PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES
Assembling, Compensating, Motivating and Evaluating the Ideal Dental Team
by DR. DAVID THEIN interviewing BLAIR KOLKOSKI
H
ow frequently in your career have you heard fel- low colleagues
complain about a staff mem- ber or lament how difficult it is to find good people to work in their offices? Prob- ably many, and you may have been guilty of such whining yourself! Have you ever con- sidered the possibility that maybe the labor pool is not so bad after all, and rather, it may be your own lack of effective employee manage- ment skills that is creating the problem? The ability to
assemble, compensate, motivate and evaluate your team is not a talent we are born with. However, like many management responsi- bilities, there are techniques and strategies that can enhance our outcomes.
I can speak firsthand in saying that man- aging the dental staff is one of the most difficult, yet most important jobs required of the owner doctor. Nothing probably comes close to contributing to the overall success of a practice than its staff. But, why is it that some offices manage to retain employees for many years while others have staff turnover on a regular basis? Surely there must be some secrets to finding and keeping the best people?
To get some solid answers, I connected with a longtime mentor and friend, Blair Kolkoski, to provide some guidance. Blair has helped me in my own private practice journey through the years, and it was not surprising that he was able to add some fresh commen-
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tary to the questions I posed. I hope you’ll be able to put his advice to good use as well.
In today’s competitive labor market, what are the best ways for doctors to find quality candidates to build their teams?
A solid starting point is the hiring website, Indeed. Many dentists have reported they found quality candidates using this website. The optimum strategy I advocate is always be looking for suitable candidates even when you might not have a position to fill. Hiring great people is about timing. Make it a point to keep in touch with a few potential candi- dates. Establishing communication opens the door and makes it easier to start the hiring conversation when a new position becomes available. Many great dental team members have been discovered and recruited from customer service-centric businesses such as banks and restaurants. Trust your intuition when you meet a person you think would be an excellent addition to your team. Reach out
and request a meeting. In my experience, every great thing that’s ever happened started with a conversation.
What specific qualities do you look for in individuals when trying to find the best employees?
The simple answer is a good attitude, a strong work ethic and an ability to collaborate with others. Over the past three decades, I have been privileged to interview more than 7,000 team members in dentistry. A few of the attributes and skill sets that I have seen in high performing team members include these.
Curiosity: The person doesn’t miss an opportunity to learn or teach.
Coachability: The person continu- ally seeks out others to help, grow and develop themselves. Pride or ego do not get in their way on the path to improve- ment.
The person pos- sesses an ability to think on their feet and is comfortable with adjusting or changing course. They gravitate toward meeting and connecting with others who are different than they are.
An individual with an awareness that there is so much more to learn. They can acknowledge their blind spots and recognize gaps in their knowl- edge and thinking. And even better, they are not embarrassed about it.
Finally, Critical Thinkers: This is a person who can discern between not just “what to think” but “how to think.” Critical thinking is an incredibly valuable at-
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