This episode is all about your vision for your practice, and how you can use it to propel growth and success. Tiff and Dana share how to create a vision that’s true to you, how to get your team members bought in, how to set goals according to that vision, and so much more.
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Transcript:
The Dental A Team (00:00)
Hello Dental A Team listeners. We are so excited to be here with you today. You know that the consultant takeover section here, I don't know if that's even still what we call it, but that's what we call it, Dana and I call it, because that's where OG status, know, like Donuts with Dana came on the other day. I was like, oh, I do miss Donuts. Anyways, we're here with you today, you guys. are, gosh, almost done with Q1 by the time this releases. It's wild. It's, you know, and I think we say this every year probably,
I know January every year we're like, this is the longest month of our lives. But then we get to the end of January, we're like, that went so fast. Where did the time go? And then from there, just doesn't stop. It just doesn't stop.
DAT-Dana (00:40)
I know, feel like January
is 12 weeks long and then the rest of the year is like two.
The Dental A Team (00:43)
Yeah, it's so
true. Yeah, especially February, which I know February is quote unquote a short month. But I'm like, does that two days seriously mean we lost two weeks? Because that's what it feels like. I don't understand it. Time, it's all relative, right? We just make it up anyways. So that's why. That's why, because we just make it up anyways. So Dana, we just recorded a really fun podcast. I actually really, really loved that one on overhead.
DAT-Dana (00:57)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
The Dental A Team (01:13)
listen to that one yet about why not to cut your team members. Go listen to that too. You don't have to listen to it first. You don't have listen to it today. I don't care. Just listen to it sometime. But I think that it really actually coincides really well with this podcast topic that we're talking about today as well. And on a side note to all of you listeners out there, if you ever have podcast topics, things that you want to hear about, please let us know. You guys, we create these. Actually, our marketing company creates these based on like,
what's relevant in the dental industry right now, but you know, Kiera does a ton of podcasts. We do a ton of podcasts. We're always really happy to add things in that you feel you're seeing in your practice, because if you're seeing it, the likelihood is that other people are seeing it as well. And that's why we focus so heavily at the Dental A Team on community, because we really want you guys talking to each other. So that includes this. That's my little plug for Please Send Us Ideas. Thank you. Thank you.
? But this one, this one's fun too. I think we do, honestly we do a lot of really fun things at the Dental A Team. ? I think, I mentioned it on the last one, but Dana I think for me at least, focusing on the people first actually really, really drives me. It makes me feel like we're in we're in a stale business sometimes, you know? Like it's.
ever-changing, dentistry grows and it changes, but kind of not at the same time. It's kind of also stale, especially when it comes to team members.
DAT-Dana (02:41)
And then it makes no teeth, right?
And so it can only expand and grow so much and sure, has it made leaps and bounds? Absolutely. But again, it is still teeth and the business of dentistry.
The Dental A Team (02:48)
Yeah.
I agree. So I think adding in that human side of it, the people side, gives us purpose. And I think probably in any business, right, I think Aaron's a financial advisor and if he didn't, he loves the people aspect of it. He really, he became a financial advisor to help people grow their finances, to help people retire successfully and he loves nothing more than being able to help someone see that path.
And I know not all advisors are that way and not all consultants, dental consultants are that way, but I think that purpose driven piece is what separates any business from the other ones. Yeah.
DAT-Dana (03:34)
Yeah, and I think
at the of the day, it's people taking care of other people. And so it is a people industry. I think we always think of it as, it's healthcare, right, for sure. But it really is people taking care of people, so.
The Dental A Team (03:46)
Yeah, yeah, good point. All right, well that's our philosophical piece. I loved it. And on that same vein though, that same note is really, ? today we want to talk about vision-driven growth. And I think to me, Dana, when I saw this topic, I thought vision-driven growth, Realistically, it's just like, for me, it's having the map. It's kind like a treasure hunt.
DAT-Dana (03:50)
Okay.
The Dental A Team (04:12)
I feel like and it's having the map with that X on it, then I can say, okay, this is how I'm going to get there. And I think when we think of growth and in dentistry, I think 10 years ago, 15 years ago, growth was seven to 10 % every year. And like getting that new thing, like my growth this year is gonna be I'm gonna get a new Pano machine or I'm gonna add an operatory or I'm going to, it was like very physical.
And I think now, vision-driven growth, I think now what we're noticing and seeing is that we're dreaming more and we're applying that vision-driven growth, meaning this is what I'm gonna do, this is the physical of what needs to happen because I want to see this thing come to fruition. And that vision of, typically it's like an impact-driven vision, right? Like what was I put on this earth to do? What is my purpose and how is my business serving that purpose?
