change this verbiage just this way, you could get a different result, let's correct that in the moment with you and your team.

0:05:53.1 Kiera Dent: So, taking a lot of notes, looking for ways that we can enhance. Usually I've got quite a bit of ideas. And then we get together over lunch for about a two hour meeting and we work with your team and you, and we get everybody on the same page. So things that I've seen, things you guys want, and we all agree, what do we want to do over the next six weeks? How could we change our practice and make it even better for ourselves and for our practice and our patients? And then we commit to whatever it's going to be. This is always an exciting time. We play games. We have a lot of fun. We get everybody just on the exact same page and then we all commit. And so that's a really fun time for us as consultants to be creative, to make your teams laugh, to have a lot of fun, to get that engagement.

0:06:36.6 Kiera Dent: Today I did some things about personality profiles. I noticed the teams weren't meshing as well as they could have been. They were doing well, but I noticed a way to enhance. And I also wanted to do it because I wanted to see, do we have right team members in right seats? I know that that was something as the practices are getting bigger, it's really important to constantly assess who's on our leadership team. Who are the people that we're grooming into leadership? Where are they at? What are we needing them to do? And so I thought it'd be really fun to do some DISC profile, teaching them about it, seeing, having them look around the room and who they are. Each practice, it was kind of funny. We had it stacked on different personalities. So in one office, it was a lot of dominant people. And I just asked the question of, do you guys have a lot of tension in this practice? And they all giggled and they said, how do you know that? And I said, 'cause as I can tell you got a lot of dominant personalities in here, I bet you guys could clash at times. And then the other practice had a whole group mostly all of them were S personalities.

0:07:31.2 Kiera Dent: So those steady Eddies, people that don't like a lot of change, they're going to just go with the flow. Well, you can learn a lot about a practice just by doing that. And then we took those personalities and those profiles and had everybody look to see how could they enhance, how could they make themselves a better teammate and a better team player and a better person for their patients as well. And so kind of looking at what are my strengths and what are my weaknesses based on my personality and how can I enhance that to be even better in the practice?

0:07:56.9 Kiera Dent: And then we took it into the tactical. I'm always there for tactical. So as a consultant, I think it's really fun because what we're looking for are we're looking for the quick wins. So if I had a list of 10-15 items, what are going to be the items that if I implement now are going to be the least effort with the maximum amount of gain? And so that's really what we're constantly looking for, least amount of effort, maximum amount of gain. That's going to get you quick ROI. You're going to hopefully see an increase in production or a decrease in overhead.

0:08:27.5 Kiera Dent: For the office I just came from, a lot of things on their billing, their AR, we had some areas they just kind of transitioned their billing department. And so there was a lot of pieces within billing. And so setting up protocols, helping them figure out what it needs to be, putting in KPIs to track and measure, putting in AR spreadsheets so they knew how to do it, getting it all cleared up. And then knowing that AR was a big piece, let's also fix the leaking spot so that way it doesn't get there in the future. So a lot of prep work on when patients check in, let's get a system in that place. When patients are checking out, let's get a system in that place, doing it across the board in two different, three different, four different practices is really what we're about. So it's how can we maximize your practice with the least amount of effort and make your team happier? So I try to do one, two or three items per department or per team member that over the next six weeks they're going to commit to.

0:09:19.4 Kiera Dent: So trying to make it very simple, because what I found is if your teams aren't seeing it as a simple, easy thing to do, it constantly feels like a neverending, almost to-do list. It feels too hard and complexity really, truly is the enemy of execution. So as consultants, we're constantly looking for how can we make this simple? So then what we do is we are, we take it, we type up notes, we type up commitments and we take it around to your entire team and we get them bought in for the next six weeks.

0:09:45.6 Kiera Dent: People always ask me, why do I do it for six weeks? And I believe that we need enough time, kind of like an SRP, we need enough time to see if what we implemented works. Also, six weeks doesn't feel too long. It's a decent amount of time, but it's not forever. And I tell the teams, we're going to try this for six weeks, you give me your all. And then in six weeks, let's assess, let's fine tune, let's change what didn't work, but you've got to give me your all. And then I promise that I will change or adapt if things aren't working, or we need to change it.

0:10:12.9 Kiera Dent: That way the team feels like there is an end date in sight. There is something, this isn't a forever thing unless we like it. And I do that intentionally because change can be hard. But if we know change is short term, and then we keep the things that we're really loving and fine tune the things that we're not loving, it feels a lot more apt for team members to buy into it. So then we wrap up, we give everybody our phone numbers, we check in with them every single week to see how things are doing. I love to be accountable because I think it's really fun to go to a conference or go to an event or go to an experience where you get pumped up, you get amped up, you get ramped up, we come in, we're so excited, we don't know what to implement, and then we don't have anybody to keep us accountable. So what I really love doing with our offices is let's simplify what we need to execute on. My job is to come in, put all the ideas on there, sift through it and make it to where it's very simple and easy for you to implement and then be your accountability coach and partner with you and your team.

0:11:13.7 Kiera Dent: So I set it up, I send emails. So for this office, I'm checking in with them every single week on their AR. I have a spreadsheet there so I can watch the trends with them. They can track their progress, I can track their progress. It's really easy for the office to see my ROI. It's easy for you to see, oh, well, great. We're able to collect this much AOR after the systems we put into place after that visit. So really trying to show each office the ROI we're presenting on a financial side, but also there's the emotional ROI of a happier team, a team that's more cohesive, a team that works better together, a team that was able to close those leaky buckets. We are leaking in lots of areas, every practice does this, it's not special for one practice. And so let's close that up. Let's make sure that we're all quickly closing up that and make it into a system where no one has to really remember it, but it actually can act automatic if we just check the boxes. So as consultants, we really love to find a way where we don't require it to be dependent upon team members.

