Building Associate Doctor Confidence
Dan Blair
Building Associate Doctor Confidence
The most important vehicle you have as an owner doctor of ensuring your long-term success in your practice is simply coaching your associates. We polled over 30 owner doctors and over 80 patients to provide valuable feedback on building associate doctor confidence.
Based on feedback from the owner doctors polled there are three areas of focus:
- Building clinical confidence.
- Building trust and confidence with every patient, resulting in case acceptance.
- Coaching associates to effectively refer to in house specialty.
Two factors lead most to the patient putting trust and confidence in the dentist based on input from the patient polled:
- Connection
– Uncovering the patient’s emotional wants and needs.
- Effective communication
of patient’s treatment plan via choices and commitment.
- The dentist clearly is the difference maker in patients choosing to be loyal to your practice (according to the patient survey results).
- The dentist’s confidence translates directly in the patient valuing the dentistry and placing their trust in the dentist and the practice.
In conclusion, you must spend both quality and quantity time as an owner doctor in the development and growth of your Associate’s confidence.
How do I that:
It is necessary to develop the confidence of the new associate in relation to his or her clinical success in generating value for the patient.
- Conduct a Connection meeting with every associate. Establish their vision and goals.
- Meet with all your associates once per month after the connection meeting. To learn from them, use this meeting to build a clinical team that pulls in the same direction.
o Identify one thing for each associate that will most impact their confidence.
o Write this in the solutions and challenge section of their plan.
o Dedicate at least one day /week with your associate working with them on this one thing.
o Work to establish this change in behavior during the month.
o Review progress with your Consultant. Brainstorm to continue to help them overcome their challenge.
o Celebrate victories and breakthroughs any chance you can.
Coaching principles to help you build associates confidence:
• Let them know that your desire is to see them grow in their confidence. There is nothing more important to you than that.
• Adults learn best in a self-discovery mode. Use questions to open dialogue.
• Create a safe environment that encourages self-evaluation/awareness. The more they can determine their best opportunity, the better and easier for you.
• Positive feedback – Focus on what they are doing well and encourage it.
• Positive ideas – If change is needed, present it as something to do next time.
o Remember, the past is done and there is nothing we can do to change it.
o The future is yet to be determined and is our opportunity to make positive changes.
• Momentum will ultimately determine confidence. Small victories month over month will result in positive momentum leading to confidence.
• Change your schedule to accommodate for the additional time required to be successful in developing your Associates.
If you need help in developing your associate, I can help you develop a successful plan of action.
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