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May 1, 2023

Stop Walking On Eggshells!

I have the privilege of working with dental teams nationwide to help them co-create a happier, healthier, and higher performing culture. There are so many moving parts in a routine dental practice’s day. The schedule, among other things, doesn’t always happen as planned. There are even some days when it feels as if the wheels may have fallen off. We need to as a team be able openly discuss what is working and what is not. The obstacles are the eggshells that get in the way.

What are eggshells? Eggshells are the fragile feelings that arise when we try to resolve a conflict with another. These fragile feelings are a result of what we perceive based on our past personal experiences and not necessarily the other person’s intent. Some of the fragile feelings I am referring to are fear, anger, judgment, retaliation, desire to be liked, insecurity, nothing changes, peer pressure, hurt feelings, disrespect, it’s not nice, or it’s not my problem.

These eggshells stop many of us from addressing the elephants (the unstated issues or concerns) in the room. We create barriers between each other by laying our eggshells all around ourselves and worrying about stepping on those that others have laid around themselves. We believe if we talk about what is not working or what is a problem or a concern we will step on their eggshells. Almost everything becomes too uncomfortable or off-limits to discuss. So, we don’t! Instead, we just keep everything inside to avoid the eggshells and the practice culture deteriorates. The chance to make good things happen, (better results, better relationships, and more responsibility) disappears. What appears instead is a herd of elephants. Everyone knows they are there and yet no one will talk about them for fear of stepping on an eggshell.

The problem is, if we don’t discuss the issues as they happen, they don’t go away. Instead, the issues become elephants and the herd continues to grow until it takes over the entire practice. We end up tiptoeing around each other’s eggshells and pretending the elephants don’t exist. Or gossip grows out of frustration. Communication between team members becomes emotionally charged. The conflicts continue to grow; resolution becomes almost impossible. The practice culture becomes stressful and negative. This emotional stress and negative environment can drive even the best of team members to leave the practice!

To overcome the eggshells, we need to first acknowledge they exist. Have a team meeting to talk about the eggshells in the office. Have each team member identify which eggshells they surround themselves with most often. I recently held a team meeting where each team member identified their eggshells. There was a variety of answers; desire to be liked, hurt feelings, judgment, criticism, retaliation, and nothing ever changes. They differ for each team member because of their past experiences.

Once the eggshells have been identified, discuss the importance of talking about issues as they happen regardless of their existence. This proactive communication helps to prevent and remove the elephants from the room. Reinforce the message; we are all working together towards the same goal of a healthy, happy, and high performing practice culture. To accomplish this, we must give each other a break and believe that our other team members’ intents are good. We need to talk about the issues even if talking about issues creates eggshells like hurt feelings, judgment, or criticism.

We need to stop assuming we know what someone meant by their actions or words or the way they said something. Sometimes even what they say or the words they use can mean something different than what we believe them to mean. Approach with care and concern to help relieve tension and avoid defensiveness. Respectfully ask questions until you understand the other person’s true intent. Here are two questions I recommend based on issue.

I am not quite sure what you mean, please tell me more.
I am not quite sure what happened, please tell me more.

Once we understand each other’s intent our trust grows, and it becomes easier to talk about the issues and resolve conflict. Resolving conflict as it occurs will help to prevent elephants and promote a happy, healthy, high performing team environment.

Be a good egg; approach and be approachable!

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April 1, 2023

5 Essentials to Embrace Change Successfully!

You may have heard the quote; “The only thing that is constant is change!” It is true, change is inevitable but not always positive or successful! The reality is that some work cultures support positive change, while other cultures sabotage change. There are many factors involved, such as team workload, other current changes in progress, team beliefs about change, clear communication about the change, benefits of the change, appropriate training, coaching and support provided during the change, etc.

I have the privilege of helping dental teams nationwide create a happier, healthier and higher performing culture that they will enjoy coming to everyday. This always involves making changes. I often observe team members roll their eyes and let out deep sighs of frustration when they hear there is another change heading their way. They stress and worry about how it will affect them and how long it will last. This article is dedicated to learning how to rise above the pain of change and make it a positive process.

Change for many of us is often scary. The fear of change comes when we start the assumptions of “what if” thoughts! How many times have you been afraid to make a change because of saying to yourself, “But what if this happens”? You just “what if’d” yourself right out of action. Think about this. It’s a biggy! How many times has fear stopped you? The ironic part is that fear is really only a negative prediction of the future. In most cases, what we worry about doesn’t happen. What actually happened, we didn’t even think about or worry about, and yet we still survived. Its proof that worry is a total waste of energy and time. If we can learn to evaluate the real danger, as opposed to the perception of danger (what if), we will get a more realistic viewpoint and we will be less afraid to make the change. Imagine how much happier you would be right this second if the fear of “what if” had no impact on your decisions. What would you do or change? What would your life look like right now?

