No football team wins without being prepared. No football team wins without systems in place. No football team wins without teamwork. No football team wins without passion.

“The minute I think I’m getting mellow, I’m retiring. Who ever heard of a mellow winner?” Woody Hayes

How do I know? My husband is a football coach who has passionately dedicated his talent and time for over 16 years to create winning strategies by placing all the talent on the team in the positions where they will succeed; encouraging these young men to think, act, be responsible for what they do, remove the “I” from their thinking, think in terms of “team” and be disciplined enough to always do what is right (both on and off the field).

System: An organized and coordinated method; a procedure; A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole ; A condition of harmonious, orderly interaction.

Protocol: A code of correct conduct; Rules or guidelines that are peculiar to every culture or organization , and are supposed to be observed by all parties in the conduct of business, entertaining, negotiating, politics, etc.

Does your practice have clearly defined systems, job descriptions/expectations and protocols that encompass every single department, task and expectation within?

You know you need to make some changes. You know your practice is not where you want it to be, where you vision it to be, where you know it CAN be. What on earth are you waiting for?

We know that change doesn’t come easy, and usually comes with a small price. But what you get when you don’t change is more difficult and costly than implementing the change itself!

I have compared the dental practice to a football team before – My husband is the defensive coordinator for a local high school football team – He has been engaged in football for the past 27 years non-stop and some consider him to be one of the top 10 defensive coordinators in North East OH. His passion for football is such a driving force, and he reads the game like none other. Our experience and conversation last night led to the inspiration of this blog.

We all know a great football play is preceded by what?…….Yes, a HUDDLE. Champion dental practices start their days out with a Morning Huddle!!

Priority – Precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency.

Systemize – Bring order to or into; arrange according to a system.

Maximize – To increase or make as great as possible.

I’ve written many times about the importance of systems. SOP manuals. Training. Accountability. Responsibility. Job Descriptions and expectations. I also know that these systems and SOP manuals can be a hefty investment but I am here to tell you how they pay off many, many, many times over.

You spend thousands of dollars a year in multiple marketing strategies to get patients to call your office right? Websites, internal marketing, brochures, newsletters, care-to –share cards, mugs, pens, social functions, coaching, signs, etc.

You are spending all this money to attract new patients to your office, keep you connected with existing patients, so why wouldn’t you have someone answering your phones at least 40 hours a week? If you don’t have appropriate daily phone coverage, aren’t you just throwing your money out the window?  (I’m not even talking about after hours coverage – I am talking about normal 40 hour a week business availability to your guests)

Do you have a solid confirmation system in place to help maximize your scheduling opportunities? Whether you use an automated system or old-fashioned personal phone calls, take every step you can to get those confirmations!

Remember that song growing up? And the Oscar Meyer Wiener-mobile?? (It actually drove by my house one day growing up!!!! I was jacked for days!!)

Or how about the band-aid song? ♫ I am stuck on band-aids ‘cuz band-aids are stuck on me! ♫  – (remember they used to come in tin containers? and the SMELL???)

How many exams have you done in a day and felt exasperated before you had even entered the room?

Do you feel unprepared for your patient exams, like you don’t have enough information to quickly, yet thoroughly complete the exam within your given time?

What would it feel like to walk into a patient exam and know the:

Isn’t that the truth? It’s all in how someone makes us feel. Make us feel good, we’ll be back. Make us feel bad, forget about it! Make me feel good, and I’ll share it with everyone I know. Make me feel bad, and yes you can bet I will share that as well!!

Every single patient interaction in your practice should reflect positive feelings, friendly feelings, feelings of genuine caring for your patients.