Dentistry tends to be fairly systematic and lends itself well to scale. If one doc can run three ops, then two can run 6, 3 can run 9 and so on. We can replicate each bundle on into infinity provided we have a few constants that keep up on the way.

 

This kind of predictability feels so nice. So, why do most things feel so unpredictable?

Because you work with humans, and deep down you’re still human too.

In business we’re always looking for trends. If we do X and that results in Y, then if we do 10X we’ll have…and so on and so on. On the clinical side and physical aspects of the business we know how to do this. You can do a crown X minutes. You can turn a room in X minutes, but does it work the same way with soft skills, like conversations?

 

Making soft skills predictable

When it comes to buying behavior, people are all over the place. Some people just want the facts, some need the details and others don’t. You don’t have time to throw darts until you figure out what the patient needs to hear, you need a communication system that takes you down a road that will lead to patient understanding and a crystal clear next step.

 

The #1 reason you need a communication system isn’t case acceptance. It’s support. If you’re following a system, then the team around you has the opportunity to recognize when you’ve derailed. We have to build redundancies.

 

If you’re looking for an example of near perfect in redundancies, look to the airlines. Do you realize that at even a 1% failure rate, the airlines would have 2 crashes, every single day at every major airport? How do they avoid this? Back ups on backs ups.

Where’s your back up?

One Act Play

At the Productive Dentist Academy we call this communication system the “One Act Play.” We built a communication system that walks the patient through their dental needs and ultimately adds context to the treatment plan without beating them to death with science.

 

We needed a simple roadmap that anyone could follow and patients would like. Everything we do sits on a framework of risk-factors. Just follow the steps and don’t over-think it.

 

How does it work? Well, say you have a day where you are just off your game. If a team member notices they can cue you and say something simple like: “You’re not doing the risk factors.”

 

This is a phrase that our docs hear from time to time, and it’s typically from the assistant. We all have days where our head just isn’t in the game. How would your team spot your bad day? How would they know when to back you up?

From room to room the “One Act Play” starts from the top and moves systematically. We need to create a situation where the team can anticipate where you’re going, and recognize when we’re not following the plan.

 

When executed properly we gain a level of predictability that can dramatically lower stress and increase production. We all know the cost of not doing this. You give the same patient to 5 different docs and you get five different outcomes. This is the bane of the multi-doc office, and oddly its often the most clinically gifted that get beat up on the production numbers. It certainly doesn’t have to be that way. You just need to create your “One Act Play”, get out of your own way, let your team back you up and do amazing dentistry.