Change requires us to have courage to face our fear of “what if” in unpredictable and unknown! Regardless of how dysfunctional, unhappy, unproductive or toxic the current culture may be it often feels safer to keep the status quo. The known almost always feels safer than the unknown. That is why it is imperative that the value of the change be clear to those asked to make the change. It is essential that the value and benefits of change rate an 8 or above on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being high. Otherwise, the chance for the change to be positive and sustainable is limited.

I have found 5 essentials to help dental teams rise above their fears and embrace change as a positive process.

Trust in leadership
Clear and consistent direction
Structured plan
Adequate training and practice time
Realistic workload

The number one essential necessary to embrace change is trust in the leadership. If the team members trust their leader(s) they will be more willing to step into the unpredictable and unknown. Leaders can build trust by embodying the following traits:

Model the waddle is the number one leadership principle – in other words lead by example
Have a clear and consistent direction
Be transparent by communicating to keep the team in the loop as much as possible
Be open to suggestions and feedback
Address any obstacles, fears or concerns the team may have about the change

The second essential is to communicate a clear and consistent direction. It is important to use a decision strategy to avoid fly-bys and emotion driven decisions in the heat of the moment. I teach the following four strategic steps:

What’s in the best interests of the patients, practice and the team – not any individual and long term
- Think about 10 months and 10 years instead of next 10 minutes or 10 days
What is practical and realistic based on time, people and money currently available
What is the precedent being set
- Is it fair, if we can’t do it across the board for everyone on the team it will feel like favoritism and divide the team
What is the level of passion we are willing to support the decision
- Will we support it when push comes to shove even if it may result in losing an employee or a patient

Set your team up to succeed by communicating the change clearly and concisely. I suggest the following communication process:

Clarify expectations
Ask questions to make sure everyone understands
Write objective down in bullet points if more than a couple of things
Identify equipment and supplies necessary
Schedule adequate training and practice time
Set realistic expectations for completion time and date
For more involved longer tasks schedule a check in

The third essential is for leadership to work with the team to develop a well-structured plan. If you want the team to embrace a change, ask for their suggestions and feedback on how to implement the change. If you want the team to have ownership, give them authorship as well. A well-structured plan is well thought out and clearly defined. I teach teams the R.I.S.E. Implementation Process to help them work together to create a well-structured plan. R.I.S.E. is an acronym for Review, Implement, Sustain and Evaluate.

Review
- What is it we are currently doing
- What is working and what is not
- Keep what is let go of what is not
- WIIFTT – What’s in it for the team if we make the change
  - It is important for the value/benefits to rate an 8 or above on scale of 1 to 10 or it is difficult to sustain
- Implement
  - What are we going to change
  - Who is going to do it
  - Who are we going to do it for
  - When are we going to do it – including time, sequence and flow
  - Where are we going do it – very specific location
  - Why are we going to do it
    - WIIFTT if we make the change – there must always be something in it for the team for the team to sustain the change
  - How are we going do it
    - Practice verbal skills
    - Practice role playing – yes, I know it’s awkward and it’s effective
    - Practice the entire physical walk through – never test it out for the first time on a patient
  - Create standard operating procedures
  - Schedule the roll out date
- Sustain
  - In order to sustain it is important for the new change to become a habit
  - It takes a range of anywhere between 17 to 257 days to form a habit depending on the difficulty with the average being 66 days
    - Give any new change at least 60 days to get comfortable before considering any changes
  - Be precise and consistent to form a habit much sooner
    - Same sequence and steps for every team member every time
  - Support the change positively in words, actions and attitude
- Evaluate
  - Is the process still working effectively
  - If not, what is the value and benefits in a change
  - Any change takes ongoing tweaking

The fourth essential is to schedule appropriate and adequate training and practice time. I have found that the most positive and successful changes happen when the team has time to train and practice.

For new team members have clearly written weekly goals for the first 3 months. Review the progress with the new team member weekly. From 3 months to 1 year change to clear written monthly goals and review monthly. Having clear written goals helps manage the expectations for the new team member as well as existing team.

