Managing Dental Drama

Do you ever feel pigeon-holed? You feel like you are out of options and too tired to fight for options? Every practice owner experiences seasons of simply wanting out. They want to walk away from the pressure and stress of it all. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the intentional strategy of bringing in producer help. For some practices, that could mean taking the leap of faith and hiring a hygienist. For other practices, that could mean hiring a part-time associate. Whatever the case may be, it is critical for solo practice owners to feel like they are not alone, and the addition of producer assistance often can relieve some of the pressure of practice ownership. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba discuss the following topics: 

• The recent stories and examples of practice owners walking away from it all. 
• How business ownership is a blessing and a true gift. 
• The importance of protecting your greatest instrument – your mind and body. By protecting this instrument, a practice owner can extended his or her practice life by 5, 10, or even 15 years. 

At almost two years past the initial onset of the pandemic, staff costs continue to soar. Practice owners are often backed into a corner with staff pay increase requests, or staff members are “bought out” by another office in the area. Hiring new employees continues to be a punch in the gut because of their starting asking rates. Add in the supply cost increases that continue to rise, and many practice owners are left either wondering how they are going to make ends meet or how they are going to live on less. Increased overhead expenses are one of those “new normal” examples that is simply frustrating and defeating. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss ways in which the higher staff costs have caused Dr. Kuba to make decisions she wouldn’t have made two years ago. They also talk about practice decisions that may assist with the increased expenses. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba discuss the following topics: 

• Increased overhead expenses are here to stay. It’s time to re-evaluate the practice budget in an effort to find pockets of potential savings. 
• Expect pay increase requests from your team. If they haven’t come yet, they will. 
• If fully staffing the office is still a struggle, it may be time to consider dropping an insurance plan. 
• Be sure to connect with your team members to discover their professional goals. 

Do you remember the good ‘ole days of rock-solid cancellation policies and cancellation phone call scripts? The latest resurgence of COVID-19 has caused a rattling and even complete decomposition of the plan for handling patient cancellations. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany continue discussing the current impact of COVID-19 on the practice, specifically in the way of a schedule that never seems to stay put together. Because an obliterated schedule can cause extreme stress, it is vital to hear strategies and thoughts on how others handle the unknown of every single day in a dental practice. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba discuss the following topics: 

• How should a dental team approach the overwhelming about of cancellations and no shows? 
• What are some mindsets that are helpful when considering the ever-changing landscape of staff and patient absences? 
• The importance of constantly re-evaluating office policy and communicating these changes clearly to patients and staff members. 

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In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany commiserate together on the most recent impact of COVID-19 on the team and also on the schedule. This conversation is definitely real in every way – raw emotions, real reactions, and dialoguing together to find hope in yet another tough wave of this pandemic. Tune in to hear how other practice owners are weathering this storm while also finding some encouragement for yourself and your team. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba discuss the following topics: 

• Why does this wave of the pandemic feel so all consuming? Why is it hard to keep running this road of practice ownership and management? 
• There are blessings in stressful times, and this recent wave of COVID-19 gives us a chance to truly grow. 
• Tips on dealing with staff absences due to the pandemic. 

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In today’s episode Bethany is flying solo! Dr. Kuba is busy running her practice as we near the end of 2021 and will be back and ready for 2022.. As Bethany discusses the top ten important things you should do to prepare for 2022, it’s important to remember to stop and evaluate your own health and get plenty of rest. We all too often pour our everything into ensuring our practice is running smoothly and efficiently that we often forget to take care of ourselves. When you do this, everything else just falls into place. Like tackling those end of year reports to show the positives (and negatives) of your practices’ performance and most importantly,  taking care of your team just to name a few. 

Show host Bethany Petty dive into the following topics: 

• Remember to stop and evaluate your own health. Your practice depends on you. Get rest to re energize, rejuvenate, and recharge. 
• Running reports will help tell the story of how well your practice did and will do in the future. Three main reports to consider for year end: Production and collection for the year,  New Patients Report, and Provider Productivity.
• Take time to reflect on your top 3 most memorable moments from 2021. The good and the bad. These should be the moments of impact.
• List your successes and losses of 2021.  

