Transitioning from People-Dependent to Systems-Driven

Episode #419 with Heather Crockett

It’s great to have that awesome team member who does everything and runs the show. But what happens if they leave? That's right — they take all that greatness with them! Your practice needs to stop being people-dependent and start being systems-driven, and Kirk Behrendt brings in Heather Crockett, one of ACT’s amazing Lead Practice Coaches, to share how. One important tool is predictability, and you can achieve that with a great system. To learn how to create great systems for success, listen to Episode 419 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

There is no greater gift than predictability and systems.

Systems save you thousands of hours in the long run.

With systems in place, you can focus on things that matter.

When you become systems-driven, your costs decrease.

Your systems will eventually become second nature.

Quotes:

“When you're people-dependent as an entrepreneur, that means Judy does everything. Judy knows how to do this. Judy knows how to do that. Judy knows everything. And so, it makes my life better that Judy knows how to do it all. Well, there's a downside to that. Judy may leave someday, and she takes it all with her.” (2:16—2:32)

“The other downside is that when you're too people-dependent versus systems-dependent, you become dependent on adding more energy and more hands to a problem. So, you have three people at the front desk, and they're awesome. But they're taxed because you don't have any systems in place. And so, they come to you, and they go, ‘Doc, we’re stressed.’ And you go, ‘I know. Let me help.’ And they go, ‘We need somebody.’ And you don't have any organization. You don't have any systems. You don't have any checklists. And so, you go, ‘Hire somebody. I don't even care. Just put an ad.’ And you keep throwing person, after person, after person at the problem.” (2:33—3:13)

“When you're people-dependent, your team compensation is going to skyrocket. It’s probably going to be in the 30% range, which is going to drive your overall overhead way up to the high 60s or low 70s, or maybe even the 80s. And one thing happens: nobody’s happy with their compensation. You aren't happy, and they aren't happy.” (3:27—3:48)

“A lot of times, when you move to being systems-driven, your costs go down. Now, here’s a caveat: you're not paying your team less. You could actually make an argument you're going to pay them more. It’s just that they're not trying to figure everything out, every day, uniquely, for every patient; we’ve got systems in place.” (4:40—4:57)

“Think about the amount of time it takes for a team member to figure out how to do something, especially if they're a new hire, or to do something again that they’ve only done once or twice. It takes a long time. And yes, it takes time to document and implement a system. However, it saves you hours in the future. Not only that, but you make it the same across the board so that everyone is doing a task the same way every time it’s completed.” (5:07—5:38)

“Here’s what's important to you as a dental practice owner. When we talk about systems, systems allow you to give the best energy to things that matter most. Which, when you have a system in place, you can actually give your energy to the best currency in your practice, which is relationships.” (7:08—7:22)

“You need predictability. Predictability only comes from systems. And you have to improve these systems time, over time, over time. And so, what it allows you to do, again, is you can give your best energy to things that matter most. That's why some people can do so much in such little time, because they’ve got a great system in place.” (8:50—9:09)

“If a patient is coming in for an emergency appointment, rather than having the clinical...