For existing team members, meetings are the perfect opportunity for training and practice time. Utilize your team meetings to:

Review and update systems and protocols
Implement new ideas
Monitor process of yearly goals
Practice, practice, practice
- Verbal skills, role playing and physical walk through

Team meetings are most effective when you:

Schedule often enough
Schedule time enough
Schedule when most can attend
Get feedback from the entire team
- Encourage solution focused suggestions on how to overcome potential obstacles

The fifth essential is to be realistic with the workload. It will be very difficult to get the team excited about embracing something new if they are already swamped and consistently running behind. It is important to evaluate whether there is adequate time, money, and people to successfully implement the change. Don’t firehose your employees with changes. Implement only one or two new changes at a time. Even the most committed employees will become resistant to change if they are consistently overwhelmed.

Cultivating a culture with these 5 essentials will help you rise above the pain of change and make it a positive process.

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December 1, 2022

Me Destroys We!

I have the privilege of working with dental teams nationwide through my teambuilding Culture Camps! They are customized to meet the unique and specific needs of the practice and vary greatly in each office. However, every Culture Camp starts with a meeting on the first night with the leadership team. I start with them because everything begins and ends with their leadership. It’s what leaders do, allow, or accept that cultivates the culture. If the leadership team is not aligned and cohesive it will be difficult to get the team aligned and cohesive.

I spend the first evening getting to know and building a relationship with the leadership team. We discuss their goals and obstacles with the practice, team, and each other. I refer to the leadership team as the “we team”! I call them the “we team” because leaders need to think as we instead of as me. We thinking” cultivates alignment and cohesion. When leaders are aligned and cohesive, they communicate and work together better which produces a happier, healthier, and higher performing practice culture.

One of the pitfalls I observe especially in high producing practices is discord amongst the leadership team. Often the more successful a practice is the more strife there seems to be between the leadership team. Success often inflames egos. It is dangerous when we allow success to go to our head. When it does, our ego takes over and we feel entitled. Entitlement changes our mindset from we to me. “Me destroys we!”

Me creates an exaggerated pride, overwhelming self-confidence, and contempt for others. Taken to extreme it can become the acquired personality disorder “hubris syndrome.” Scientific research defines it as a “disorder of the possession of power, particularly power which has been associated with overwhelming success, held for a period of years.”

There is a difference between a healthy ego and an unhealthy one. Healthy egos are good and needed to succeed. When meeting and assessing the leadership team, I look for signs of an unhealthy ego that may undermine alignment, cohesiveness, and even greater success.

Here are some of the most common sabotaging beliefs. Consider your own thinking and see if you might need to readjust your viewpoint.

I am the owner doctor, and I can do what I want.
I am entitled to do what I want because I am the biggest producer.
I only support my decisions because I have the most knowledge.
I can never show when I am unsure or don’t know the answer or it will make me look stupid.
I can’t admit to mistakes, or it will make me look weak.
I will deflect and criticize others when I am challenged to not lose face.

An unhealthy ego narrows our perception and corrupts our behavior, often causing us to act against our core values. When we believe we’re are the only one responsible for our success, we tend to be disrespectful, selfish, and unkind. After all, we don’t need anyone else, and others are replaceable! This is especially true in challenging situations. An unhealthy ego is like a wall that stops us from learning from our failures. Our past success left unchecked can sabotage our future success!

An unhealthy ego looks for information that confirms what it wants to believe. It makes us believe we are always right. We only see and hear things our way. We become susceptible like the emperor in the folktale The Emperor’s New Clothes!”

The result, we alienate the people we lead, the culture, and ultimately the patients. I love the quote “Ego is a three-letter word that can destroy a big twelve-letter word called Relationship!” We have all heard about great bands who had amazing success only to break up because of unhealthy egos. They became a me instead of a “We”. Their ego created me entitlement. Me entitlement ended their relationship and sabotaged their future success as a band!

Healthy egos are good and needed to succeed. A healthy ego is confident and decisive. Yet, they know that there is more than just one way. They know they aren’t always right. They encourage open dialogue and are open to feedback. They will support what is in the best interests of the practice, patients, and team (also referring doctors if they are a specialty practice).

Behaviors of a healthy leadership ego are:

They are determined to make a difference.
They know their why (sense of purpose).
They are self-confident and secure.
They are aware of their weaknesses and are comfortable in their skin.
They reflect instead of deflect.
They are approachable, open, and honest.
They keep things in perspective.
They admit when they are wrong.
They allow themselves to be vulnerable.
They are genuine and don’t pretend to be something they are not.
They are tolerant of people who have different views.
They are willing to listen and accept feedback.
They empower others to step up.

No one is perfect, and our ego will get the best of us at times. Being open to feedback from our co-leaders, team members, and using a coach who can observe and advise are great ways to become a more aligned and cohesive “We”!

