The Frequency of Team Conversations

I seem to send clients and delegates slightly loopy when I talk about how often dental teams should congregate and converse.
So let me begin by repeating my suggested schedule of meetings:

  • Daily – the 20-minute morning huddle
  • Weekly – a 60-minute conversation (during billable hours) to review best bits of the last week. What went right, what went wrong, what can we do to improve?
  • Monthly – a half-day session to review financial performance, marketing return on investment, new patient conversion stats, clinician productivity, the patient experience and team-well-being
  • Quarterly – the half-day becomes a full-day, off-site and the afternoon session is an external guest speaker on marketing, customer service or sales
  • Annually – a 2-day trip. Leave Friday afternoon and fly to any Easyjet destination in Europe. Friday night, informal dinner. Saturday morning CPD training session, review of the last year, reveal plans for the next year. Saturday afternoon, shopping for the girls and beer for the boys. Saturday night dinner and dancing. Sunday morning hangovers and breakfast, afternoon begin the journey back home

Have I worked with dental clients who do this?
Yes I have.
Do they have a problem-free zone with team members?
No they don’t.
Overall, do they have better performance and behaviour from team members?
Yes they do.
Have there been lots of clients who have done this over the last 20 years?
No.
Excuses:

  • too expensive
  • too much down-time
  • it will not be appreciated
  • they don’t deserve it

To quote Isadore Sharpe (Founder and Chairman of Four Seasons Hotels Group)

That which we do not own, is our greatest asset

People are not an overhead on your P&L, they are an asset on your balance sheet.
If you want to make customer service your competitive advantage – it begins with a self-actualised team.
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Chris Barrow

Chris Barrow has been active as a consultant, trainer and coach to the UK dental profession for over 20 years. As a writer, his blog enjoys a strong following and he is a regular contributor to the dental press. Naturally direct, assertive and determined, he has the ability to reach conclusions quickly, as well as the sharp reflexes and lightness of touch to innovate, change tack and push boundaries. In 2014 he appeared as a “castaway” in the first season of the popular reality TV show “The Island with Bear Grylls”. His main professional focus is as Coach Barrow, providing coaching and mentorship to independent dentistry.