The Passionate Pediatric Dentist: Recent Episodes
Pediatric Dental Directions - Phil Slonkosky & Robert Elliott
Passion is what drives us. Passion is what keeps us in the game, and engaged when others want to call it quits. This podcast is not for quitters. Why struggle alone when you can be part of a community of passionate, like minded, forward-thinking, pediatric dentists who all want the same thing- to help each other be successful. The Passionate Pediatric Dentist Podcast is presented by Pediatric Dental Directions (PDDx) to help doctors and their TEAMs find solutions to the problems that keep them up at night, and share in the success and rewards that come from building a thriving culture. Listen to passionate practitioners and their colleagues share their stories and discuss how they found the solutions they were looking for to make their practices thrive. This podcast covers anything and everything related to pediatric dentistry. If you are passionate about pediatric dentistry and building a thriving practice cutlure, subscribe and join the conversation! For more information, visit us at www.pddx.us.
The PPP continues to evolve. I called Chris and asked him to give us an update and here is what he had to say. Thank you Chris for sharing your knowledge!
Managing debt is key to financial success and freedom. However, if not monitored debt can get out of control. In this episode Chris discusses how we can better manage the debt in our practices and make some common sense recommendation we should all follow.
Do you struggle with how to manage the cash flow in your office? Chris Sands shares his expertise about setting up an amazing cash flow management system for your office. In this episode Chris talks about setting up 7-9 accounts to move your money and make it easy to track and manage. As each of us tighten our belts during this time understanding cash flow is paramount for success. This is one of the most important podcasts I have recorded with Chris. Take notes, and take action. Thanks for listening!
I finally get to sit down with Dr. Cody Mast and talk about emerging business models pediatric dentists can consider to help meet the changes brought about by the emerging DSO market. Dentistry was changing before COVID, and the economic ramifications of a nationwide shutdown will continue to be felt for sometime. Join us as we talk about his story about building a group practice of over 15 offices with a TEAM of partners who all share the same goal. Cody is a passionate pediatric dentist who shares a number of amazing pearls that will help all of us to be successful!
In this podcast I interview Dr. Max Sulla, a private practitioner from New Jersey. This is the first of a series of interviews from pediatric dentists across the country open to sharing their story. Max is passionate about organized dentistry and makes a strong case for why we need to be involved. Pediatric dentists are a special group and we need to stay connected more than even during this time.
Bobby and Phil talk about how to have critical conversations with TEAM members, how to have corrective conversations, and how to manage these moments in a positive way that helps build up your TEAM.
This is a fun episode about a topic we don't often talk about, dental equipment. I still down with Mr. Matt McLaughlin, Senior Territory Sales Manager for Midmark. For those you who are remodeling or building an office this episode will offer some great tips and ideas to help you. Let us know what you think!
Julie and I discuss why and how you transition your practice to a PTO system (Paid Time Off). This is a common question and Julie offers some great insights about how this works in our office.
In this episode I get to interview Dr. Gerry Samson for what I think is his first official podcast! Gerry is a lifelong learner, educator, and tribal elder. He has been running (g)nathos, an orthodontic education business, for over 30 years. We discuss life, practice, and (g)nathos. If you are interested in learning more about (g)nathos you can visit the web-site at www.gnathosce.com.
Pediatric Dental Marketing can be overwhelming. How do we know the services we are paying for are working? What is SEO? What makes a great website work? These are just a few of the topics I over with Joshua Scott in this deep dive podcast. Joshua Scott is the owner and CEO of Studio 8E8 (www.s8e8.com), a custom digital marketing agency for dentistry. Josh has been involved with the industry for over 17 years and one of the most progressive and innovative practitioners in this space I have ever met. Enjoy!
The Magic of Integration, the last chapter in "Be Our Guest, Perfecting the Art of Customer Service", brings everything together to explain how Disney creates Magic. How does your office bring everything together to create magic for your guests? We hope you enjoyed this series, if you did shoot us some feedback!
Chapter 5- The Magic of Process ties together the previous two chapters. In this discussion we share some of the key points and how we can relate that to what we do in our office. In any organization how we do things, understanding how we do things, is essential for improvement. Disney again does this better than anyone. They recognize that it is a dynamic, ever changing process so make sure you have a system in place to review and fine time your processes in order to ensure guests are having exceptional experiences.