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September 29, 2022

5 Strategies That Cultivate Positive Change!

Filed under: Accountability,Attitude,Behavior,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,Culture,Culture Camp,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Fear,Focus,Implementation,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Meetings,Mindset,Motivation,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Psychology,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,Relationships,Respect,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,Toxic Performer,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, Culture, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, energy, experience, focus, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, performance, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, show your shine, success, team, value — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:35 am

I help dental teams nationwide successfully embrace change. This message is dedicated to learning how to cultivate a culture where change can be a more positive, successful, and sustainable experience! Change requires us to have courage to face our fear of the unpredictable unknown! Regardless of how dysfunctional, unhappy, unproductive, or toxic the current culture maybe it often feels safer to keep the status quo. The known almost always feels safer than the unknown. That is why the value of the change must be clear to those expected to make the change. It is important for the value and benefits of change to rate an 8 or above on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being high. Otherwise, the chance for the change to be sustained is limited.

“Change starts in our mind!”

I facilitate Culture Camps nationwide. I have found 5 consistent strategies that cultivate positive change!

Trust in leadership
Clear and consistent message
Structured plan
Adequate training and practice time
Realistic workload

Number 1! Trust in the leadership. If the team members trust their leader(s) they will be more willing to step into the unpredictable unknown. Leaders can build trust by embodying the following traits:

Model the waddle is the number one leadership principle – in other words lead by example
Aligned leadership – Have a clear and consistent direction
Be transparent and keep the team in the loop as much as possible
Be open to suggestions and feedback
Address any obstacles, fears, or concerns the team may have in open communication

Number 2! Communicate a clear and consistent message. Set your team up to succeed by communicating the change clearly and concisely. I suggest the following communication process:

Clarify expectations
Ask questions to make sure everyone understands
Write objective down in bullet points if more than a couple of things
Set realistic expectations for completion time and date
For more involved or longer tasks schedule a check in

Number 3! Develop a well-structured plan. If you want the team to embrace a change, ask for their suggestions and feedback on how to implement the change. If you want the team to have ownership, give them authorship as well. A well-structured plan is well thought out and clearly defined. I teach teams the R.I.S.E. Implementation Process to help them work together to create a well-structured plan. R.I.S.E. is an acronym for Review, Implement, Sustain and Evaluate. Email me at JudyKay@PracticeSolutionsInc.net and request R.I.S.E. Process White page.

Number 4! Schedule appropriate and adequate training and practice time. I have found that the most positive and successful changes happen when the team has time to train and practice. Team meetings are the perfect opportunity for training and practice time.

Number 5! Be realistic with workload expectations. It will be very difficult to get the team excited about embracing something new if they already feel swamped and are consistently running behind. It is important to evaluate if there is enough time, money and people to implement the change successfully. Even the most committed employees will become resistant to change if they are consistently overwhelmed.

Implementing these 5 strategies will help you cultivate positive change!

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September 1, 2022

A Code of Commitments!

Filed under: Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,Criticism,Culture,Culture Camp,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Fear,Focus,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Meetings,Mindset,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Thought,Relationships,Respect,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Relationships,Toxic Performer,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: attitude, change, communication, conflict resolution, Culture, Decision making, dental management, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, Habits, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, show your shine, success, team building, Thoughts — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:13 am

Even the best of us can lose our way in all the noise and hubbub of the day-to-day stresses! Establishing a Code of Commitments for the practice will help the entire team keep on track…even in stressful situations when the wheels fall off!

A Code of Commitments is about having a preplanned game plan on how to react. Behaviorally, that means testing decisions and planned reactions for “integrity” that support the core values before implementing them.

Here are 4 questions to help you create your own code of conduct:

Is it legal?
Is it ethical?
Does it align with the practice core values?
Does it support each other and the patients?

I suggest a team meeting (4 hours minimal) to establish a Code of Commitments for the practice. Start the meeting by reviewing the practice’s 4 core values. Owner doctors you will need to have established 4 core values in order of priority. All owner doctors must support the same 4 core values. Ask the entire team to share how, when and where they feel the Core Values are not being supported.

Utilize a large easel pad and markers to write down all the concerns being shared. Discuss the breakdowns that are happening. What current attitudes and behaviors support the Core Values? What current attitudes and behaviors need changing to support the Core Values? The behaviors you list that support as well as the necessary changes become your new Code of Commitments!

It is very important for the We Team (leadership team) to lead by example on whatever is established as the Code of Commitments.

Here is an example of a Code of Commitments.

Model the waddle you want to see
Set and maintain high standards – no double standards
Support a no gossip culture
Communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully
Treat each other as well as you treat your patients
Resolve conflict by going to the source the same day if possible
Take ownership, follow through, and be accountable for your mistakes
Support each other and help each other succeed
Hold each other accountable to the practice’s standards for behavior, communication, attitude, and service!