0:12:11.3 Kiera Dent: Everything I implemented at this last practice and the practice that I'm headed to, none of that is going to be dependent upon a team member. None of that is, oh, because Sarah is here, then we know that we need to get this done. No, it's, this is a system. And so no matter who comes in, it's there, it's on the route slip, it's on the handoff. That way no one has to remember. We have it automated with automatic emails, so that way you don't ever have to remember to fill in your scorecard. There's a reminder to remind you to do it and then someone to spot check it. So that's really a, like, let's take behind the scenes of what does an in-person visit look like? What does that, what is that experience like? Because a lot of people can get nervous, but really, we want the offices to operate. And we only shut down the office for about two to three hours depending upon the size of the practice. And of course we customize this to every single practice of what their needs are, what they're looking for. Some offices want like a leadership retreat. Some people want it to be different things. So today I kind of cut it short and I worked more with the front office team and the billing departments because that was where I needed to focus a lot of the effort.

0:13:11.7 Kiera Dent: But really it's... It's kind of funny. I had one doctor tell me, he said, "Kiera, it's always exciting when you come into the office because I don't know what you're going to do." And I just looked at him and I giggled and I said, "Well, great news. I don't know what I'm going to do either." And that's really, I think the beauty of an in-person visit is there is really no script or agenda. Of course, we're looking at the numbers, of course we're looking at the metrics, of course, we're looking at all those touch points and hot points to make sure we're not missing anything. But really it's, let's look at the flow. Let's look to see how you guys are operating. Let's listen to what you're saying. And then let's make very small, easy, fine tune adjustments that will maximize and optimize what you're doing.

0:13:48.0 Kiera Dent: At this practice I just left, if we were able to collect all that AR, they would over succeed their goals for the year with no extra effort. How fun is that to have something so simple, so easy, and it takes about an extra 30 seconds for each team member? And that's it. That's all they need to do.

0:14:09.3 Kiera Dent: And if they're able to do that together, how great would that be to have better patient experience, to have a better team experience, to hit their goals as a team with ease, and to be able to have more fun together as a team. I had them laughing, we were playing games. I was showing them. We played lots of fun things. How fun is that to do as a team? That's why I love it. That's why I love in person. That's why I love traveling. That's why I'm like a ship in the night tonight, traveling between two different offices. Yes, I'm exhausted. Yes, I feel tired. Yes, my eyes are tired because I am a human. I've switched time zones. I've gone on different coasts. And yeah, I love it because being somebody that can help you see your blind spots, I think is something so valuable for team members and for owners. And so if we're able to do that for practices across the nation, it's pretty magical. It's pretty awesome to be somebody who's not inside the practice, an outside source, an expert, someone who has the tools, the resources, the system, and can put it into place for you with ease. It's not easy, but the things we do are simple. We don't do anything hard. I don't believe in hard.

0:15:16.9 Kiera Dent: I don't want it to be hard because team members don't want to do that, nor do doctors. So let's make it fun, let's make it effective, and let's optimize and maximize what you're already doing and just fine tune. Because so many people say, Kiera, how do you get the results you get? And I'm like, honestly, it's through the simple, easy things that we overlook. It's through how we say it. It's the sequencing of how we say things to get different results.

0:15:39.1 Kiera Dent: So that's kind of a behind the scenes, what it looks like. We're traveling between offices. We're flying tonight. I was running between terminals and gates to get to it, grabbing a different rental car. Today I've been in, gosh, I don't even know, I think four or five different States going between offices. That's what it looks like, a day in the life of the consultant. We're always giggling about all the funny things. I mean, I definitely said the funniest tongue twister at the practice that did not go the way I wanted it to. And the whole practice was laughing so hard and I was having a fun time. And that's what happens, is let's have fun, let's build your team morale, let's build your team culture and let's optimize your systems in your practice.

0:16:16.6 Kiera Dent: And so if that's something that ever appeals to you in your practice, if you'd like someone to come in, if you want someone to come look to see how to optimize what you're doing, that's what it's like. That's an in-person visit for you, A to Z, what we do, what we're looking for, how we engage with your team, how we follow up with you afterwards. And again, like I said, it's different for every single practice. And that's, it's fun, different games, different activities, different things, whatever's going to work for it. And our consultants are super talented. I feel like we're super knowledgeable with dental. We've been there, we've done that, we've done it successfully, which is why it's fun. Let's come share that knowledge. We've seen hundreds of offices. Let's tell you the best of the best and make it easier. Let's not have you go through the hard things.

0:16:54.7 Kiera Dent: Let's tell you what other offices are doing successfully and share that with you. And then our consultants are also super great entertainers. We have a lot of fun. We're really good at putting on a fun, engaging meeting that your team has fun with. And so if that's something that you guys are interested in, I'd love to help you. I'd love to have our team in your practice. I'd love to have us just have an experience that you guys have never had before. It's not that hard, rogue. Let's just do this system. It's let's innovate, let's create, let's do what you and your team want to do and give you tactical practical items that are going to truly change your practice and your life. So if we can ever help you with that, email us hello at the dentalateam.com or click on the link. What can you... Book a call with us. And if you don't, just take this of exactly what I just said and do it for your practice.

0:17:43.9 Kiera Dent: Look at the different areas, pretend to be an outside observer, ask your friends and family, do these little things, look to see, go around, have a little notebook, write all the ideas, go with your team and say, what's going to be the least amount of effort with the maximum amount of gain and how can we implement that into our system? You can do it. It's just fun sometimes to have somebody come and do it for us. And I oftentimes like someone to come do it for me who knows how to do it and also who's going to be objective for me. So again, it's up to you guys. I'm here to help you in whatever way I possibly can. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

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0:18:19.0 Kiera Dent: And that wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Team Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.

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