It seems we all have things I call “touchstones” that we keep around to help us feel grounded and to remind us of who we are. We also have items around us simply because they make us smile.

A good friend of mine used to talk about having a garage sale for her thoughts and behaviors, and I love that idea! My own experience has taught me that the people, belongings, and structures I surround myself with have an enormous impact on my thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

A few years back, I downsized to an 800 square foot mountain home in Black Mountain, North Carolina that I lovingly call the “Tiny Mansion.” When I made this move, I got rid of so much stuff! I literally touched everything I owned and made a thoughtful decision on what would stay and what would go.

I found that I kept things that connected me in a concrete way to different people, places, and experiences that had special meaning. I let go of lots and lots of things that were not essential tools as well as things that were related to people, memories, or parts of my life I was ready to release. I’ve learned that growth is not only about adding to our lives, but maybe even more importantly, it’s about letting go of that which no longer serves us.

Now what I do is intentionally surround myself with what encourages me to be the person I want to be, and to feel the way I want to feel when I’m in the world. All the books I have on my shelf are purposefully there. I scan through them on a regular basis to make sure they are still books that have special meaning. Another habit I’ve created is to get rid of something every time I make a purchase. Buy shoes…get rid of shoes. Buy a shirt…get rid of 2 shirts. It’s a deliberate choice designed to keep me from becoming overwhelmed by a whole bunch of stuff that I no longer want or need.

To live that intentionally was new to me when I decided to make my move to the Tiny Mansion. Necessity drove me to become highly selective about what I would see and touch in my day-to- day world. This idea became part of my updated philosophy…my living, thinking approach to curating positive things, people, actions, and experiences in my life. I am in a dynamic process of becoming my best self (almost) every day.

What inspired me to share this is the realization that I was smiling when I poured a smoothie in one of my Pankey cups. This particular piece of my “Pankey merch” collection was a gift from Dr. Lee Brady, and I love (on many levels) what it means to me.

I feel absolutely uplifted by being surrounded by things I love. The ability to see and touch these “stones” is a positive force in my life. I wonder what you might surround yourself with that is intentional and has meaning for you. I also wonder what you might be ready to let go of. Which things do you choose to be visible touchstones in your life?

How about a fun pre-pandemic memory? I was on a vacation cruise and had sought out a lounge to do my yoga privately early in the mornings. One morning, I arrived to find easels displaying paintings along the walls of the lounge and a team of people from the Art Gallery. One woman held up a camera and said, “Okay, go!” Then, four others ran along the sides of the room, picking up the paintings and rushing them up to the front of the room. Then they ran back, folded the easels, and moved them as well. The woman with the camera said, “You did it,” and everyone cheered and clapped.

Later that day, I ran into the woman who had held the camera. I had to ask… you know I did, “What were you doing in the lounge this morning?” She told me that every few months they do a quality control exercise to demonstrate they can breakdown the gallery in less than five minutes, because sometimes they only have five minutes to clear the lounge between events.

I had to ask… You know I did. “So, how well did you do?” She told me they were excited to do it this time in just over a minute. She was beaming from ear to ear.

So, that got me thinking…. You know it did. Turning a task into something fun can be energizing. In dentistry, we have to breakdown operatories and setup operatories all the time. What if, while following infection control guidelines and all things OSHA, there was still an element of fun in periodically demonstrating we can do this task at high speed? What record can we beat?

While I was on this same cruise in the Caribbean, it was flu season. There were bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere, and going into the dining room, there were four stations where you could stick your hand under an automatic dispenser. The cruise line did not want to leave it up to the honor system for passengers to clean their hands, so they had come up with a fun way to make us do it. Two men with Caribbean accents and funny attire greeted everyone coming into the room. They had Bluetooth speakers and danced as they said to everyone, “Washy, washy, yay, thank you.” So, every time I went into the dining room, I had a little dance with these gentlemen and sanitized my hands. For the entire cruise, everyone sanitized their hands upon entering the dining room!

During the final night’s dinner celebration… you know the one, where they bring in the blazing dessert and dance in a Conga line to “Hot, Hot, Hot,” the “Washy, washy” guys got on the microphone and thanked us for sanitizing our hands–and allowing them to help keep us healthy. Of course, we all cheered. We loved these guys!

So, that got me thinking… you know it did! They had found a fun and engaging way to improve our health and make us feel good about following the rules. I hope you noted that in my two cruise ship stories, having fun with systems increased the group’s performance. Research consistently demonstrates that when team members are enjoying themselves, work is performed at a higher caliber and with less stress. When patients are enjoying themselves, their participation in their own health is greatly improved.

