Blog Posts

The sum of your team;

Have you ever lied awake at night thinking about everything and nothing all at once? Those nights when you’re physically exhausted but your brain just can’t seem to slow down long enough to acknowledge the fact you.need.sleep. I went through a period in my life when this was an almost nightly occurrence, but thankfully it only happens a couple of times a month these days. Last night was one of those nights. We had finished up a Zoom interview with an office, and it got me thinking about the current practice for which I work. It reeaaally got me thinking…..

I think practice owners are often told they need to show more appreciation for their team-which may in fact be true, but how often are their employees fully aware of everything they do to make their jobs easier? I am fortunate to be a part of a progressive dental practice in central Kansas. One that is constantly evolving, though sometimes to the dismay of it’s employees. I have found myself guilty of the “here we go again” mindset when changes are imminent. What I, and my coworkers, don’t recognize in the moment is that we are the ones who gain the most from a majority of the changes made. Not the patients, not the doctors, not the practice. The employees, and here’s why…..

As we (Legacy DCM) were being interviewed over Zoom, a few things became apparent to me. The most daunting of which was the fact that this person did not have many of the tools that my primary employer has made available to me. It gave me new perspective, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude to know that many of the changes, practices, policies, technology, etc that we have implemented through the years has given me a leg up in this industry. How would I get them to the level of efficiency, accuracy, and accountability they were seeking without them having had invested in resources that help their team reach their full potential? At that very moment I realized just how much my primary employer had given me all the tools, I needed to develop myself into a great asset, that any practice would benefit from. We had an equally beneficial arrangement. I perform to the best of my ability and he in return provides the tools necessary to do so. It’s a win for him, a win for me, and a win for the practice.

Any practice, regardless of size, volume, production, is only the sum of it’s collective parts. When I think of the growth a practice could achieve if we had unrestrained collaboration with each other, I get excited. I think people hold back for two reasons: 1) opportunity-or lack thereof to offer solutions to what ever issue or goal may be at hand, and 2) insecurity-most likely they are worried that if they share all of their knowledge they will then become disposable, and no longer useful or needed. Imagine the possibilities if we truly understood that in sharing our experience and knowledge with others, we become more knowledgeable in return. Our sum increases. The practice’s sum increases. We all walk away from the time together, however long or short, with an elevated skill set that makes us more valuable, more experienced, more than we were-or could be have been- if left to our own accord. And that realization is what sparked this bit of excitement that was keeping me up that night-knowing I am going to increase the sum of additional practice’s sums. When you’re passionate about what you do, these are the kind of random thoughts that keep you up at night. I’ll take that over worrying about if I remembered to pull the bottom cord from that crown prep on Mrs. Jones today, LOL.

To my past, present, and future employers; THANK YOU for contributing to my growth. My growth was a bi-product of your willingness to embrace change, invest in your practice, shake things up, and a never ending desire to be the best you can be; it just so happened that you made me the best I could be too! You have all given me the ability to elevate other dental practices by sharing my acquired knowledge and skill set. You’ve increased my sum, and I look forward to increasing the sum of others……

-M