The COVID-19 practice manager 2021: Four steps to conFIdence—Part 3

Chris Barrow

Tue. 4. January 2022

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In the first part of this series, we looked at the characteristics of great leadership and how this applies in the role of practice manager. In the second part, we looked at management and the checklist of systems required to run a modern-day dental business. In this article, I want to talk about teamwork: what makes an ideal team player and an ideal team, and how does the practice manager keep the right people?

Before I say another word, I am going to pay tribute to m inspiration on this subject, business author Patrick Lencioni, who has created excellent work on this subject. I am going to draw your attention to his books: The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable.

In the first book, Lencioni sets out “three virtues” that are the behaviours that single out team players who are going to make a positive difference and he equally warns the reader to identify and avoid those who can become saboteurs in the organisation. In summary, Lencioni teaches us to recognize those who are hungry, peoplesmart and humble.

Hunger

People who are hungry are workaholics, but not simply for the sake of working. Hungry individuals are highly motivated, have a clear vision, and go above and beyond in accomplishing what needs to be done (and more) in making that vision a reality. People who are hungry do not need to be told to do some- thing, because they actively seek out problems and solve them.

Individuals who lack hunger are not simply lazy. In fact, people who lack hunger can often accomplish tasks reasonably. The primary characteristic of those who lack hunger is a lack of passion and inability to see the big picture. These individuals might get work done when told, but rarely if ever seek out problems on their own and are the kind to quit when the going gets tough.

Interview questions

Smarts

Being smart is the most misunderstood of the three characteristics. In the context of the ideal team player, it refers to being people-smart.

Smart people pick up on social cues that others do not, more easily empathise with others, and are more capable of understanding the needs of others and acting accordingly. Smart individuals build stronger relationships with teammates because they understand intricacies in conversation that less people-smart individuals do not. Generally speaking, smart people are a pleasure to be around and are well liked by their peers.

Those who are not smart tend to be awkward and/or destructive in building relationships. These individuals have more difficulty communicating with others, and they generally have trouble understanding the needs and wants of their co workers outside of day-to-day responsibilities in the workplace. Ultimately, these team players tend to cause personal, people, problems at the office due to their general inability to pick up on the repercussions of their behaviour.

Humility

The third—and arguably most important—of the three characteristics is obvious yet critical. Humble people build their team members up by sharing in successes and taking responsibility when appropriate for failures. Having humility means lacking an excessive ego and not concerning oneself with status, and humble individuals are quick to praise and slow to seek praise. Success is collective.

Lacking humility, on the contrary, means broadcasting personal achievements and downplaying the contributions of others. Those who are not humble tend to take on responsibilities with the primary purpose of boosting their own self-esteem, and they lack an awareness of the efforts of their team. It can be especially dangerous when an individual lacks humility and acts on personal greed while putting on a facade of caring about the team’s success.

Great interview questions

Of course, these characteristics are not simply black and white, individuals clearly showing capability or otherwise. There are many nuances, and Lencioni explains in considerable detail how to identify the places between these extremes. Ultimately, however, Lencioni advises that any deviation from wanting the best players will lead to long-term problems that will be increasingly difficult to manage.

“...what makes an ideal team player and an ideal team, and how does the practice manager keep the right people?”

One of my favourite sections of the book is a series of suggested interview questions, reproduced in Box 1. I can tell you from personal experience that I had to summon up some internal courage the first time I tried them, when interviewing a potential manager on behalf of a client. My fortitude was rewarded by a fascinating conversation with the applicant and a successful appointment to the new role.

In the second book, Lencioni develops the theme of great teamwork by looking at what goes wrong with teams. He takes the reader through a series of steps to identify performance and behaviour that destroys teamwork:

• absence of trust;
• fear of conflict;
• lack of commitment;
• avoidance of accountability; and
• inattention to results.

In each case, suggestions are offered to overcome the dysfunction and build a cohesive team; in particular, the role of the leader in solving these problems is spelled out in clear detail.

“The available supply of nurses, hygienists, therapists and associates is, quite simply, drying up.”

In these two books, you have priceless resources available to help you to avoid and overcome many of the commonest problems in teamwork. Interviewing and selecting well will help you to recruit the right people.

But what of retention?

At the time of writing, there is not only a dearth of ideal people in the recruitment landscape but I am hearing every week from clients who are losing good people for a variety of pandemic-related reasons. Some examples from my inbox this week: – the dental therapist demanding 50% of all fees collected before agreeing to join a practice;

• the client who has lost three senior team players, all of whom were headhunted by rival businesses;
• the micro-corporate who advertised for associates in three locations and has so far had just two CVs submitted, despite registering with three agencies;
• the owner who is worried that her 60% UK National Health Service fulfilment target cannot be achieved because her associate is abroad visiting unwell family, cannot get back and will have to self-isolate when back;
• multiple examples of team members taking maternity leave, leaving the profession for similarly paid jobs with less onerous working conditions, and following partners and spouses who have changed their career pathways;
• dental nurses choosing to leave full-time employment with one employer and sign on with locum agencies.

Unlike previous years, it is not going to be so easy to replace team members by zipping off to recruitment fairs in continental Europe—Brexit has put paid to that.

Furthermore, I recently noted a thread on LinkedIn suggesting that 5,000 dental nurses in the UK have deregistered during the pandemic, representing a loss of almost 10% of the UK nursing workforce—and they are not being replaced. The available supply of nurses, hygienists, therapists and associates in the UK is, quite simply, drying up. That means that the cost of hiring will increase; wages are going to go up.

It has never been more important, therefore, to start with retention; what do you have to do to keep the good people you already have? I predict that this will become the most serious challenge that we will face in the next 12 months.

Remuneration across the board will have to rise, and it is essential to pass those increases in variable and fixed costs on to patients in the form of price rises— otherwise your profit margins will be eroded. This means that we are going to have to come up with some language to explain to patients why prices are going to go up again.

However, it is not just about the money, and I would like to conclude by sharing with you my eight attributes of a confident team and workplace:

1. Conditions: The general terms and conditions of work and employment contracts are well defined.
2. Culture: The team share core values and a vision of how they want to serve their community. They publish promises and expectations around behaviours and always observe politeness.
3. Communing: The team meet socially (when permitted) for special occasions and to visit dental workshops, trade shows and conferences.
4. Communication: The team gather for daily huddles, weekly reflections, monthly management, quarterly training and annual business planning.
5. Career: There are pathways to progress for those who are hungry for more.
6. Compensation: Remuneration is above average and may include a performance-related element, and there are attractive employee benefits.
7. Corporate social responsibility: The business has an active corporate social responsibility programme, including people and ethics, environment and sustainability, and community and charity.
8. Celebration: Everyone feels appreciated for what they do, people are recognised for doing things right, regular personal progress interviews take place, and patient reviews and testimonials are shared.

Do not for a minute think that any of this is easy—quite the opposite—but an ideal team will fly higher and for longer and will make your role as practice manager a joy.

In the concluding part of this series, I will be looking at extreme self-care, making sure that the best possible version of you can turn up for work (and arrive home again!).

Editorial note: A list of references is available from the publisher. This article was published in digital international magazine of digital dentistry, Issue 3/2021.