We’re finally here, the last of the dental team dysfunctions.  I hope you’ve been able to steer your team in the right direction if you found them suffering from any of the previously discussed issues.  Keep in mind, a team can be anywhere in the dysfunctional set.  It is up to the leader to determine where the team is, and develop a plan to over come the problems.  Let’s look at what happens when a team remains dysfunctional for a lengthy period.  I guess you could call this the ultimate dysfunction.

Dysfunction number six:  Lack of Motivation toward Results

When dental team members are allowed to behave unprofessionally, have no sense of compassion or trust, become apathetic and exhibit a lack of respect for others, the ultimate victim is the dental practice.  Most people think it’s the dentist who suffers most, but really, a dysfunctional team hurts everyone on the team in the end because patients will go elsewhere to avoid the negative consequences of dealing with such a team. As a result, the practice does not grow, team members cannot be added, and bonuses are not achieved.  I switched chiropractors several years ago because I could no longer deal with the incompetence of his staff.  He was great, they were awful, I chose someone else.

So if you are a dentist or team leader, how do you keep this from happening to your practice? 

Have a team meeting and inform everyone on the team of your concerns.  Let them know that you have identified team members who are not team players and who put their own interests ahead of the practice’s, and that such behavior will not be tolerated.  Hopefully, by now, you have already spoken with team members individually who have specific dysfunctions.  Have a list of the patients who have the left the practice in the past 3-4 months, or since the dysfunction began, and inform the team of how much money they have lost for the practice due to their dysfunctional behaviors.  (To calculate the amount, just multiply the number of patients who have transferred or not returned as scheduled, by your practice’s average new patient worth.)  This number should get their attention.

Next, go around the room and ask for a commitment from each team member to change her focus to the specific objectives of the practice.  Let them know that if they are not willing to change, you will help them seek employment elsewhere.  You need honesty here.  The simple fact is, some people cannot focus or see beyond their own needs.  They cannot be motivated by teamwork, money, or meaningful objectives, they have chosen to merely exist and survive.  You will not succeed with these people on your team.  You need achievement-oriented people with a desire to win on your team.  The sooner you can hire this type of people, the sooner you can get your practice on the right track.

Find out exactly what motivates each member of your team.  Then make sure you can provide it.  One question I always ask in interviews is, “What motivates you to work.”  Answers I like include: Money; to be part of a team; to be part of something larger than myself; my kids; I want stuff, etc.  The answer I despise is, “I just want to be truly appreciated for what I do.  Money doesn’t matter to me.”  In my experience, this person fits into the category I described above that cannot be motivated.  You can never appreciate her enough!  Just trying to “appreciate” her wears you out, and wears your team out.   But if you can get each individual to identify with the team’s goals by linking it to one of her own, you can gradually get them to come around to a team-based type of thinking.  Bonus systems are supposed to do this, but not everyone it motivated by money. 

I know some dentists do not like bonus systems because they believe it puts the reward on the wrong achievement.  Keep in mind that no dental practice is going to succeed without a strong concept of patient service.  Your patients must come first.  If you have a dysfunctional team, the members of that team are not currently focused on patient service. So whatever you’re doing now is not working.  Getting the team to think about what they have to do in order to achieve a specific reward will get them to treat your patients much better.

Finally, help your team focus on the rewards and objectives of the practice.  If you need to increase collections, set a goal and discuss it daily.  If you want to increase the number of new patients coming into the practice, discuss that daily.  If you have several of these goals, that’s great – just get the team to focus on them by constantly discussing how “we’re” doing.  When someone slips up by behaving in a way that is outside of the interests of the team, don’t reward her by spending time trying to resolve her issue.  Keep all conversations centered on patient service, and reserve rewards and recognition for those who make real contributions to the achievement of the practice’s goals.
Related Posts:

The Meaning of Team (The summary of this series.)

Six Dysfunctions of the Dental Team, Part One

Six Dysfunctions of the Dental Team, Part Two

Six Dysfunctions of the Dental Team, Part Three

Six Dysfunctions of the Dental Team, Part Four

Six Dysfunctions of the Dental Team, Part Five

Posted under Leadership