Dreams- we all have them. At least we all should have dreams. It does not matte what position you hold within an organization, you have the right to have your own dreams for what you and the organization can achieve. More importantly, you may have dreams that are outside of the organization, and that is a great thing. What is most important in life is to take time to revisit your dreams and take stock of where you are on the path towards achieving some of those dreams. If this something you have not done in a long time, take time this week to dream, you won't regret it!
Chapter 4, page 87, Disney- Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, is all about setting the stage. In my opinion this is one of the most overlooked areas in any organization. The stage is bigger than you think, and if any organization understands this concept it is Disney. They go above and beyond in setting the stage, and it is one of the hallmarks of their success. How well does your organization set the stage?
In this episode we discuss chapter 3 of "Be Our Guest, Perfecting the Art of Customer Service", The Magic of Cast. This chapter is all about building the right team. Your cast (Disney speak for TEAM) is everything. Without the right TEAM your will not be able to deliver the magic that keeps people coming back. What parts of this podcast/this chapter stand out to you and your organization?
You have a common purpose. How do you make the common purpose come to life? In Disney speak, the four quality standards that bring the common purpose to life are, Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. As you look at your own organization, how do the quality standards outlined by Disney meet your own standards? Has your organization outlined quality standards that help your TEAM live out the common purpose?
We continue our discussion of the book, "Be Our Guest, Perfecting the Art of Customer Service". In this episode we discuss the concept of Common Purpose beginning with page 39. This is an essential concept for any organization because it relates directly with the culture. How your organization defines its common purpose will directly affect the core of the culture. What is the common purpose of your organization?
Personal finance and business finance are one and the same. How we treat money in our personal life translates to how we treat and handle money in our office. I sit down with Mr. Chris Sands, Partner with Pro-Fi 20/20, and we discuss personal financial habits that can help you build a better foundation for your business. This podcast is full of pearls so take notes! If you have questions about anything we talk about or you would like for us to talk about email us and we will answers those questions on the next financial podcast. Email us at podcasts@pddx.us
In this episode I sit down with Ms. Megan Schaefer, she is currently getting her PhD in child clinical psychology, with a specialty in pediatrics. Her areas of interest includes anxiety, depression, compliance with medical procedures, for children with cancer, diabetes and other medical conditions. We cover A LOT in this episode, so take notes. Megan shares some amazing pearls about how to work with various ages groups, and some of the challenges we face when working with kids and teenagers. If you have any questions from this episode please email us (podcast@pddx.us)because we will be having Megan back and we can discuss your questions in the next podcast! Enjoy!
In any organization that wants to be outstanding, being afraid is the quickest way to reach the bottom. Being willing to take risk, to take a step outside the box ignorer to see what you can do to make your organization exceptional is key to success. This is the last chapter in this book, and for those who have listened to all 47 segments, thank you!
In any organization that wants to be exceptional, there is going to be turnover. Hiring fresh blood Is key for keeping an organization healthy and growing. Change is never easy, but as any organization changes some people are going to be able to keep up and others will not. So don't be afraid of change, embrace it, and move on.
The speed of decision making, adapting to the changing needs of the population is key for success. How well an organization can adapt, and make change will determine their level of success. Organizations that have a tough time making decisions do so to their own demise. However, we must be careful to make sure that we develop systems to ensure that although we make decisions quickly, we also ensure the right decision is made.
In any outstanding organization, attention to detail is essential for continued success. If you pay attention to the little things, the big things wont be so big. How does your organization "tend to the little things" to deliver excellent customer service?
Never settle, never take anything for granted and your organization will not only succeed, but continue to be successful well into the future.
Vendors are people too. It is important that we treat vendors as members of our TEAM, as partners in our organization's mission. As we strive to make our organization exceptional, we should make sure that those we choose to do business with should share the same goal. Why would we settle for anything less?
Disney defines two kids of information from studying guest. These are demographics and phychographics. How does your organization assess these two areas and what systems do you have in place to ensure that your organization can adapt and change to meet the changing needs of your guests?
Why should we skip the vision thing? In this podcast we discuss some thought provoking ideas about why we should rethink, and challenge the paradigm of "the vision thing". What are your thoughts?
In this episode we talk about "guestology". This is Disney speak for the study of your guests. If you want your organization to be successful you need to have systems in place that allow you to constantly evaluate the guest experience.