I know dental care teams well, and they love a creative challenge. Where do you have systems that are trending boring that your care team might add a little fun and spice to? Have some great examples to share? Add them in the blog comments.

Over the past few months, I’ve had a series of coaching sessions with frustrated dentists due to many of their exchanges with team members not being as effective as they had hoped. The dentists were confident they had been clear about their expectations, and yet there was still lagging or even absent implementation of the anticipated behavioral and system changes.

“Maybe this is not the right team member! How can they not just do what I ask them to do?”

Of course, I appreciate how disconcerting this can be, AND I want to challenge the notion that a single conversation can lead to effective change.

I imagine we can agree that most of your patients are in the midst of their own developmental process, as dental offices have quality systems in place to support this idea. A patient comes in for a hygiene appointment and they are routinely scheduled to return in 3 or 6 months to follow up, monitor for changes, and (hopefully) celebrate new levels of health. We are used to the idea of having a return date, better known as a “recall appointment.” More often than not this system works. Over time, as the recall appointments continue, trust levels increase along with deepening relationships and even case acceptance.

The question I pose is this: How can you as a leader apply this same principle to coaching your team members? I like to call this system a Conversational Recall.

What if at the end of a coaching conversation, even a short one, you create an opportunity to revisit with the team member to assess progress, problem solve any obstacles, and set a time for yet another Conversational Recall? My own experience tells me that sustained change typically occurs by implementing small changes over time. Staying connected with a team member by offering ongoing feedback and support may very well be the difference between you being frustrated by unmet expectations and your ability to celebrate high performance and heightened levels of engagement.

One aspect of leadership is setting each team member up for success. You can do this by investing time and energy, walking alongside them, and committing to following up as a pathway to letting each person know that you care. One of the greatest ways to inspire change is to demonstrate to your team members that you both value what they have to bring and that you believe in them…sometimes even more than they believe in themselves.

Another aspect of quality leadership may just lie in your ability to be congruent in all areas of your practice; do for your team what you do for your patients—if not more. Care for your team like you care for your patients—if not more. The rewards for everyone involved could be incredible!

There is a practice in Ohio I recently work with, in which the dentist and a young hygienist were having a chat about the idea of restorative partnership. When she first heard the idea, her reply was beautiful. She said, “Oh you want me to learn about treatment planting,” and I thought that was just the coolest thing ever because that is what we get to do when we think about developing patients over time. We are planting ideas…planting seeds that we can grow.

When I was still working as a hygienist, I found I was good at talking with patients about what was going on in their mouths… what I saw… what the possibilities were. And I even enjoyed dreaming with patients about what their mouth could be like if they chose to do dentistry proactively rather than reactively. So, it is interesting to me how many hygienists become nervous about the idea of talking about dentistry with patients.

This nervousness exists because we have been taught in and out of hygiene school that it is illegal for hygienists to diagnose. This one barrier has become an incredible obstacle to having conversations about current conditions and possibilities with patients. It does not need to be this way.

When I think about restorative partnership, now, I think of it as treatment planting! The doctor diagnoses and discusses the potential of treatment with the patient. And during recall appointments, the hygienist has amazing opportunity to plant seeds during encouraging conversations. A restorative partner deeply appreciates the developmental path that dental patients are often on and looks for opportunities to plant seeds of awareness, curiosity, and of course, possibilities.

Wouldn’t it be cool if a patient came in one day and said, “You know, we’ve been talking about this idea of comprehensive care… we’ve been talking about the idea of restoring this quadrant… and I want to go ahead with it.” Wouldn’t it be exciting if suddenly what you have been talking about blooms like a beautiful flower?

If you have been thinking about having a conversation with your team members about restorative partnership, starting the conversation around “planting seeds” would be enormously helpful. Think about looking at cases together…creating learning opportunities in your office, where you can start sharing more of your knowledge about what it takes to work in a patient’s mouth, examining photographs together and talking about what you see, talking about the implications and consequences of not having treatment done, and what the benefits could be of thinking about treatment.

The restorative choice is always in the patient’s hands, and what I find to be most exciting about the restorative partnership is the partnership that we, as dental professionals, get to develop with our patients.

It was August of 1995 when I first walked through the doors of The Pankey Institute.

At that time, I had only one year of experience under my belt as a licensed hygienist, and I believed I had won the “dental lottery” by having spent the past six months working for a Pankey Institute trained dentist. Dr. Steve Ratcliff was passionate about the Institute and his philosophy of care that was inspired by what he was learning there. He proudly shared everything possible with me about how he wanted our practice to develop.