Having a Code of Commitments will empower the entire team to interact with patients and each other with integrity!

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August 1, 2022

Three Reasons Why Incentives Don’t Motivate or Change Behavior!

Filed under: Accountability,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Culture Camp,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Focus,Goals,gratitude,Habit,Implementation,Incentives,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Performance,Positive Psychology,Practice Solutions Inc,Relationships,Respect,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Relationships,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, experience, Habits, Incentive, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Manager, performance, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, show your shine, success, sustain, team building, value — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:00 am

Do incentives work? This is the question that I am consistently asked. I have seen many different incentive strategies with little to no positive outcome. It is disheartening when dentists tell me they gave their team money, gifts, or trips and didn’t receive even a simple thank you. Yet when I talk to the team, they say they are very appreciative and yet confused. They are not sure if it is a reward or an incentive with expectations to change something. An open conversation will go a long way in creating clarity as well as create an opportunity to express appreciation.

There is a vast difference between an incentive and a reward. Incentives have attached expectations to motivate and improve behavior or performance. An incentive is in essence an enticement to change something. A reward is simply a thank you for past performance without any strings attached. Incentives have future expectations attached to them and rewards do not.

Dentists and managers don’t often determine if they are offering and incentive or a reward. They give to the team with little or no explanation. Therefore, the team is unsure as well. What is the motivation for giving the incentive? Knowing whether it is an incentive, or a reward will make a big difference on your expectations and how you perceive your team’s response.

I have had the privilege of working with dental teams since the early 80’s first as a manager and now as a culture coach. I have yet to see where incentives have created any long-term change. The sad truth is that incentives don’t generate sustained motivation or changes in behavior. Any expectation of an incentive increasing and sustaining motivation and performance will disappoint.

The assumption that incentives work is prevalent, but growing evidence supports the opposite. According to numerous studies in workplaces, classrooms, and other settings, rewards typically undermine the very processes they are intended to enhance.

So back to the question…do incentives work? The answer depends on what we mean by “work.” Research suggests that incentives succeed at only temporary compliance. When it comes to producing lasting change in attitudes and behavior, however, incentives, like punishment, are ineffective. “Incentives are like throwing sticky balls at a wall and hoping they will stick.”

Here are three reasons why incentives don’t work.

1 – The first time you give something it is a surprise and greatly appreciated. However, it is human nature that once we receive something we expect it again.

2 – Incentives can feel like a manipulation similar to punishment. “Do this and you get that! or do this or this will happen!” In the case of incentives, the gift may be highly desired; but by making it conditional on certain behaviors, the team will feel manipulated. That experience of being manipulated is likely to feel very similar to punishment.

Many of us have received conditional love. Conditional meaning that another person’s love for you, is contingent on certain actions, or things. Do you remember how you felt? It can feel manipulative, controlling and at times even abusive.

3 – Incentives can cause people to focus on the numbers instead of what’s best for the patient. It could even lead to unethical behavior such as unnecessary treatment.

We will be disappointed if we expect incentives to fix problems. Money, gifts, and trips don’t fix problems. It is important to understand the underlying causes and address the specific concerns.

So, what does work? Cultivate a happy, healthy, and high performing culture. Where the number one core value is that the entire team (including doctors) treats each other as well as they treat the patients. A happy, healthy, and high performing culture empowers:

Clear core values and consistent leadership
Opportunity to grow and learn
Value and appreciation towards each other
Trust and respect with coworkers and patients
Open communication and feedback
Recognition and respect for teamwork
Positive attitudes
Ongoing team building strategies
A consistent structured training program
A competitive compensation package

It will take commitment from the leadership team to maintain the culture. They are the ones who determine who will be a part of the culture. Anyone whose attitude and behavior does not support the culture values will not be invited to continue to be a part of the culture.

Implement the standards to cultivate a happy, healthy, and high performing culture. You will nurture meaningful relationships and positive lasting change. You won’t need incentives. The money, gifts, or trips you give will truly be a thank you reward with no strings attached!

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June 1, 2022

Co-leadership! How to lead Successfully!

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,Culture,Culture Camp,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Fear,Goals,Gossip,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Performance,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,R.I.S.E. Philosophy,Relationships,Respect,sarcasm,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,We Team,We Team — Tags: attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental office, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, energy, focus, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Manager, Patient experience, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, service, show your shine, success, sustain, team building, Thoughts — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 8:09 am

What is co-leadership? Co-leadership is two or more people in charge of a team or group. They share ownership of the goals of their team but divide the roles and responsibilities. Co-leadership has many benefits when utilized correctly. The downside is the more leaders the more complex it becomes.