When something goes wrong, we can spend a great deal of resources finding out who made the mistake and then cast blame. How an organization addresses mistakes, and helps correct them can make or break a culture. We all make mistakes, and instead of focusing on the mistake, we should focus on how we correct and move forward. Creating a culture of problems solvers will in the end create the better organization. Easier said then done!
There has to be a boss. What does this mean? Being a boss first and foremost means taking responsibility. Although many organizations are TEAM oriented, the success of the TEAM, the ability of TEAM to succeed lies on the shoulders of one leader. Someone has to hold the TEAM accountable, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is hard work, which is why being a boss, a leader is not easy.
You can coach all you want, but if your TEAM is not coachable, change will never happen. This holds true for leaders as well. We all have to be open to change, and open to those individuals who have our best interest at heart. Are you coachable?
Coaching is key to developing your TEAM, your organization. More importantly, we need to be cognizant of how our actions and attitudes coach by example. If we act certain ways that are contrary to the values and standards of the organization, we give others permission to do do so as well. If you want your organization to be exceptional, coaching becomes a full time mindset for every member.
How well your organization listens is vital to its success. Listening is not just about how one person in the team listens, it is about the organization as a whole. How well we listen to one another as a TEAM reflects how well we listen, really listen, to the customer. How well does your organization "listen"?
If you are looking to hiring a practice administrator or an office manager, what do you need to know? In this episode I interview my practice administrator about what she thinks you need to look for when developing your management TEAM. This is a great episode for anyone trying to sort out what type of leadership they need for their office to move to the next level.
In any outstanding organization it is important to develop a culture of encouragement. Your TEAM needs to feel valued. How do you as an organization foster a culture that helps to build people up?
Having a solid training program is essential for success. However, may organizations, after achieving success, will often slack in this department. If you want your organization to be outstanding you need to stay on top of training and make training part of the culture.
How do you handle maternity leave? In this episode we discuss the answer to a question posed by one of our PDDx members. Each office needs to address this question, so listen and take notes, this is a great discussion.
Sometimes we need to fire customers. This can be a huge challenge for any organization if you do not already have a process in place for how to deal with clients who disrespect your organization.
Can you overdue customer service? It seems like every other post I read has something to do with customer service or providing better value to clients. This leads me to think that maybe we are overdoing it, maybe we are doing great and are now just wasting time with trying to be better. In this podcast, we discuss this question and talk about the "why" behind this podcast, and why it is important to always make a choice to do your best, with the best attitude.
Integration is where everything comes together. It is one thing to have all the pieces in place, and another to try to get those pieces to work together seamlessly. How well does your organization integrate?
Delivery systems, how you make your vision a reality is where everything starts to come together. This is the third point on the compass, which Disney divides into three categories: employees, setting, and process. If you want your organization to be exceptional, take time to think about what delivery systems you have in place for each of the three categories to ensure your guests receive outstanding customer service.
We continue our discussion on the second point of Disney's quality service compass, quality standards. In your office, you need to have quality standards that allow you to both meet your goals, and serve as the measures of your level of service. Does your TEAM know what the quality standards are for your office? What are examples of how your office embodies the four Disney quality standards of safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency?
This week we talk about Guestology, Disney speak for anything and everything related to their guests. Guestology is the art and science of understanding the wants, needs, and experiences of your guests. Disney is the best. What we hope you take away from this podcast is a deeper appreciate for why taking time to see your practice from your patients eyes is so important. Do you have a system for studying your patients/guests experience?
In this episode we talk Frenectomies with Dr. Greg Notestine (A General Dentist who has treated over 13,000 patients) and Mrs. Jen Steinke (RN, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and CranioSacral Therapy). This is an epic discussion that covers, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and the ideas and controversies surrounding this hot topic. This is one of the best discussions I have had the pleasure of having on this topic and I hope you find it as informative as I did. Enjoy!
As we continue our journey through the book, "Be Our Guest, Perfecting the Art of Customer Service", we discuss the concept of quality service and what it means in Disney speak to "bump the lamp". Attention to detail is essential when trying to create a magical experience for your guests. How well does your organization pay attention to detail?
Having the right people in the right place to handle the right job is essential for any organization. You have the have the right decision makers in the right location at the right time. If you do not, you need to empower your TEAM to know what decisions they can make, and those they cannot.
