Want to get rich as a team in the new economy? Here is your ticket: Authentic Gratitude. The US Department of Labor and Statistics reports that the number one reason why Americans quit their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. Studies show that gratitude and appreciation are on the decline in the world, and … Read more

Bring up the topic of adding an associate to a group of dentists and get ready for the horror stories. Almost every dentist does it at one time or another in his/her dental career. Only a few do it well. Everyone intends for the process to be successful. Why don’t more of them work? There … Read more

Which is deadlier, psychological or physical torture? Surprisingly, it may be psychological torture. Consider this study: 38% of prisoners of war held by North Korea during the Korean War died; the highest rate of death among prisoners of war in U.S. military history. The North Koreans engaged in a relatively low rate of prisoner physical … Read more

No dentist practices alone. At minimum, you probably employ an assistant, hygienist, and receptionist. Many of you have multiple people in those roles, as well as an office administrator and perhaps a finance person. You also may work with other dentists. Your profitability, your patients’ comfort, and your own pleasure in your practice are tied … Read more

What makes a group of people a team? When I ask this question, I usually hear something along these lines: They help each other out when they are behind. They are all equal. They get along. They’re just like family. I propose that a team is quite different from those superficial descriptions. Of course, people … Read more

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 … Read more

The Execution Gap: Excerpts from a Harris poll, quoted in The 8th Habit by Steven Covey Only 15% of workers could identify their company’s top goal and priorities (the front line produces the bottom line) 19% are passionate about their organizations top goals or priorities. The others feel no ownership or like they have any … Read more

In this series of essays, we are having a serious look at the notion of team. In the first installment (What is a Team?), I introduced a definition of team and then addressed Trust in the following article. Today, we will turn our attention to what we call The New Boss. Yes, the boss is … Read more

One of the most important aspects of hygiene services revolves around the hygienist’s role in helping patients obtain optimal oral health. One of the greatest myths in oral hygiene is that this role begins and ends with “periodontal health.” Ask most patients what their hygienist does and you will hear them say she “cleans my … Read more

Finding a great team in today’s employment market can sometimes be a challenge. Dr. Frank Spear said during his Practice of Excellence course last fall said that there are two kinds of employees in a dental practice: “There are energy takers and there are energy givers.” I’ll go as far as replacing the words “energy … Read more