Every now and then a client is inspired to write a blog post and I’m always delighted to offer any coaching on the writing style and content, as well as offer a platform for the post to be published. So here we welcome a newbie blogger, Ash Quraishi, Principal at Westmount Dental Surgery, Sunderland.
There has been a lot of debate in the sporting world recently with fans criticizing defensive tactics to win championships. This has most certainly been true of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea and most lately Floyd Mayweather’s display against Manny Pacquaio.
This got me thinking, are defensive tactics boring in the business world or do they really make you champions? Moreover if we were to believe this, then what would a Dental Team Formation look like?
Goalkeeper – Business Manager – The money manager really which has to make sure that there is some money left in the bank at the end of each year. Has to set budgets and manage accounts and ensure the team does not end up letting in more goals than they score.
Right Wing Back – Nursing Staff – The team that assist the dentists in going forward by comforting patients and helping explain treatments. They also help the defence in ensuring that everything is carried out to the highest standards.
Centre Back – CQC Manager – The Health and Social Care Act has had mixed responses since its introduction, but one thing for sure is that the practice must comply by all its regulations to stay open. Not having this covered is a major own goal and could lead to practice closure.
Centre Back – Complaints Manager – Every practice receives complaints but the best practices manage these complaints effectively and learn from them quickly. Having a designated person qualified to deal for this is the best way to resolve any issues quickly without major distress.
Left Wing Back – Reception Staff – This team also helps the dentists going forward by converting enquiries and passing them onto dentists and TCO. They are also the face of the practice and can help diffuse any complaints or pass them to the necessary managers.
Creative Midfield – TCO – An integral part of the creative engine that receives new contacts and converts them into consultations feeding them to the dentists.
Creative Midfield – Marketing Manager – The team that controls and helps feed the TCO with new contacts. Also keeps the whole team motivated and aware of the team goals.
Attacking Midfield – Hygienist – integral part of the attacking team that works in combination with the dentists to continuously score and keep the team running.
Forward – Dentist/Implantologist – Maintenance and high value treatments score goals for practice.
Forward – Dentist/ Orthodontist – Maintenance and high value treatments score goals for practice.
Forward – Dentist/ Aesthetics – Maintenance and high value treatments score goals for practice.
Manager – PM – makes sure all the team members work perfectly together to get the best scores
Coach – 7 connections – makes sure all the team is well focused and has clear goals and invested in improving
Medical Team – HR – There to help team member’s that are not performing their best by training and coaching.
The large dental teams could probably be able to recruit individual members for each position but in smaller practices some members may play in more than one position. The aim is however to ensure that your team are all geared towards scoring by providing for the dentists and also preventing goals being scored against you by providing best practice and having solid accounting techniques. This is where most practices fail and undo all the work done by the dentists and the front line.
As Howard Schultz said in his book,
“Processes and systems, discipline and efficiency are needed to create a foundation before creative ideas can be implemented and entrepreneurial vision can be realized.”
This is having a solid back room of defence as described to prevent any own goals from being scored and allowing the front of house to shine.
“I realize now, with hindsight, that the back room is really the arena where points are score. In football it is often said that offense scores points, defense wins championships. In business, the front room is what the world sees: in our case, the coffee, the stores, the style, the brand. But the back room is where we win.”