No matter what organization or business you run each of us will face the same challenges. What is important is that your organization is aware of this and you are intentional about being prepared. We continue our podcast series working our way through the book, "Be Our Guest, Perfecting the Art of Customer Service". Let us know what you think!
Outstanding organizations recognize the importance of chance. In order for your organization to endure and grow, you have to be willing to embrace change.
Impressions are everything. You need to take time to train your TEAM to speak well so that they can make the right impression the first time.
In any outstanding organization you want to make every TEAM member count. If you want to make every team member count you need to be intentional about it.
Realigning your practice culture is a huge undertaking. It requires a serious emotional commitment which at the end of along day is difficult to muster. In this podcast, Julie and I talk about what it takes to reboot your practice and signs that you might need to take a step back and look at your existing practice culture.
Disney and Dentistry, can you say more? For the next series of the Morning Huddle we are going to journey through the book "Be Our Guest, Perfecting the Art of Customer Service". Disney is the best at customer service so lets see how we can apply their philosophy to dentistry. We are going to change up the format for this series and I will be joined by our practice administrator Mrs. Julie Pleiman. Also, we want you, our TEAM to ask questions as well as answer them after you have listened. This is going to be an awesome!
Developing managers is key to success. If you managers don't know how to manage how can you expect to lead? Taking the time to work and develop your managers is part of the hard work necessary to make your organization exceptional. Listen to think more on this topic!
Stand by your work. A hallmark of excellent customer services is standing by your work no matter what. But in dentistry, this can be a challenge. You can do the best work, but if the patients don't take care of things what do you do?
Have you ever thought about producing an internal podcast for your organization? In this episode I talk about how this show was developed initially for the TEAM at Minster Dental Care. Our organization was growing fast, and I wanted to find a way to calibrate new TEAM members with veterans around topics related to customer service. I didn't want to add more meetings so the next best solution was a podcast. After producing an internal podcast for close to a year now, the effort has been well wort it. Let me know what you think!
Remember who pays the bills. Dentistry is a service organization. Without patients/customers there is no income, and you cannot pay the bills. This is important to remember because every patient that comes through that door pays your bills. And because they pay your bills, you should make sure that every patient, regardless of their attitude, receives the best service possible.
What does it mean to "win" in your organization? In dentistry this can be confusing because there are so many key encounters, and experiences that could be defined as a win it can be hard to define. Therefore it is important to define for your TEAM what a "win" is. Setting goals and recognizing "wins" helps to educate and motivate the TEAM because everyone wants to "win"!
Outstanding organizations can do great with things the resources they have on hand. Many organizations will focus on what they need first in order to improve. This can lead to delay and stagnation. Strive to do the best you can with what you have on hand first. What is stopping you?
Bringing in a new doctor to the TEAM is one of the most significant decisions you will make. Likewise, joining a practice as a new doctor is just as significant. In this episode Dr. Elliott and I talk about what you need to think about, as well as some great advice for bringing in a new doctor. Bobby shares a ton of pearls in this episode so take notes!
Every organization has policies. However, sometimes sticking to the policy can lead to a negative customer experience. There are times when we need to be flexible. Knowing when to be flexible, and when to stick to the policies is essential for any organization that wants to be exceptional.
What does celebrate mean to your organization? Understanding how your organization recognizes both small and large achievements in key to keeping TEAM members motivated and valued.
When dealing with challenges in the office, why does it take us so long to pick up the phone and call a friend, mentor, or consultant to ask them for help? In this episode Gay Lowry (Lowry Consulting) and I talk about how important it is to have a consultant, or at least a mentor or friend helping you. Running a dental office today is a complex business that you cannot run alone if you want to run it well.
For any organization to be exceptional, you need TEAM members who practice personal accountability. Being accountable to the organization is one thing, but being accountable to yourself is much harder.
Attitude is everything. In order to build an outstanding culture, your TEAM needs to believe in the mission, and values of the practice. If they don't believe, then they should leave.
Hiring someone based on character, and not primarily their accomplishments is central to building a good team.
Keeping your promise, keeping your word, is essential for any organization to succeed. Your TEAM needs to know that you will follow through. No-one is perfect, and there will be times when we can not. When that happens, just be honest and communicate with your TEAM. That is the best way give the TEAM a chance to help one another.
