Dentistry is Like Baseball by Dru Halverson
I have attended what feels like thousands of baseball games throughout my children's formative years. I LOVE baseball. I know, I know - golf is great, tennis is terrific, but baseball - is the BEST! It is truly a team sport.
As I was sitting at one of my son's double headers, on yet another Saturday, it occurred to me that work in a dental practice is very similar to baseball. Here are my thoughts:
•1) Baseball is a team sport and so is Dentistry. You must enjoy the team you are playing with and you must respect and enjoy the coach.
I have watched my son play on baseball teams that did not connect with one another or their coach and their end of season statistics were not great. Yes, they could pull out some wins and move through the season. But some of the players would drop out, the parents would get mad, the kids would get discouraged, the coach would scream and yell at everyone - even the umpires - or just give up. When my son was on a baseball team that connected; it was fantastic - the boys were talking and helping each other out, the coach was teaching and helpful, the parents would all come to cheer and support, the umpires would chat with the players and the parents, and the team would win. And, if they had a bad play they would pull each other up instead of shooting each other down.
Work on a dental team is very similar. If the team doesn't pull together as a group then the work can be frustrating and non-productive. Many times in dental practices the question is asked - why are we doing this? If the team doesn't understand why the work is being done in a specific way and each team member has his or her own agenda, then less can be accomplished by that practice. The leader or dentist must be positive and supportive and have the team working toward a clear mission so that the practice can be the most productive and profitable as possible.
•2) Baseball and Dentistry takes a lot of practice to be a great team - an expert in the field - both as an individual and a team.
If I look back at how many hours that my son has stayed at the ball field, the majority of the time was spent in the practicing and improving of the skills. Hour upon hour was spent in batting practice and taking in-field. Repetition and honing of the skills was the foundation for his outstanding efforts during a game. Also, when a team was chosen and they were preparing for the next season, they would practice together. They would work out different plays for different scenarios for both fielding and hitting.
The dental team players must train individually and as a team. Practicing and perfecting the communication and clinical skills and the systems in your practice are important. You need to have time to practice. Allow yourselves time to develop. In dentistry it is easy to forget about working ON your practice because you are so busy working IN your practice. Team Meetings and Daily Huddles are excellent times to get in some practice time. Team Meetings should be done at least on a monthly basis, with time built into those meetings to allow training or review of systems with the end result of improving patient care. Daily Huddles allow for the team to review that day's flow and potential of achieving an outcome of a higher level of organization and increased production for that day and days in the future. Dealing with problem situations in a proactive way instead of a reactive way improves the atmosphere of the practice and attitude of the team and patients through the day as well.
•3) There is communication from many individuals. Listening is essential. Fans/patients, team /team, coaches/doctors. There is communication for all to hear and some that is not.
Communication on many different levels must be powerful and clear on a baseball team during a game. There are plays being called in the field, there are calls between the coaches to the batters, there are calls between the catcher and the pitcher, there are calls being sent that are hijacked by the other team, and so on. And the main reason for all of this communication is that they want to be on the winning end of the play and it is known that the winner is usually the one that is paying the most attention to the messages being sent and received.
Effective communication in a dental practice is vitally important to the success of the day. Not only are Team Meetings and Daily Huddles important for organization purposes but they are an excellent time to communicate with one another. The team must not only effectively communicate with each other, but with the patients as well. Make certain that you are sending messages that they understand. Speak in patient friendly language and check in with the patients frequently. Asking the patients questions draws them into the conversation or decision. You want the patient to feel like they are part of the decision - include them in the conversation. Not only is it important for the team to communicate effectively to the patients, it is also important to have communication that flows effectively through the team. Patients can feel the tension or see the chaos that comes when a team is not sending and receiving information effectively. It takes hard work and tons of effort to make certain you are communicating effectively to your teammates and patients, but the pay off will be stronger relationships with your patients.
•4) Nothing better than looking good.
A team can run onto the field and if they don't look like they can play - then things can fall apart quickly or never really get started. Ill fitting, stained or dirty uniforms, shirts that are untucked and wrinkled, shoes that are worn out or dirty are not appropriate for a winning team to wear out on the field. The coach's attire comes into play as well. My husband has had the honor of coaching some of the teams. He once said, as he was donning his baseball coaching uniform, that it would be disrespectful of the game of baseball to not wear the proper uniform. You will never see him standing on the field in flip-flops and shorts while coaching a game. Even when the weather is hot - great teams suit up for the game...
As important as it is for the baseball team to look like a team; it is just as important for the dental team to look the part. IMPORTANT FACT: Scrubs are meant to be worn around patients that are in surgery - ASLEEP! Your patients in the dental practice are wide awake! The patients need to see a team that is prepared to do their best and the patients draw their first conclusion by how you appear to them when you greet them at the reception area - either the business team or the clinical team. Be sure that each team member looks crisp and clean from head to toe. Makeup should be on and hair should be done - wet hair pulled back in a pony tail does not come across as being prepared. Finger nails and jewelry should be presentable and minimal. Clothing should be size appropriate. If you are larger then get a larger size, if you are smaller then get a smaller size. Alter your uniforms if needed. The doctors will have two roles to play through the day - the clinician and the case presenter. The clinician needs to wear a long tailored lab coat and the case presenter, when in the consultation with a patient, needs to take off the lab coat to show his or her business side. The doctors need to be crisp and clean as well. In most offices, the air conditioner is set at meat locker temperature to provide some kind of buffer for the layers of protective gear. The business team members will need to have nice cardigans or jackets to wear to offset the frigid temperatures. The entire team should be color coordinated. This will show the patients that you are a team, a unit working together to achieve a great dental experience for every patient in the practice.
Cathy once asked me prior to a lecture I was giving if I had on my 'power clothes'! Make sure each and every day you have on your 'power clothes'!!
•5) Worry about the facility.
The thrilling environment of the baseball field doesn't just happen. It only happens after lots of hard work. There is as much preparation in readying the facility as there is practice for the team. Players love to play at great fields. Fans love to come to watch ballgames at great fields. The grass is green and even, the infield dirt track is smooth and level, the lines are crisp and white, the lights are bright and the stands are clean and there is support staff that prepares the field and offers great ballpark food! It feels good to be there.
You need to be worried about how the dental facility looks. Patients don't want to come to a place for dental treatment that does not feel comfortable and inviting. The exterior and interior of the facility needs to look fresh and clean - whether contemporary or traditional - spider webs, weeds, dust and clutter should not be visible through the patients' eyes or yours. Environment plays a large part in the how the patient perceives the quality of the dental care provided and how the dental team works through the day. Do a walkthrough of your facility on a regular basis and determine what needs to be cleaned, fixed or organized. Make certain that everything is perfect for the patients. Don't let the facility get in the way of the patients' perception of your dental treatment - allow it to help you get to winning relationships with your patients.
So, as you look at your team, your doctor, your facility, remember that it takes lots and lots of practice and hard work to become a fantastic dental team in a marvelous dental practice. Don't just think that you develop a winning practice and team by just 'showing up'. You have to prepare for each day and each patient. The patients are counting on you to give them your best each and every appointment and day. Be an All-Star Team!!
