Building a self-managing team and recruiting intrinsically motivated talent is often a pain point for practice owners who don’t want to constantly micro-manage their staff.
As a multi-million-dollar practice owner, human behaviour specialist, and international leadership coach, Dr. John Demartini is all too familiar with this challenge.
Recently I was lucky enough to host Demartini at an event dedicated to practice growth and scaling, and had the opportunity to hear exactly how he navigates recruitment, motivation, and building a self-managing team.
So, here’s the inside scoop on how an international expert builds his dream team.
Ask these two questions in interviews
There are two questions Demartini asks in every job interview to determine whether someone will be intrinsically motivated and take pride in their work, or extrinsically motivated and need to be constantly micromanaged.
It’s crucial to ask your interviewees what their values are – in fact many of you may already do this in interviews. Ask the applicant what their core values in life are, and make sure they’re aligned with your practice’s values. It might be service, family, community, etc.
Follow this up by asking, how this role is going to help them fulfill their highest values? Looking at this job description and the scope of the role, how does this align with their values?
If they hesitate and have to search for an answer, Demartini knows this person is more likely to need that external reward/punishment to keep them motivated and on task. But if the applicant can be fluent and articulate exactly how this role will help them fulfill their values and how it aligns? They’re going to be engaged from within, they won’t need to be micromanaged and be constantly corrected to remain on task.
Having this kind of self-managing team is absolutely key to growing and scaling your practice in a way that allows you to step back and enjoy your freedom as a practice owner.
Implement an effective feedback system
When we talk about giving team members feedback, we often think about feedback from the practice manager or practice owner.
But one of the most effective forms of feedback is to ensure that your team are also being given the direct feedback from patients.
“If you don’t have an ongoing feedback, testimonial, communication system from patients – that is one of the most inspiring things you can do,” Demartini advises. “I get letters every single day in my computer from people around the world, thanking for the services and things that we do. And when I read that and I pass it on to staff members and staff across the world that I have because that inspires them and makes them work more effectively.”
Demartini’s first-hand experience highlights the importance of enrolling your team in the process of creating incredible patient care. When they have access to the glowing testimonials and rave reviews of the practice and see that their hard work is recognised by others, they’ll work much harder than they ever would with micromanagement.
“When people know they’re making a difference and they can see the difference and they know the ripple effect, the meaning of their job is more powerful. They don’t go to work for a paycheck. They go to work to serve,” affirms Demartini.
The importance of accountability and high standards
Ultimately, the team that you build and the people you have around you, are a reflection of yourself and the example you set for them.
That’s why it’s crucial that your behaviour and your actions are congruent with the values and expectations you set for the practice and your team as a whole.
When you make excuses for others and allow them to define your expectations, you’re no longer creating a practice and team of your own design.
P.S. Whenever you’re ready …. here are 4 ways I can help you grow your dental practice:
1. Grab a free chapter from my book “Retention – How to Plug the #1 Profit Leak in Your Dental Practice”
The “Retention – How to Plug the #1 Profit Leak in Your Dental Practice” book is the definitive guide to patient retention and how to use internal marketing to grow your practice.
2. Join the Savvy Dentist community and connect with dentists who are scaling their practice too
It’s our Facebook group where clever dentists learn to become commercially smart so that they have more patients, more profit and less stress.
3. Attend a Practice Max Intensive live event
Our 2 day immersive events provide access to the latest entrepreneurial thinking and actionable strategies to drive your practice forward. You’ll leave with a game plan to take your results to the next level. If you’d like to join us, just send me a message with the word “Event and I’ll get you all the details!
4. Work with me and my team privately
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take your profit from 6 figures to 7 figures …. just send me a message with the word “Private”… tell me a little about your practice and what you would like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!