The reason that I like that so much better than just the physical piece of it is because Dana, think as a team member, I remember sitting there and being like, cool, 2.5 sounds great, but it doesn't mean anything to me. Like 2.5, 3 million. I remember when our goal was like, we started at 1.2, and I remember the year that we were like, 3.5. And I was like, this is weird, but like, I don't even know. I literally can't even fathom what $3.5 million looks like.
Right, it literally meant nothing to me. So nothing about my drive or how I showed up changed. I was just like, okay, cool. So now our goal is this and we schedule enough to reach that goal. That sounds great. But I think Dana when it's like, we wanna reach for us, we wanna reach this many practices, we wanna reach this many people. It just makes such a big difference. So I think, I don't know from a team member standpoint,
I don't, I can't get on board with this stale goal.
DAT-Dana (06:16)
to know why I'm doing what I'm doing every single day, right? I have to like, as a team member, those are always questions that like, like, why do we want to get there? Why do we need to get there? What does getting there do for us? What does getting there mean we serve? Like, those are the things that I think team members ask. And so I think practices that lead with a vision and look at the vision for the growth, like you get team members bought in, you get team members understanding and wanting to be a part of it, it makes
So many things easier to it makes hard conversations easier, right? Because it doesn't align with the vision It makes growth conversations so much easier and oftentimes think about like, you know I'm always looking at like the physical fitness space, right? Because that's super important to me. And so if I can sit here and say like well, I want to get stronger this year Great, but what what do I mean by that? Why do I want to do that? like do I want to do that because if I know that I want to do that because
I don't know, I want to race my kid down the street and I want to be faster or I want to be able to just like be there for them forever or I want to not have joint pain or whatever it is that like, why do I want to get stronger? I'm so much more intuitive in like the pieces that I do to get there. If I know that like I don't want my joints to hurt, then the exercises that I pick are going to look very, very different than like, if I want to be the fastest mom in the neighborhood.
right? Well, I do to be the fastest mom in the neighborhood looks very different than if I'm just looking at my joints, right? Because I probably am not going to be running a ton if it's my choice that are and why I want to be there. So I think like when you have a vision and when you know why it also helps you map your roadmap out to be much more clear and and have team members that are just much more bought in because they know why we're doing that they know what
The Dental A Team (07:40)
Mm-hmm.
Fair.
DAT-Dana (08:07)
we're going to get out of doing that. Whether it's we get to now treat a thousand more patients, whether it is we get to bring in another doctor, whether it is we get to bring on new team members that we get to connect with.
The Dental A Team (08:19)
Yeah, I totally agree. I love the fitness aspect because it's so easily relatable. think for anyone, whether you're into fitness or not, it's an easy, tangible piece to relate to. ? And I think with that, it's like you set your goal, right? And then you work backwards. Same with your vision driven goal. Like my goal was always when Brody was little, I remember the day that I was like, I will not huff up these stairs anymore. I will not tell my kid we got to play later because I'm tired.
ever again. Like this is not okay. And so, and it wasn't even just the weight loss. wasn't like, it was literally just being physically fit enough that I could keep up with my kid was my goal. And then they grow up and they're 17 and you got to find a new reason. But then you're like, I'm going to be able to walk in 20 years. Like I, know, it changes and it shifts and it morphs. And with that, so does your business.
vision, like it's gonna change, it's gonna grow, it's gonna morph and what you start out as of like I'm gonna be, you're gonna have a really cheesy one. You're gonna be like I'm gonna be the best dentist in my community and people are gonna love coming to my office, right? And then it's gonna be I'm gonna change so many lives in my community that people have the best smile around and they're constantly raving about how their life has improved because their smile has improved.
That's how you're gonna get people at your office. Like that vision, awesome. That is your vision. Now how do we apply to that? How do I get the people to my practice that I need to change the smile, that they're gonna change their lives? Like what kind of avatar does that look like? And that's the now you work backwards because you saw this beautiful vision of the impact that you're gonna make on the people that are coming to your office. I have this, she's not even in my office, but I have this doctor that I've talked to a few times
We've realized that her impact is this space that she's able to give her patients while they're in her chair. She attracts beautiful humans that are just a little afraid to be in this chair. And she just has this aura about her that she sits down and she's with them and she makes them comfortable just by being there and giving them the space.
