Thoughts on Employee Retention – April 2022

Get ready for crusty Dr. Kuba! Today, she talks about her natural aversion to forced holiday celebrations. She confesses that she has never celebrated dental assistant week, administrative assistant day, etc. She and Bethany talk through all the reasons why she resists these celebrations. Dr. Kuba confesses that she gets cranky even thinking about the holidays. Bethany advises listeners to truly think through team member expectations and to determine a balanced approach to team member anniversaries and other holidays. It is important that team members feel valued but also that practice owners are careful with how they celebrate. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
The Basics of Team Building
Creative Team Building Ideas

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Bethany has her dad, Dr. Jones, in the studio today. Together, they discuss a hot topic – hiring family members or friends to be a member of the dental team. Dr. Jones has employed multiple friends and family members throughout the years of his profession. For him, it felt like a dream come true, but he discusses that it is critical to have clear expectations before the friend or family member joins the team. Many potential problems can be eliminated with clear communication. He also suggests having higher expectations for friends and family members, rather than lower expectations. In addition, Bethany recommends frequently asking for feedback from team members to ensure that the environment stays healthy. Finally, Dr. Jones throws in a few ideas for showing appreciation to employees. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
How to Have Corrective Conversations with Employees
When Team Members Complain

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While work culture has always been a “thing,” it has become a very important “thing” over the last few years. Whether it is due to post-pandemic depression and anxiety trends or workforce generational gaps, work culture has taken a hit. It has become increasingly difficult to keep teams working together well and staying focused on the main task of work. Bethany believes that many of the problems she tackles in her consulting business stem from culture issues. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss several examples of work culture problems, and then they discuss various ways to tackle the topic of work culture. While it may seem like a fluffy or unimportant topic, it is actually a critical one that can impact the success of the practice. So, stay tuned! 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Discovering Your Why and Then Practicing Happy
The Basics of Team Building

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While accountability may seem simple, it is actually quite complex. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the many reasons why it can be so complicated. On one hand, a practice owner cannot be too soft, and yet on the other hand, a practice owner cannot be too rigid. Accountability requires a strategic mind, good communication, and consistency. Dr. Kuba confesses that key team members often blame her for being too soft and therefore creating an accountability problem. She and Bethany discuss the various ways to hold people accountable while balancing out what is best for the business. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
How to Help Your Team Bear Fruit
Management Tool Kit – Office Policy Manual and Performance Reviews

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It’s a word that makes every shudder – embezzlement. In this episode, Dr. Kuba asks Bethany questions to ensure that her embezzlement resistant strategies are enough. Together they discuss the most vulnerable places for a practice. Then, they discuss several strategies to strengthen the weak spots. One of the most important aspects of protecting the practice is ensuring that the team knows that the practice owner is consistently evaluating the numbers. When there is clear oversight, embezzlement becomes something that is not worth the risk to employees. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Know THY Practice
The Emotional and Mental Health of the Dentist or Practice Owner

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After airing the recent episode “What is Servant Leadership?,” many fans requested information on other leadership models that work. In this episode, Bethany unpacks several examples of other successful leadership styles that she has seen at work in her clients’ practices. She covers the laissez fair leader, transactional leader, authoritative leader, democratic leader, visionary leader, and situational leader. She discusses the mindset behind each of these styles as well as the pros and cons of each style. She also encourages listeners to pick a style that they know they can implement with consistency. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Dental Practice Owners are Leaders
Learning from Leadership Examples

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In this episode, Dr. Kuba faces her first liability lawsuit after a child hurt herself on a gaming console in her pediatric dental office. She and Bethany reflect on the event that occurred nearly eighteen months ago. After many months of assuming that the worst had passed, Dr. Kuba received an unwelcome visit from a constable with lawsuit papers. She discusses the process that they’ve been through and shares all of the helpful safety tips she has received from her liability lawyer. The safety tips have led her and her team to uncover every possible liability in their office in order to hopefully avoid any injuries in the future. 

She also takes a moment to share an update on her and her associate as well as a heartfelt apology to him. Stay tuned for some great updates today!

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
When Sh!# Hits the Fan – Medical Emergencies, Lawsuits, and Liability
Protecting Your License – Avoiding Common Documentation Errors

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Dr. Kuba inserts some drama of her own into today’s episode! She discusses the difficulty of sharing feedback with a colleague of her own. So, Bethany offers her own advice. Throughout fifteen years of consulting, Bethany has had to work diligently on the art of giving feedback, and parenting a tween has furthered her desire to perfect the craft. She shares a four step process that she discovered from an excellent Youtube resource (see link below). Step one is asking a micro-yes question. Step two is giving data points. Step three is sharing an impact statement. Step four is asking a question to allow the feedback-receiver to participate in the dialogue. Following this simple process should allow even the most difficult feedback to be easier and more successful. 

• How to Give Feedback - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtl5UrrgU8c 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
How to Have Corrective Conversations with Employees
Opening the Lines of Communication to Avoid Team Drama

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Every person has a sphere of influence – impact. Practice owners, associates, and team members are all leaders. So, what does it mean to lead? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss a popular leadership concept – servant leadership. Bethany admits that this style is her favorite style of leadership and discusses the basic mindset behind this model. Dr. Kuba discusses the friction that can occur when leadership styles on the same team are different. Together, they emphasize the importance of recognizing your impact and developing yourself as a leader.

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Dental Practice Owners are Leaders
Learning from Leadership Examples

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For the first time in Managing Dental Drama history, we have an associate dentist on the show! Dr. Michael took a calculated and detailed approach to his associateship plans. Prior to completing his pediatric residency program, he developed a plan to merge together two to three different types of practices to give him a full-time schedule. His goal was to expand his skills while also expanding his exposure to different demographics of patients, different practice owner models, and different types of treatment. After a couple of years, he shares his perspective on the positives and minuses of different practice types. He also gives insight to what made certain associateships better than the others. This episode will be helpful to dental students, associates, and practice owners! Enjoy this new vantage point as we listen to Dr. Michael!

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Hiring an Associate Series – Part One
Hiring an Associate Series – Part Two

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