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903: Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Great Dental Team Members – Debra Nash

Great workers exist — but where are they at? In this episode of Practical Solutions Day, Kirk Behrendt brings back Debra Engelhardt-Nash, co-founder of The Nash Institute, to share the most effective ways to attract and retain the amazing people that will improve your life. To learn how to build an engaged and loyal team, listen to Episode 903 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Debra:

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More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

Main Takeaways:

  • Good people exist. What are you doing to attract and keep them in your practice?
  • Set aside time to check in with your team and have growth conferences.
  • Create loyalty by inspiring your team and making them feel valued.
  • Lead with kindness and empathy to build even more loyalty.
  • Unite your team with your culture and core purpose.

Quotes:

“Everybody is talking about this hiring crisis and finding good people. I was just doing a program in Sarasota for Smiles in the Sun. All the doctors came up to me and they said, ‘It's generational. We can't find good people. They don't have a good work ethic.’ I don't necessarily think that that is the case. That may be the case across all generations. There are people who may not have a great work ethic. But I also think, what are we doing to attract people that do have a great work ethic? How do we set our practice apart so people with good work ethics want to come work for you? That's the challenge. It's not that they aren't out there — they're out there. But are you attracting them to come work for you? That's the question.” (1:45—2:34) -Debra

“I don't wake up every morning to work on tasks. I wake up every morning to have a purpose. That's what wakes me up.” (6:57—7:06) -Debra

“If you want to find people who want to be loyal to you, and you want to find people who want to stay with you and support you, then you've got to teach them your drumbeat. You’ve got to teach them your drumbeat. Tell them what matters to you, because that's what inspires me. If I'm an experienced person at the front desk, I know what tasks are required. Tell me why my being there matters, why my purpose matters, why my being there matters to the purpose of what we want to provide.” (7:25—8:04) -Debra

“When was the last time you said, ‘Thank you for being here today’? When was the last time you said, ‘You matter to me’? When was the last time you said, ‘Tell me what's getting in the way of your success? Tell me what's frustrating you most about being in your role’? So, it goes back to one of the things you and I talked about. I do truly believe that doctors, by and large, don't have growth conferences with their team members enough. They don't sit down one-on-one with a co-worker and say, ‘You matter enough, Kirk, that I'm going to spend 20 to 30 minutes with you asking you about how your job is going. How well are you doing? How can I help you? Where have I failed you? Where can I help lead you?’ I think, a lot of times, doctors are reluctant to have growth conferences or performance reviews because they have, in the past, associated compensation reviews with performance reviews.” (8:30—9:30) -Debra

“Some people think talking about creating culture is psychobabble. There are some people who don't think that matters. But it does matter because it's really the heart of your organization. Once again, it's relationship. It's relational, not transactional. Any dentist can cut a crown. But how do you make me feel as a patient when you're cutting that crown, and how does your team make me feel as a patient?” (14:53—15:18) -Debra

“We have to remember that motivation is not sustainable. Motivation is not sustainable because people say, ‘I want you to come in and motivate my team.’ So, then I always ask the doctor, ‘Well, what are you going to do to sustain that while I'm gone?’ I could be the seed that gets you started, but you've got to talk about — and management doesn't motivate. Management is efficiency. Leadership is motivational.” (17:41—18:07) -Debra

“I always say to my doctors, if you're an authoritative leader, you will get tasks done. But if you lead with kindness, you will build loyalty. So, one of the features of having a growth conference, sitting down with a one-on-one, my objective is I want you to see that I care about you. The whole idea is that I care about you as an individual and what you bring to the team. It's not about your tasks — it's about who you are. So, sometimes I'll ask the doctor, ‘When was the last time you asked your team member, how are you doing? Are you okay? Are you okay today?’ I may say to doctors, ‘If you want me to defend you, when was the last time you defended your team? If you have an angry patient who told you that they felt they had been misaligned or misrepresented by a team member, who do you defend? Do you defend the team member, or do you defend the patient?’ You’ve got to start with the team.” (18:14—19:18) -Debra

“If you don't have time for me, I won't take time for you. So, I think that's really important. If you don't have time for me, how important am I?” (21:02—21:15) -Debra

“The doctor needs to help the team understand the brand. ‘This is who we are, and you represent me.’ I always say to the doctor, ‘Your team is representing your brand, and how they speak to the patient is representing your brand. How they speak to each other is representing the brand.’” (21:19—21:34) -Debra

“We can create [loyalty] in dental offices when our team members know our purpose — and we have to be very clear on what that is. We need to take time, one-on-one, and possibly collectively as a group. Once again, ‘Here's my drumbeat. Here's what I stand for. Here's what I want our practice to be.’ I have found that those doctors who are absolutely strong in their belief of what they want to provide the patient, and they translate that to the team so the team can translate that to the patients, is a stronger and more successful practice and has less drama. Because think about this. Whether it be a sports team or a dental team, if we're a team and we're united in our purpose, the little dribbly stuff, the little trivial stuff, the day-to-day, ‘Who was the last person who sterilized the hygiene instruments?’ becomes inconsequential when we are working towards a greater cause.” (24:12—25:13) -Debra

“How do I attract and retain and keep these great employees? I think there needs to be more engagement, shoulder to shoulder. That's why [you need] growth conferences. I think that, also, doctors have to entrust that the team has the best interest of the practice at heart, and act in that way. Look at your team as your asset, not your liability, and work accordingly with that. So, I think it goes back to showing empathy. I mean, yes, do we have to have some regulations and some human resource requirements in terms of time off and PTO and all that? Absolutely. But I won't disregard what those protocols are if I feel regarded. If I feel disregarded, then I might want to abuse the privilege of PTO. I might want to abuse the privilege of the time clock. If I feel respected, I will be respectful.” (26:35—27:32) -Debra

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

1:42 Good people are out there.

2:50 Why this is an important topic.

7:07 Have the growth conversation with your team.

14:35 Have regular growth conferences for a better culture.

15:20 Debra’s dermatology story.

17:40 Lead with kindness to be an effective leader.

20:07 Build loyalty through purpose.

26:05 Final thoughts.

27:40 More about Debra and how to get in touch.

Debra Engelhardt-Nash Bio:

Debra is a trainer, author, presenter, and consultant. Having been in dentistry for over 30 years, she engages organizations and study groups nationally and internationally. She is a continual presenter for the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. 

Debra is a founding member of The Nash Institute and past president of the National Academy of Dental Management Consultants. She is an active member of the American Dental Assistants Association, the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration, and the Speakers Consulting Network. She has been repeatedly recognized by Dentistry Today as a leader in continuing dental education and as a leader in dental consulting. She is also a member of the American Dental Association’s Dental Practice Management Advisory Board, and recently became the president of the Academy for Private Dental Practice.

Debra is married to cosmetic dentist and dental educator, Dr. Ross Nash, of The Nash Institute for Dental Learning. She continues to work in his busy practice, doing exactly what she preaches. 
ACT Dental Team

ACT Dental Team

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