That's her vision. that's like, if you think about that as like, okay, well, how do I apply that? You work backwards from there, but I think Dana, those are the pieces where when your team comes around and they're like, my gosh, these patients who are afraid to come to the dentist, leave that chair excited and happy to get their treatment done. I have changed someone's perspective and view on dentistry that they are going to be healthier when they leave my practice than when they walk through those doors.
That's massive. My best dental memory is the, I talk about her all the time. And I still, chat with her son on Instagram. He's like a dad and he's like 30 or something now. I'm like, how is this possible? Because he was like seven, but she did a smile makeover. And I remember prior to that appointment, she was so sweet and I loved her, but she was quiet and meek and like.
Mousy hair like literally I can't describe it any other way just like a mousy always wearing brown Kind of like hunched over a little bit just not standing tall in herself recently divorced she had her son who was phenomenal and he loved her so much and I loved her and then she decided to do literally like smile to smile she did 12 units and The day she came back in with like for her her
final check, know, Dana, that changed my perspective of dentistry. This woman came on with highlights in her hair. She was wearing heels, she was wearing colors. And I was like, who are you? She was smiling ear to ear. And I've known her now. I mean, I was, I'm almost 41. I was maybe 20, maybe 21 when this happened. So for 20 years, I've watched this woman be this strong, independent human. And I'm like, I don't
It was her smile. Those are the things Dana that I think you're talking about, that it's like, I can get on board with that. I can get on ? as a team member. I can work my tail off to see something like that come to fruition.
DAT-Dana (12:46)
Yeah, yeah, and I think like I have a story similar to that right where it was like I don't do job interviews because they don't like to like a completely new career new person new human new life because they were able to go on job interviews and get you know a position they never ever thought that they would right which then financially changed their means which totally changed their life and I think that I think sometimes because
I think we were talking about earlier, right? Dentistry can get a little bit stale. I think we forget as team members. I think even dentists forget, like we're doing truly incredible things every day. And I know is the filling always going to make a massive difference? No, but there's going to be a patient that comes through your office. There's going to be several patients. And you may never even know.
Impact you you never you may never even see the 20 years later, right? You may not see the new highlights and the new confidence But what you're doing is so so important Even if it is making somebody comfortable enough to come in sit down and have that feeling right because you don't know if that was the difference in them Having the feeling or eventually being a denture list because they were so afraid to get in a chair, right? Which is just we're gonna change someone's difference and they say this all the time when I'm in person with
with teams is like the things that you are doing day in and day out. Well, sometimes they can feel mundane, right? Turning over room after room after room. Well, sometimes that can feel a little bit stale. Like the reason you're doing it and the things that you can change in someone, in yourselves, in your team, like it's...
amazing. And I think we forget that so often because it is just the burn and turn of it. But I think when we can think about that, and we can picture what we want, and then we can take what we want and even bring it down to as finite as I've had a vision with a team that like it's what got us our new patient goal. And as silly as that sounds, it's when you break it down like that. And when you know why, and when you know what you're targeting for, it makes it so simple. It does.
The Dental A Team (14:51)
It
does. I totally agree. That vision gives you the growth. I think that vision, ? and like we said, it will morph and it will change. You will probably, on some semblance, the same grounding, the same baseline. And you're going to grow on top of that. And, Dana, I think to your point, it's like, this is what people get on board with. And I had a doctor last week on one of our calls. She said,
We've got a front office team member, one front office team member that's rocking it out in stellar, one front office team member that's like hit or miss and inconsistent. And she's like, the one that's just killing it, she believes in it. She gets it, she's got it. Like treatment is easy to sell. She just gets it. She's with it. The other one, how do I get her to get it? And I said, you don't get her to get it. You get her to understand why you're doing what you do.
And if she can believe in that and she can hop on board with that vision, now she's inspired to do what she should be doing to reach that goal. And Dana, I know you do this too. Like so often we get asked by team or by doctors, how do I motivate my team? Do I give them more money? How do I motivate my team to do this? And I tell people all the time, you, motivation is short-lived, right? And back to the fitness.
I can be motivated to run a 5K. I'm not inspired. Inspiration is being healthy enough that I can always run 5Ks with my kid. That's my inspiration. Brody and I, not consistently, not always. When he was little, we used to run 5Ks together. this year, we decided he's going to be 18 soon. We were like, we're going to do a freaking 5K again, at least one 5K again together this year. That's inspiring.