Co-leadership in a dental office may include doctors, practice administrator, team leads or any team member in a leadership position depending on the size of the practice.

Everything begins and ends with leadership. It is what leaders do, don’t do, or allow in their culture that defines the practice culture. The more leaders the more difficult it becomes to create and sustain a consistent message. Here are 5 principles to build an aligned and cohesive co-leadership team.

The first co-leadership principle – It is necessary to have an aligned vision for the future of the practice/company. I start the process by having the owner doctors choose 4 core value words and place them in order of priority. All future decisions are based on supporting those values. Everyone on the leadership team must live and lead those core values in words, actions, and attitudes. Apply these core values when making decisions by using the following questions.

What’s in the best interests of the patients, practice, and team that supports our core values? (Specialists also add referring doctors) It can never just benefit one individual.
Is it practical based on time, money, and people that will still support the core values?
Does the precedent we are setting support our core values?
How passionate are we to implement change? It must be a value of 8 or above on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being high.

The breakdown happens when a leader decides to opt out of something they don’t agree with entirely. It can never be 100% our way unless we work by ourselves. It is healthy for leaders to discuss and debate behind closed doors. However, they must come to an agreement and support that agreement in front of the team. There will be times leaders need to support decisions even without consensus. I often hear, “I am the doctor, I can do what I want!” Yes, you can but not without consequences. If leaders do not support each other, they will create division in the team and the leadership team. Division leads to confusion, gossip, clicks and lack of accountability. The team will choose the path of least resistance. The bottom line is that when you have a co-leader you no longer have autonomy to make decisions. On a side note, doctors supporting your practice administrator doesn’t mean saying do whatever you want. It means being involved in the decision and solution process. Practice Administrators you will become very frustrated and overwhelmed if you want more for the practice than the owner doctors. Which is why it is so important that you are aligned with the owner doctors’ vision for the practice.

The second co-leadership principle – It is important to place people in the leadership role that shines the light on their strengths and dims their weakness. No one is perfect. We all have strengths as well as weaknesses. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Any weakness in your co-leaders will be a reflection on the entire leadership team. Define the specific tasks for each role. Leaders are responsible for the individual tasks of their role. Each task must be owned by that one person to create accountability. The more people responsible for the same task the less accountability due to assuming the other person is doing the task. Some leaders find it difficult to let go and to not be involved in all tasks. We must trust our co-leader to be accountable. Be open to renegotiating your roles based on changing circumstances, growth, and ambitions.

The third co-leadership principle – Owner doctors and practice administrator(s) must make time to meet on a weekly basis. (I refer to these specific leadership team members as the We Team) This allows for real time conversations to discuss and come to a resolution as a leadership team. All decisions must be discussed at this meeting before implementing except for direct patient care. Document discussion and agreements and save in a meeting journal. Review last week’s meeting notes and confirm if all assigned tasks have been completed. The meeting will create accountability as well as keep everyone in the loop. Schedule the weekly meeting the same time and day of each week. The time is reserved and is to be considered sacred. I can hear all the excuses already. However, it is necessary to commit to a weekly meeting if you want to co-lead successfully to build and sustain a high performing practice. It’s time to put your ownership hat on. Once you make it a priority it will happen. If you don’t meet at least weekly, you will be spending extra time putting out unnecessary fires and fueling disorder, stress, and discord.

The fourth co-leadership principle – Is don’t break the chain of communication. Here is a simple flow for chain of communication both up and down. Please email me at judykay@practicesolutionsinc.net for a multi-location practice communication flow chart.

Owner Doctors

Practice Administrator

Team Leads and Associate Doctors

Team

The practice administrator has a weekly meeting with all team leads where they share the outcome of their We Team meeting. Team leads are to bring any questions, suggestions, or concerns they have, or their team has for discussion and feedback at this meeting. The practice administrator will take this information to the We Team meeting to discuss and come to a resolution. Then back to the next lead team meeting for implementation. I know this slows things down. However, the end results are an informed, aligned, and cohesive team.

The fifth co-leadership principle – Expect disagreements and differences of opinions. What many people refer to as conflict. If you never disagree chances are someone is not being honest with their opinion. Let go of ego. It’s not about you and what you want. Have a mindset of care and curiosity not judgment and criticism. We will need to make concessions at times to move forward.

Utilize the questions in the first co-leadership principle to come to a decision that supports the core values.
Start with what you can agree on and build from there.
Define the end result.
Discuss in specifics instead of concepts.
Come to an agreement and write it down.
Support the agreement in words, actions, and attitude.

Implementing the five co-leadership principles will help you build an aligned and cohesive team!

