One Question to Help You Understand Your Team

In all my years working with people in dentistry, I have found that there is one question I can ask a team member that quickly gave me a read on the person and the team.

"How good are you at your job, and how do you know?"

The answers are always quickly revealing. Often a team member will say something like "I think I'm doing pretty good because I'm not getting any complaints," which when you think about it, is a low bar to set for expectations.

Another variation is "Well, I'm keeping up," which is meant to show that they have pride in their ability to manage the most urgent demands, but again, that's a pretty low bar. In some cases, the answer is more like a list of reasons why they can't be their best: an unreasonable workload, not enough support and bad economy.

It's important to note that these answers are coming from people who for the most part are good honest employees who truly want to do well, so it's obvious they are selling themselves short when it comes to appreciating their own value and understanding what they can bring to the practice. They are stuck in a "job role" mindset and are missing the sense of purpose that comes with knowing their "value role."

Seeking a comfort zone?
One of the dangers of job role thinking is that it leads people to seek a comfort zone, which as I have said before, is not really that comfortable. It gets you into a mindset where just keeping up is considered an achievement, when of course real excellence goes way beyond that. Real excellence comes from being in an environment where you are constantly challenged and are trained to welcome disturbances in the name of growth. It is an environment where your abilities are continually tested and concretely measured.

In a practice that has mastered that winning mindset, the responses are notably different. Ask a front desk person how they know they are doing a good a job and they can tell you in no uncertain terms: "I know the patients in this schedule for today are going to show up. I know they are going to leave complete with their payment for today's services. And I know they will leave with their next appointment in hand. I also know they will invite their friends and family to our practice. That's how I know I am good at what I do."

That's an answer from someone who understands her true value to the team. That type of clarity for vision and purpose is essential for every role on the team. It is no coincidence that practices populated with people who have this understanding are practices with the most productive, happy and fulfilled teams. For a fuller discussion of the value roles that make up a great practice, I invite you to check out our online lessons on the subject.