It was a hands-on perio course at the Institute where I eagerly learned about non-traditional use of Gracey currettes, utilization of ultrasonics, and the current science of periodontal disease and its management with Dr. Sam Low. I remember being so nervous and so excited. There were hygienists from all over the country with similar desires, challenges, and dreams, and together we formed a sweet community of our own, learning and growing together with an even better understanding of what was possible as a dental hygienist.

It’s difficult to believe that 25 years have flown by, and it’s so cool that here I am about to lead the 2020 version of that very same program. Appreciating the magnitude and beauty of Quid Pro Quo, I’m honored to now be teaching with Dr. Sam Low to support hygienists toward their full scope of practice.

Our program will focus on two key components of the hygiene chair:

1. What it means to be a Restorative Partner in your practice by deepening the art of co-discovery and patient engagement.

2. Understanding current science around the diagnosis and management of periodontal disease, including hands-on utilization of power instruments, air polishing, and adjunctive therapies.

There are many pieces and parts to my enthusiasm about this program, The Pankey Hygienist.

What brings me the most joy is knowing that I get to share “my version” of Dr. L.D. Pankey’s philosophy with the doctors and hygienists in attendance. The Institute was certainly a game-changer for our practice and our patients 25 years ago. It continues to be a life-changing experience for me each and every time I get to be within this community, whether it is at the Institute, at an offsite event, or visiting other dental practices inspired by their own time with the Institute. I’m not just grateful. I’m “over the moon” grateful for this life.

It was August of 1995 when I walked through the doors of the Pankey Institute for the very first time.

I was attending a course specifically designed for hygienists and was literally in awe of every aspect of my experience there. Not only was the clinical information fresh and new from what I had been taught in hygiene school, I was also introduced first-hand to the philosophy that has since become the corner stone of my own personal and professional life.

The Power Of Development

Looking back over my shoulder at the past 24 years I realize that none of my learning or growth could have occurred if my “boss” had not invested in me. What I didn’t realize early on was that his investment was not just so that I could be a better hygienist. What happened was that I grew to become an incredibly high performing, deeply engaged, missionary and change agent for our practice. I learned that my thoughts, ideas, feelings, and questions were not only welcomed, but invited and encouraged each and every day. I become a perpetual student and my hunger for personal and professional development was fed and nurtured by the culture that we had intentionally created in our practice.

Today I have the opportunity to work with dental teams across the country, and my mission has evolved from being able to serve individual patients to supporting entire teams as they navigate their own growth and challenges. You see, my own experience as a team member was so powerful that I find it imperative to create my own version of Quid Pro Quo.   Yes, it’s rewarding to help practices learn and practice skills that can enhance every aspect of the patient experience, and even more rewarding to know I’m supporting each Dr and team member to be become the very best version of themselves.

What Does It Mean To Create A Healthy Culture?

Experience tells me it’s where each person is seen, heard, valued, recognized, and appreciated. Of course, it’s important to develop and implement systems, define clinical protocols and establish business operations. I ensure you that when team members feel a part of something bigger than themselves and connected to you and each other, a sense of accountability and responsibility to these standards increase exponentially…as does the presence of positive attitudes. And just in case you’re interested, I’ve also found that every single practice will ALWAYS have challenges, conflicts, and competing values to work out. The highest performing teams will be the ones who consistently push themselves to work ON their issues and work THROUGH their differences.

It was one of the greatest honors of my coaching career to be invited to work with the in-house team at the Pankey Institute last week. I left the building after our meeting filled with more pride than ever in the Institute’s commitment to excellence, and to their team. Your Pankey leadership team is continually helping each person find their voice, serve each participant, “walk the walk and talk the talk” of what it means to be in service and an agent for positive change.

Let me leave you with this question: What is the kind of culture that you want to have in your practice, and who are you willing to invest in to get there? I’m here to tell you, it’s worth the effort!

Amidst all the details that must be managed day in and day out at a dental practice, I’d like to bring to light something I find super important that is often neglected. Let me begin by asking a question: When is the last time you took a good look at your perio probes? I mean a really good look!

My guess is you will find different shapes, sizes, colors, materials, ages, and markings. Maybe this doesn’t seem like the worst tragedy in the grand scope of the world, and yet, having even two different probes in the office can set the stage for lack of continuity in your patient diagnoses. 

Why Perio Probes Matter

It does seem like there are as many choices in probes these days as there are stars in the sky, so how can you make the best decision when it comes down to buying?