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March 1, 2022

TeamWORK! Takes work!

Filed under: Accountability,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,collaboration,Communication,Conflict Resolution,Culture,Culture Camp,Customer Service,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Focus,Goals,Gossip,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Leadership Matters,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Philosophy,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Relationships,Respect,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,We Team,We Team — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, cusotmer service, Decision making, dental, Dental Coaching, dental management, Dental Practice, Dental Team Performance, Dentistry, drama, energy, experience, focus, gossip, Habits, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Manager, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, service, show your shine, success, team, team building, teamwork, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:04 am

TeamWORK! Takes work!

Teamwork! A phrase so often used loosely with so many different assumptions of its meaning!

According to BusinessDictionary.com, teamwork is “The process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. … Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between individuals.”

The team part happens pretty easy. Once we belong to a group or organization we automatically become a part of the team. The WORK part of team work is not so easy! It takes work to build happy, healthy and high performing team relationships.

This article is dedicated to the WORK part of teamwork. BTW…this message works for your personal relationships as well.

I have spent years helping teams create a happier, healthier, and higher performing relationships. Successful team relationships don’t just happen by accident. They take work just like every relationship. Yet the assumption is that we should all just naturally get along.

Communication is the first core fundamental in teamwork. It would be very difficult to work together as a team for a common purpose without it! The right hand would never know what the left hand was doing nor what was needed or expected. The team’s success would be limited to only what each person could accomplish individually.

It is important for the team to create standards on how the team would like to communicate with each other and patients to build successful relationships. The work part is the ongoing focus and commitment to support the standards even when we may not feel like it.

Successful team communication includes:

Communicate Clearly – Clarify expectations by defining who, what, when, where, why and how.
Communicate Positively – Smile at each other and speak in a warm and friendly tone.
Avoid negative sarcasm and gossip. Go directly to the source.
Communicate Respectfully – Always consider how your words may impact the other person. Ask yourself; how can I say what I need to say and be respectful of how they may feel
Communicate Professionally – Use words such as yes, no, please and thank you.
Be mindful of your energy and filter your response.
Communication is 7% words, 55% body language and 38% tone of voice. Never approach another team member with anger or frustration on you will shut down communication.
Communicate and resolve conflict within 24 hours if possible to lessen frustration and assumptions from building.

Collaboration is the second core fundamental needed to enable the team to successfully work together. It is important to remember that there is more than one way (our way) to do things. It is our responsibility as a team member to work well with our coworkers. We can make it easy for others to work with us. Collaboration means:

Sharing thoughts and ideas about what works and what does not.
Being open (think outside the box creativity) and willing to listen to new and different ideas from others.
Agreeing on a solution that serves the best interests of the patients, practice, and team instead of any individual.
Continue to be flexible and to adjust until you succeed
Don’t take things personal.
Support your team members. Ask and offer help.

Celebration is the third core fundamental to successful teamwork. It is important to celebrate daily. Even the little things. If our focus is always on the next patient or task we will miss the good in the present moment and eventually we will lose our joy for our work.

Celebrate by:

Looking for and becoming aware of what is positive in the present moment. Right here right now what is good?
Being grateful for what is instead of complaining about what isn’t.
Showing appreciation to your coworkers and your patients.

Celebrating in the moment with a physical gesture for example a big smile, thumbs up, high five or even a Ta-Dah!

Implementing these three core fundamentals will empower your team to WORK together to build happy, healthy and high performing team relationships.

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February 1, 2022

Control, Alt, Delete! Reset, Reset, Reset!!!

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,Communication,Conflict Resolution,Culture,Culture Camp,Energy,Fear,Goals,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Performance,Philosophy,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Relationships,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Stress Monsters,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, energy, experience, focus, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Patient experience, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, service, show your shine, success, sustain, team, team building, Thoughts, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:00 am

Control, Alt, Delete! Reset, Reset, Reset!!! 10 Creator Thoughts to Help You Reset!

2022 isn’t starting out quite like I imagined or planned! Reset time! So many things are up in the air. Literally like flying for example. I fly almost every week for work. I can tell you that it has been a challenging task. Lack of plane and or crew or nasty weather often leads to a delayed or canceled flight. Once I arrive there is the potential of attendance concerns due to the pandemic. It often feels like playing Russian Roulette.

Many of my clients are struggling as well with staffing shortages and last-minute patient cancels or fails due to illness. Everyday is a new challenge. Maybe you find yourself in the same boat.

We have two choices. We can reset by taking on the current situation and making the best of it. Or we can get angry, worry, and judge what should or shoudn’t have happened. Some of us live in a state of fear and judgement of “what if” waiting for the next shoe to drop.

