Managing Dental Drama

Leadership is challenging and requires constant self-reflection and growth. Practice owners can often make mistakes while leading their teams, and those mistakes are discussed in this episode. Practice owners can be micromanagers with extremely high standards and mounting frustration when expectations aren’t met. Leadership requires patience and perspective. Dentists can also struggle with avoiding leadership altogether. Many practice owners focus on employees’ weaknesses and put effort and energy into improving them but only for the benefit of the practice which can embitter employees. In order to lead well, dentists must focus on transformation and growth for the benefit of the employee.

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Book we highly recommend!
Leadershift

Recommended past episodes:
Personality 1
Personality 2

Wait! There's More! 
We want to hear YOUR voice!. Text a 2-minute voice memo to 214.326.4605 with your questions, comments, real-life example, or tips for a chance to have YOUR voice on the air!

Join Bethany in this episode where YOU, the audience, are the focus. You will hear tips and tricks directly from listeners who have called in with their suggestions and comments. Learn from Dr. Cooper about how to control associate spending. Get tips from Dr. Valadez who developed a quick fifteen-minute end-of-day routine that ensures claims are paid, petty cash is tracked, and adjustments are monitored. Finally, listen to a friendly reminder from Dr. Patel about the importance of caring for yourself and your team. Although listeners are always behind everything Dr. Kuba and Bethany do, this episode puts a shining spotlight on some loyal participants and turns the mic over to new ideas and suggestions.

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Join Bethany in this special short segment on HR Basics. She covers some of the most frequently asked questions about HR – holiday pay, paid time off, meeting pay time, and training pay time. If you’ve ever wondered what is “normal” or suggested, Bethany will answer those questions in this episode! 

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 The final section in the associate series addresses the practical steps of bringing on an associate. First, how should a practice owner find a good associate? What are the important qualities they need to have? Second, it is important to make the owner/associate relationship win/win. Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss ways to retain associates and keep them happy in the practice. Finally, Bethany wraps up with some practical next steps in starting the process of bringing on an associate. By the time you finish this episode, you should have most of the information you need for finding, hiring, and incorporating an associate dentist into your practice!  

So, you’ve decided you want an associate? Then, your attention should turn to the financial details necessary to make your next move. First, is your practice in the right financial position to hire an associate? If so, how much room is in your budget? Depending on the budget, you can consider starting with a part-time associate (usually 1-2 days a week) or a full-time associate (3-4 days a week). How are associates usually paid? That is the next financially motivated subject. Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss several options for associate pay. Finally, what is the point of a contract? Bethany has long been an advocate for contracts, but Dr. Kuba has resisted. Hear both of their dialogue about associate contracts. 

Many solo practitioners are considering an associate for the first time in their careers. A number of them indicate that they never dreamed of bringing on an associate. So, what changed their minds? It’s no doubt that the last 2.5 years has been some of the most stressful times for practice owners. While things have stabilized somewhat, the stress of practice ownership remains elevated. Many dentists yearn for relief from the practice, the ability to take a day off or to even take a vacation without worrying about the practice. Some desire to work less, finding their five- or four-day work week to simply feel harder than it used to. Others have a growing practice that is too big for one doctor. Regardless of the reason, the desire for an associate is normal. Dr. Kuba discusses her path to bringing on associates and the benefits she has experienced from having associates involved in her practice. 

The insurance conversation continues as Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the importance of communication with patients in relation to insurance. When dropping network status with an insurance plan, Bethany has some specific opinions on how to successfully manage the communication with patients. She and Dr. Kuba discuss a recent insurance drop that Dr. Kuba made and how her team managed the transition. Additional topics include how to communicate the changes with insurance to your patients so that they are informed and more compliant with remaining balances. As always, teams are critical in helping practice owners manage the insurance changes and keep the patients informed, so be sure to take notes to pass along to team members!

Have you been asking yourself lately, “Where is all the money going?” Or have you noticed that certain procedures are simply less productive than they used to be? Maybe you’ve even wondered to yourself, “I feel like I’m working harder and making less, what is happening?” If these thoughts sound familiar, then tune into this episode. Dr. Kuba and Bethany spend time discussing current trends in the MAD world of insurance. The fact of the matter is that in-network practices are making less now due to changes in insurance. Practice owners must equip themselves with the tools needed to evaluate what has changed, why it has changed, and what they can do about it. Insurance is, no doubt, a world that can drive one mad. However, it is a world that must be won by practice owners. Listen in as practical tips are discussed. 

Dr. Kuba has a moment of truth when she and her associate tend to a midnight emergency patient. As she fumbles to put together the supplies needed and even struggles with the equipment needed to service her patient, she realizes the importance of getting back to the basics of knowing more about her practice. In this episode, Bethany extends the conversation to encourage practice owners to not only know the clinical foundations of the practice but also the business foundations. When practice owners understand all that’s necessary to run their practices, they buy freedom that breeds confidence and security. So, listen up and heed the message in this episode! 

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This episode expands the mental health subject to the dentist or practice owner. While the team’s mental health is very important, the dentist or practice owner’s emotional wellbeing is paramount. In fact, in many cases the practice does not exist with a mentally well dentist or practice owner. In this mini episode, Bethany discusses five important strategies for keeping the dark clouds of despair at bay. In addition to big picture suggestions like building a professional team and investing and finding a support group, she also discusses everyday tips for remaining emotionally healthy. 

Dive into this episode with pen and paper in hand because these tips are critical for keeping you well!