But motivation is like, I can run a 5K, that's my motivation. So motivation being, okay, you get a $200 bonus if you do this thing. Cool, they're gonna do that thing, get that bonus, and then they're gonna slide right back to where they were before. But the inspiration of knowing this why and this vision is where I think Dana actually goes back to right person, right seat. And if you don't believe in the vision of a company,
Well, you're not going to stay with the company. We can think of it, think, again, we just make dentistry different. Dentistry has to be its own type of business. It's like, can't we just? Business is business. And when we think of tech companies, somebody who doesn't believe in the vision of Elon Musk is not going to work for Tesla on a mass scale, or they're not going to be there for a long time. But if you can be in alignment with his vision of what he's creating in this world,
You're going be inspired to work there. So I think, Dana, that just blows my mind, number one. But I think that's kind of what we're saying. What's that overarching vision of the actual thing that you're doing for the world that people can get on board with?
DAT-Dana (18:00)
Yeah, and I think that like you touch on it a little bit Tiff, but it's like doctors sometimes, you know, we'll create visions and I'm like, Okay, well, why did you choose this? Or why did you and sometimes it is well, it sounded good. I thought it would motivate the team if it doesn't inspire you, it will never inspire them. So please, when you're looking at your vision to great to grow up like you have to do this day in and day out to and if you if it doesn't inspire you, if it doesn't motivate you, if it doesn't make you want to get up in the morning and get to that office, it will never do that for
your team. please, when just like a caveat to this is when you're looking to make it mean something, make it mean something, it has to inspire you because you have to be the one that shows up every day and lives it that the team is going to look at and say, like, they're so inspired. So am I, right? That's what motivates teams.
The Dental A Team (18:51)
I love that Dana, that was massive. And if you did not hear all of those words, rewind, replay, and listen to that again, because you're spot on. So many visions are created to attract the right patients, attract the right team, to motivate people to come to you. The vision is like an attraction method.
And what is attractive is a vision that inspires you as a human and you living in that authenticity of your vision. That's what attracts people and that's what attracts the right people to you. And that's how you can continue to see that growth and see that growth through. was so good, Dana. You pulled that out beautifully. Nice job. You guys, I mean, we could sit here and motivate you.
All day long, I tell my doctors that all the time. I can motivate you to do anything that I want you to do. I'm telling you that right now. We are really good at that. I can motivate you to do just about anything. I cannot inspire you. This is the inspiration here. We are inspiring you to go find your inspiration. Inspiration comes from within. That is inside of you. It is not something I can gift you. I can motivate you and I can give you some inspiration to go do it.
but that long lived inspired feeling, that's your vision. And vision driven growth is sustainable. Non vision driven growth is insustainable. It won't last, it won't work forever. You're gonna be burnt out, you're gonna be exhausted. And one day you're gonna be calling the dental team saying that you hate dentistry and you need to find your love for dentistry again. This is how you do it, okay?
So Dana, think their biggest takeaway ? action item today is to go revisit your vision and take a look at it and sit with it and think, how does this inspire me to get up and love my job every day like Dana just said to you? And how do I translate this in words that make sense to the team? Dana, what do you, with that action item, what's your number one way
or a number one action item that you give to doctors when you're telling them go do your vision.
DAT-Dana (21:12)
It's truly just like, why did you start your practice? Why dentistry? Why do you choose to come and take care of patients every single day? And then what do you, what and how do you intend on serving?
The Dental A Team (21:29)
Yeah, I love that. Thank you. Thank you. ? Dentistry is your what? That's your vehicle. Your why is why did you decide to use this vehicle? It doesn't have to be because you love the nearest and you're awesome at them or anything like that. It's because you wanted to make people happy or you wanted to like, what is that emotionally driven? Like Dana said, what's that piece? All right, guys, go do the thing. Don't overcomplicate it. Okay, you're going to change it a million times. You're going to write it right now.
And then in two days later, you're gonna be like, it's not right, it's not sitting right. And in a year, you're be like, no, this isn't right. That's okay, that's what it's like to be human. So go do it. If you need help, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. If you want prompts, if you need, I don't know, more actionable pieces, always reach out. Leave us a five star review below and you can ask for them there as well. But let us know what your vision is, you guys. We wanna hear them too. And we are here ready to work with you whenever you are ready. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com.
and can sign up for a free consultation with us on our website, TheDentalATeam.com Dana, thank you so much. We recorded two fun podcasts today, so thanks for spending your Monday morning with me. And you guys go listen to the other ones as well. Again, reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com, and we can send you over some suggestions of different podcasts that will relate to whatever it is you're trying to get done in life. Thanks and go be wonderful.