Having a healthy sense of competition is essential for any organization. However, if your team becomes competitive with one another, they will loose sight of who the real competition is.
While it is important to recognize mistakes, how you move forward, how you recover after making a mistake is the mark of an outstanding organization.
How can any organization meet the needs of the changing culture without new ideas? Outstanding organizations understand the importance of creating an environment where ideas are valued over politics. How does your organization compare?
It is important to remember to choose our words wisely based upon the situation we are in. This means we need to speak to our customers in a language they understand and comprehend, not in dental terms. Customer centered communication is essential for any organization that desires to be outstanding.
Do you have questions about Marketing? In this episode, Bobby and I cover marketing basics and offer 5 starting points for any practice in need of a marketing makeover. These are easy, straight forward tips you can start implements right away. Be sure to take notes!
Everyone in an organization is responsible for setting and maintaining the tone of the Culture.
When you have something on your mind, speak up! It is important in any organization to foster an environment where ideas can be shared and discussed openly. Otherwise, how are you going to let your TEAM know their opinions matter?
Making meetings meaningful is an art that comes from experience. If you want your TEAM to be engaged, you need to follow some simple rules for running an effective meeting.
Caring, Criticism, and Correction, the three “C” that we all have a tough time balancing when dealing with TEAM members. In this episode I talk with Gay Lowry about how we can apply caring, criticism, and correction in the right way, and in the right order to help hold our TEAM members accountable and build them up at the same time. Listen to this episode twice and make sure to take notes!
Practicing dentistry is a lifelong journey. In this episode Dr. Justin Warcup joins me for a discussion about how we can find balance to help us enjoy the journey that is our profession. Each of us can speak to the many challenges we face in our day to day lives, but what do we do to recharge when the day is done? If we cannot find a way to balance the good and bad, we run the risk of burning out and loosing the fire that drove us to become dentists in the first place. After you listen to this podcast, take time for yourself and your significant other. Find a way to recharge so you continue to enjoy the journey!
Being a boss is a huge challenge, but it also brings many rewards. How did you decide being a boss was right for you? In this podcast Bobby and Phil talk about being a boss, what it means to each of them, and how they decided that taking on the mantle of "boss" was right for them. As usual there are many pearls and shared experiences that make this a great episode!
In this episode I have a conversation with Gay Lowry, an amazing practice consultant and friend. We discuss her journey into practice consulting and what she is doing to help practices thrive. She shares some amazing pearls about TEAM huddles, TEAM dynamics, and social media. We also discuss how to prepare associates to interact with TEAM members to help prevent resentment if there is suspected favoritism. A great first episode with Mrs. Gay Lowry!
If you run your organization lean and mean during the good times, you will be lean and mean during the tough times. Outstanding organizations discipline themselves to be prepared. Do you have any "Fat" you need to trim from your organization?
Everyone is a customer. In any outstanding organization you need to remember that everyone you interact with, both patients, and TEAM members are customers. Meaning, you must treat everyone with the same level of attention you would a customer, who as the expectation for great service.
The real test of an outstanding organization is whether its actions reflect its values.
Know what the mission of the organization is, and build your culture, build your TEAM around it!
Welcome to the Morning Huddle! This is a podcast focussed on presenting short, thought provoking ideas taken from different books related to customer service and how we apply it to running a dental practice. In this episode we start John Millers Book, "Outstanding, 47 ways to make your organization exceptional." In chapter one, we discuss why it is important to build a culture that values performance over titles. Enjoy!
TEAM development, coaching, culture, hiring and firing, and how to develop a leadership committee within your practice. Dr. Warcup and I continue our discussion on how he developed his practice culture. You will want to listen twice to get all the pearls from this episode!
In this episode I introduce Dr. Justin Warcup to the PDDx community. Justin and I have been friends for a few years and are both young practice owners. We talk about his journey to becoming a pediatric dentist and buying an existing practice that has been in the community for over 30 years. We dive into how he found a better work life balance after going through a very tough first year of ownership. You don’t want to miss it!
Welcome to our first podcast episode! We are super excited to start this podcast journey and hope you enjoy listening. In this episode Bobby and I talk about how pediatric dental directions started and then talk about a number of practice pearls. One topic we discuss is work life balance and how to create a schedule that works. Enjoy this first episode, and let us know what you think! www.pddx.us