We become the creator of our world when we take on the challenges. We become the victim of our world when we stew and worry. Creators are constantly resetting! Something unplanned or uncertain will happen. Stop the spinning out of control thoughts of this should or shouldn’t have happened. Instead change your internal dialogue with a reset transition thought. So, this happened…now what is the next step I want to take?

Triage the situation with your team or if alone by yourself.
Identify what needs to get done, what can be let go.
Who else can assist?
What resources can I utilize?
Then do your best.

Life will continue to be filled with unplanned stuff! Here are 10 creator thoughts to help you reset.

Start your day on a positive note. Plan how you want to feel today and not what has to happen today to make it a good day.
People will come and go in our life. Some relationships are only meant to last a certain amount of time.
People’s actions and reactions are often heightened with all the uncertainty. Don’t take things personally.
Challenges force us to grow. Look for the learning opportunity in every obstacle.
Sit, stop, and become still. Breathe deep and become calm. How we feel inside will change how we feel about what’s happening on the outside.
Our energy is contagious. Be mindful of the energy we radiate.
Be proactive instead of reactive. Take the necessary steps to set up to succeed.
Treat people based on the person you want to be. Don’t let negative behavior of others drive your actions.
Have hope for the future. This too shall pass.
End your day in gratitude. Celebrate the positives by giving thanks and praise.

Life will be filled with unplanned challenges. The ability to reset will define our level of success.

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September 1, 2021

Staff Shortage!!! 5 Steps to Help You Survive the Staff Shortage.

Yes, I know the term team is more uniting and empowering than the word staff. Also, that staff is an infection. 😊 However, I like the alliteration of short staffed versus short teamed or team shortage.

Times have changed and nearly everyone faces sporadic or chronic staffing challenges. Stop and take a moment and breathe deep! You will survive this challenge and be even better after!

Start by writing an ad that is enticing and specific to attract that new superstar team member! Together as a team define specific skills and traits desired for the position. Please email me at JudyKay@PracticeSolutonsInc.net if you would like to receive a sample ad.

Here are 5 steps to help you survive the shortage until you hire your new superstar!

Communicate – Take time to communicate as a team. Notice I used the term team now as no need for alliteration. Together define specific tasks that were being done by the employee or employees who are gone. Make a list of the specific tasks that need to be done instead of panicking. Avoid generalization of tasks as the more specific the easier the solution.

Prioritize – Triage the list of tasks. What must be done? What can be delayed? What can be let go? I like to utilize Rocks, Pebbles and Sand to prioritize.

Rocks – Important and Urgent – Rocks must be done that day or consequences
Pebbles – Important and Not Urgent – Pebbles can be done another day without consequences. However, if delayed long enough a Pebble can turn into a Rock.
Sand – Not Important and Not Urgent – Sand is the filler like cleaning and organizing and can be delayed the longest.

Utilize Human Resources – Your human resources are your entire team. So often we compartmentalize the team into departments. We lessen our resources when we compartmentalize. Instead, be creative when discussing who could do specific tasks. Take time to cross train whenever possible. A highly cross trained team is much more flexible and beneficial! My favorite job description is:

“My job from the moment I check in to the moment I check out is whatever is legal, ethical, and within my licensure to help the patients, practice, and team thrive!”

Also consider which tasks could be done virtually. There are many platforms available.

Utilize Technology – Learn your technology in your practice. Invest the time now and you will become more efficient and effective. I work with practices nationwide and very few fully maximize their technology. Schedule a call with your practice software trainer asap. Review your lists of tasks to learn what tasks could possibly be automated. For example, billing, confirming appointments, contacting recare etc. There is often so much more we can do with the existing technology in our practice.

Look into additional technology that would allow you to automate in the clinical area. For example, Voiceworks Software allows hygienists to be autonomous with probing as well as more effective and efficient. Check out the video on voice-controlled charting. The link is https://oralscience.com/en/products/voiceworks/

Schedule – Review the schedule with your team based on current staffing available. Many of you have new team members that will take time to train. Do you need more time for procedures? Do you need to change what is scheduled in conjunctive columns? You may even need to temporarily suspend scheduling a column. FEAR ALERT!!! I know you are concerned about overhead and the bottom line etc. However, if you consistently overwhelm and over burden your current old and new team members they may leave as well. Or worse yet…they will stay and become burned out and disengaged.

Review the past two weeks schedule with your team. Where were the bottlenecks and stress points? What shows up consistently? Adress the consistent problem areas by adjusting the schedule to accommodate them based on current team, training, and skills.

Implement these 5 steps and you will not only survive you will thrive!

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