In this series of essays, we are having a serious look at this notion of team. In the first installment (What is a Team?), I introduced and discussed a definition of team which takes us well beyond the platitudes we normally hear. My friend, Dr. Paul Homoly, responded to the issue by saying: “The term ‘teamwork’ has been used so much dentists and staff don’t hear it anymore, let alone and practice it.” So true.

 

As we move on to explore more about teams, I’d like to introduce one concept that defines a team in spades: Trust. Teams have it. Gaggles of people don’t.

 

But trust isn’t blind or foolish faith lacking in foundation. My dictionary provides several definitions, the primary one being “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc of a person or thing; confidence.” But how does one develop a trusting relationship? Is trust earned? Is it given? Is it assumed?

 

I propose that there are three easily understood and concrete elements which comprise trust, and the quality of each relationship can be tested by the degree to which these elements are present and known. Consider these concepts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are not likely to trust someone you perceive to be lacking the skills required for the task, no matter what the task. Be it a brain surgeon who lacks medical competence or a housekeeper who cannot organize himself to clean properly, there can be no trust without skills. At least not for very long. A person might be well motivated (really aspire to do a good job at brain surgery or vacuuming) and come with a strong work ethic, but without skills you are not likely to rely on him or her when the result matters to you.

 

As we look at team, it cannot be emphasized enough: skills do matter. We have often said that it is important to hire for attitude and train for skills. By that we mean that you cannot train for attitude. Having said that, however, it is essential that you and others on the team have a skill set that is valuable to the practice and contributes to the purpose and goals of the business. Employees will not trust others in whose skills they lack confidence. It is as simple as that. Nor should they. Too often, dentists who are overwhelmed and ineffective managers delegate tasks to people who are not ready to take them on. Who can be surprised at failure under these circumstances?

 

 

 

In an earlier newsletter, I introduced the notion of alignment as “the degree to which a partnership exists between the practice and the patient; to the degree that there is a similarity in perspective and goals.” This same notion can be applied to the relationship an employee has with the dentist, co workers and the practice as a whole. Motive in this case refers to the alignment to the core values and purpose of the organization.

 

If a group is to function as a team, they must not only row skillfully but also row toward an agreed-upon point on the finish line. Partnership leads to team and a team cannot exist without a specific partnership agreement between all of the members.

 

Conflicts often occur between, say, the front and the back, because one perspective does not have trust in the motive of the other. In fact, distrust of motive is the most significant factor in most rocky co-worker relationships. If Susan believes Martha has put a patient in the schedule to up production figures and make herself look good no matter how it impacts the clinical team, Susan will distrust Martha and conflict will inevitably ensue. If Martha believes Susan just wants to get out at the end of the day and doesn’t care about patients in pain, Martha will not trust Susan. The real challenge in understanding motive is to not make assumptions. Rarely is motive as cut and dried as the above examples, but it is frequently assumed to be such.

 

Trust develops when people perceive one another to be in alignment with the practice’s core values and purpose. Underdeveloped skills are often tolerated or even overlooked in the face of alignment, and team members are more positive about supporting a less than ideally skilled co-worker when that person is on the same page, tuned into the same radio station, singing the same tune, playing the same game, etc. A highly skilled person who has a different agenda, however, will not likely have the same level of support and commitment from others.

 

 

 

The third leg of this stool is often overlooked but is very important. Energy. Enthusiasm. Effort. Work ethic. The plain fact is that when people don’t show up, either literally or figuratively, they aren’t reliable and will not be trusted. Given strong skills and alignment with the organization, a person with a strong work ethic will make a powerful impact. Those without the energy to do the work and get the job done will be ineffective. Their lack of performance will not provide the practice and team with the results which are necessary for a successful business.

 

Many dentists struggle with employees who are torn between the demands of home and family and the reasonable requirements of the practice. Symptoms of low work ethic include tardiness, rushing out of the door at the stoke of the hour, daydreaming, lack of participation in meetings, lack of interest in continuing education opportunities, slovenly movements and habits, strict adherence to job descriptions, a “union” mentality, and a reluctance to participate in problem-solving discussions or risk exposure.

 

So let’s put these together. No matter how you play it, the equation must add up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every combination and permutation results in the same low trust if any one of the three elements is missing. Perhaps this formula will help you understand either what is very right or what is very wrong. Why you are a team or why you are not. If so, it may also help point the way to creating a team by laying a foundation of trust among the group.

 

Teambuilding...no matter what you call it, it still makes sense.