A little change can go a long way

Apr 11, 2010

Editor's note: The Coaches Corner column appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.com advice and opinion page, Second Opinion.

The demand for change has never been greater in dental practices. Performance used to be driven by competition and growth alone, but today's business environment is all about surviving. Today, values such as stability, sustainability, and collaboration are gaining traction.

When the opportunities for pay increases are in question, how does a dental business motivate and manage its staff? Coaching for performance is the new paradigm, and it is more about attitude than measurement. We are talking here about a coaching-based management style that manages both delivery of services and development of people.

Top-down hierarchical style is being replaced by a new culture based on support. The "blame game" turns to honest evaluation that is both nonjudgmental and curious because it is newly understood that performance is driven by how a situation "occurs" to staff. Understanding this dynamic creates new opportunities, as the staff can be invited to look at old issues with new possibilities in which they can examine their role in a situation, rather than seeing themselves as mere observers.

External motivators such as a bonus plan are replaced by self-motivation. "He said, she said" dialogues are replaced by team support. Satisfying the boss becomes serving the patients to the highest standard of care possible. Secrecy and restriction are replaced by openness and honesty, and pressure is recognized as the other side of desire and interest. These are some of the characteristics of the new emerging business culture, but each practice will have its own mix and priorities. Imagine a possibility like that!

Blame is about history, fear, and the past. The new change is about refocusing on aspiration, hope, and the future. Key to all of this is acknowledgment, which brings with it increased personal responsibility, increased personal control, and increased decision-making in doing one's job.

What follows from all this is increased self-esteem that leads to decreased stress around the job -- no matter the state of the economy. Stress results from long periods of suppression and resignation. Offering someone choice and control validates their capacity and self-esteem, thereby minimizing the stress factor.

How amazing is that?

Dan Kingsbury, D.D.S., life and dental coach, is a co-founder of the Dental Coaches Association, an organization of dentists who are professional coaches committed to bringing coaching to the dental profession. Learn more by visiting DentalCoachesAssociation.org.

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