This will be our last podcast for 2021 and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2022! Happy Holidays from all of us here at Managing Dental Drama! 

In this follow up episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the other valuable aspect of having strong bonus plans – their usefulness in disciplinary action. Not only are bonuses excellent at positively motivating team members, but they can also be used to negatively motivate team members. Bonuses can (and should) be taken away when an employee is significantly underperforming or failing to meet certain deadlines or expectations. So many practice owners are limited by the small scope of options they have when trying to correct the performance of an employee. Taking a bonus away either individually or collectively gives the practice owner options for attempting to correct employee behavior. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba dive into the following topics: 

• Specific examples of when Dr. Kuba had to remove bonuses from individual employees as well as departments and even the entire team. 
• The importance of taking away the bonus very sparingly so that the “sting” of the punishment is significant. 
• The value of a diversified bonus plan so that options exist in how and what to remove from an underperforming employee. 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with it comes the age-old question, “What should I do for my team in the way of a bonus or holiday gift?” Nearly every practice owner struggles with the why, how, and what of gift-giving at the end of the year. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss not only year-end gift giving strategies but also on-going bonus plans for the rest of the year. Three main bonus strategies are discussed as well as the impact of these bonuses and gifts upon the team. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba dive into the following topics: 

• Options for year-end gift giving to team members; How to handle senior staff members as well as new team members. 
• The importance of incentivizing throughout the year so that all the weight doesn’t fall on end of year good behavior. 
• Options for incentivizing throughout the year. 
• Focusing on the positive outcomes of year long, consistent bonus options. Bonuses should be a win-win-win. 
• Keeping bonus plans and holiday plans diverse so that the events/gifts speak to different employees. 

You asked, now receive! So many practice owners struggle with effective team building ideas. After receiving foundational ideas in episode twelve, this episode takes a deep dive into multiple team building examples that Dr. Kuba has executed in her practice. Self-proclaimed as “Off the Wall Ideas,” Dr. Kuba shares her creative and fun events including her original team building event. She and Bethany offer advice to practice owners struggling to start a cohesive culture through team building events. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba dive into the following topics: 

• Good team building events have to start somewhere. Starting with a simple potluck can be a great, inexpensive starting point. 
• Developing a calendar of events can help to remove some of the stress of planning team outings
• Investing in team building events can last well beyond the actual event 
• Pushing past the uncomfortable nature of team building 

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Today’s episode called for a well-timed detour. Drama hit Dr. Kuba’s office, and it required corrective conversations with two of her employees. Within these conversations, Dr. Kuba had a light-bulb moment when she realized her impact as a leader on these two employees. Using the analogy of a fruit orchard, Dr. Kuba explains how she reached a new level of understanding in how to manage her team. With a depleted employee market that seems to grow worse by the minute, retaining employees is critical. Dr. Kuba left both of these conversations with a renewed energy and a new mindset. Her new management plans for these two employees means that Dr. Kuba did not have to fire good employees. 

Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba dive into the following important topics: 

• Always assuming the positive in the employees
• Corrective measures in management are never solved in one meeting. Often, multiple conversations and types of conversations are involved. 
• Does the employee need to change? Or do you, the practice owner, need to change? 
• Be willing to change your expectations and truly water your team members, allowing them to bear fruit for themselves and for the practice. 

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Dr. Kuba, a self-proclaimed introverted homebody, has an extensive team building calendar. Why? She believes it is foundational to creating and maintaining a good office culture. Her strategy works. Although she could never claim a perfect practice culture, her team has a strong unity and sense of value. Most team members who join Dr. Kuba’s practice are loyal because they feel seen, heard, and valued by Dr. Kuba. Her team often comments on the generosity of their boss and how valued they feel. // Show hosts Bethany Petty and Dr. Reena Kuba dive into the following important topics: 

• Team building budget
• Developing a team building plan 
• Why invest in team members? The overall purpose of team building events 
• Reminding listeners of the importance of making your team feel valued at these events. Don’t go cheap on certain aspects because it can ruin the feel of the entire event.