Although I do recognize the need and desire to have options, at the end of the day I encourage you to consider which probe provides the LEAST probable chance of creating error. Although I have used (and observe people using) a huge variety of probes, my favorite by far is the UNC-15. Due to markings at every mm up to 15, there is virtually no guesswork in capturing and documenting data with a high level of accuracy.

As you make the decision of exactly which probe you will use exclusively in your practice, please also consider calibrating all dentists and hygienists on an ongoing basis. It is typically easy to notice that probing techniques will vary from person to person. Watching and learning from each other with the ultimate goal of having everyone in agreement about how you will probe is invaluable.

Lastly, remember that an accurate periodontal diagnosis can only be made when a comprehensive periodontal assessment is completed and documented. Your probe is designed to be used for measuring pocket depths, recession, bleeding, pus, and attached gingiva. Oh, and don’t forget to check for mobility and furcations while you’re at it.

Here’s to a future of more accurate and calibrated perio probing in your office!

Okay teams, here I go again talking about basic phone skills. It might seem as though this is a pretty old horse that has been beaten to death one too many times. The reality, though, is that your phone continues to be the single most important tool in your office.

Why Phone Call Communication Skills Still Matter

The other reality is that all too often, this valuable instrument is under-functioning due to the lack of intention, precision, and focus of the people answering it. I love referring to your phone as an ‘instrument’ as it takes a skilled musician willing to put in time and energy for it to sound magical.

And yes, there is a very sweet recipe made up of having a talented individual that LOVES answering the phone combined with appropriate training in facilitation. Only this can create a truly extraordinary experience for the patients that are calling your office.

How to Improve Calls Through Coaching

Not sure if this is happening in your practice? I have one simple suggestion: record your calls and make time on a regular basis to listen to them. Learn for yourself exactly what is occurring.

After listening to hundreds of calls this past year alone, I can tell you without a doubt there are always opportunities for improvement on basic (and of course advanced) phone skills.

As you listen to calls, I invite you to become and stay interested in a number of things:

• Does your team member have a warm and welcoming spirit?
• How quickly is a caller asked for their name?
• Do they sound genuinely interested in the person on the other end?
• Are they inviting the patient’s story? Responding appropriately?
• How much value building is there for your practice?
• In what ways is the patient assured that they called the right place?
• Are potential patients being asked to schedule?

Listening to calls with individual team members can be a wonderful coaching opportunity! Although it may take some time and energy to create a safe environment in which to do this, I find the process engaging, enlightening, and potentially transformational. What do you say? Is it time to see if your phone is making magical music?

One pattern I’ve noticed lately in calls with my clients is that many dentists and their teams are frustrated about training new hires. Adding a unique personality to an already cohesive group can seem like mixing oil and water at first. When a new team member is brought into your dental practice, there needs to a consistent plan in place to avoid or manage problems as they arise.

 Starting the Conversation on Training New Hires

The frustration I’ve come across is consistently based on new hires not catching on, not doing things the ‘right way,’ and not doing things as fast as dentists would like. The seasoned team members are irritated and everyone is annoyed by the amount of work it takes to train.

One of the conversations I have with my doctors is about understanding the difference between exposing a new team member to a task or philosophy and having them actually learn it in the way they are most suited to. I ask:

1. At what point would you say they’ve started to have a certain level of competency where they can do the task?
2. At what point would you say this team member has mastered what it is you want them to do?

The hope is that you bring a team member on board, they watch what’s going on, you show them a few times, and they will automatically and miraculously have a high level of mastery. But this is not the case for most people.

Pay Attention to Individual Learning Styles

There are many different learning styles that can affect how a person takes in and processes information. Some people want to read about it, some need to watch it five times, and others have more hesitation about how fast they get it.

Acknowledging different learning styles is a huge component to successful individualized training. You have to understand how different people will become effective and learn what you want them to.

3 Steps of Dental Practice New Hiring Training

I like to look at the training process as a continuum:

1. What was the first exposure and have they been exposed to how you actually want to have the task done?
2. What will it take for them to have a measurable level of competency? Is there a training checklist in place? Who is responsible for helping this team member learn?
3. What would it look like if and when they ever attain a level of mastery to the point where they could be responsible for teaching another person?

Bonus Tip: Most people really struggle with only oral types of instruction. Having things in writing and experiential learning are both helpful.

Most importantly, it’s crucial to enact the basic training continuum: exposure, competency, and mastery.

You have to have an actionable plan and you need to know who is accountable for it. If you’ve been unsuccessfully training a new team member, this process has a high level of predictable success, assuming you’ve hired well to start with.

What tasks do you find new hires struggle with the most in your dental practice? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!