Peter Barry, a practice management coach and founder of Practice Mastery, discusses the evolving dental industry and the importance of creating a supportive work environment to attract and retain top talent. He advises on strategic planning and the value of genuine appreciation in fostering a fulfilling work environment.
Read the audio transcript below:
Dr. Jordan Soll (JS): Hi, everyone. Welcome to Brush Up on Business, presented by Oral Health Group, a special Brush Up podcast series focused on the business of dentistry. I’m Dr. Jordan Soll, Chairman of Oral Health’s editorial board. And today, I am joined by Peter Berry. Peter’s a highly sought after industry leader, advisor, coach, and speaker whose message has empowered audiences and teams across North America. He is the founder of Practice Mastery, an executive leadership and team development coaching company that services the growth and development needs of your practice. So welcome, Peter. It’s good to see you as always.
Peter Barry (PB): Nice to see you as well. You’re an inspiring guy. Yes, you are.
JS: Thank you. Thank you so much. So, let’s jump right into it. We’ve been talking off camera about a lot of changes that’re happening in our industry. What sorts of changes do you see happening in the dental marketplace today?
PB: Okay. So first of all, I want to mention a big thank you to you. Thank you. I remember, I think we met in 1997. So that dates us. And I remember you were speaking to a class, and you said something so inspiring, but that was so relevant with transferable concepts to the whole profession of dentistry. You were talking about cosmetics and the details, and you said something about art. You said that your eyes cannot see what your mind has not taught you to recognize, and that you have to look beyond the obvious to recognize. Almost like the oxygen in the room that’s impacting your vitality whether you recognize it or not. And I think that that concept applies a lot to the world of business today. You know, because when people graduate from school or when someone learns about clinical dentistry for a number of years, suddenly they go to their office and, yes, they’re focused on clinical dentistry. There’s someone upfront answering the phone. There’s someone in the hygiene room. You can tell everyone’s got their own roles. But to really understand the invisible climate, almost like the occlusion of the environment that’s occurring, requires that we actually slow down and pay more attention to the details of how we do what we do, you know, in the world that we’re in. And I’m a true believer that in dentistry, you don’t grow a business. You grow the people within your business, and then together, you can take your business anywhere.
So, with that, thank you for that insight. To answer your question now, how do I see dentistry changing? So, basically, right now in dentistry, we’ve got a lot of clinical and theoretical knowledge. We’ve got more treatment modalities, more procedures, more innovations with materials. We’ve got early diagnostic tools. Technology is changing the face of the way dentistry is practiced, served, delivered, and experienced. AI is changing the whole way we run our businesses. And, ultimately, I think you’ve heard of, because you’re well read, quantum computing is impacting industry companies at the research level. So, the amount of change and new things that are coming on the marketplace are happening at a much faster rate than ever before, and we have to be able to keep up with all that.
JS: So then let me ask you, what impact is all this change having on the way we run our practices, serve our patients, and finally, you know, the ultimate goal, grow our business?
PS: So, basically, today, we have to be much more agile than we ever were before. I recently spoke for Labatt Canada, right? And they wanted me to speak on two subjects to their entire company division here in Ontario. They wanted me to talk about agility and about transparency. But with agility, they were talking about being able to keep up with change and being flexible and adaptable. But with transparency, I think they were using that word, but what they really meant is that they want people to be collaborative between departments. In other words, sharing information and being able to communicate with each other about the new things that are happening. This is a new skill that’s happening now in the world of dentistry. We have to be able to be much more agile than we ever were before, right? In the past, maybe someone could practice for ten, fifteen years without changing much in their practice, and they could almost be okay. But today, if we look at the exhibit hall out there, there’s so much new stuff that’s coming out every month, you know, every six months, every year, that if we have an office that’s basically, I would call it, stuck in the mud, like the Irish say, where it’s just coasting on the old ways of doing things, the previous materials, the existing technology. And if that office doesn’t develop the skill of being more agile, being more engaged in learning about the new things that are coming out on the horizon, embracing things at an earlier stage, you know, of innovation than we did in the past. Offices that don’t do that will, honestly, become left behind.
And I’m wondering, can I talk about the concept of change a little bit? So, with change, right, there’s something that I’ve realized over the years. People survive. It’s two competing instincts that are occurring in people. One is that, like animals in the wild, they survive in the familiarity of the known. You know, they know where to hunt. They know where to sleep. They know where they mate and so on. And so, it’s like they get into a routine which helps them to survive in the wild, right? We, you know, as primal beings, have that instinct where we feel more safe and comfortable in the familiarity of our existing habits. But at the same time, we need variety and we need change for variety and stimulation. And so, an office that that does the same thing over and over and over again, you know, people can become very robotic where their work becomes reduced to a series of meaningless, boring tasks that have no purpose beyond the work itself. You stop thinking. You stop feeling stimulated. Things get boring and routine. So, I think change is extremely important for people. It can feel uncomfortable, but it’s a phony feeling at the beginning. Everything new is uncomfortable, but if you give it a chance and an opportunity and you embrace the new, I think in dentistry, what we have to do is develop the habit of leaving the familiar behind.
JS: You know, it reminds you that old saying, keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you get.
PS: Absolutely. And what’s that the definition of?
JS: Oh, insanity. Insanity is when you keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome.
PS: Yeah. And this is what even following you over the years, I’ve seen you’ve always, like, changed things so quickly in your world and embraced the new and so on. And you’ve kept up or ahead, I would say, in ways which is inspiring.
JS: Well, it’s a primordial survival. You know, I was fortunate enough to see that if I don’t embrace what’s coming on, I’m going to be left behind. Alright. Let’s just let’s just change course a little bit because I think this is it’s a big topic among dentists. I need you to share with us some tips for recruiting A-plus players during times when many are experiencing staffing shortages. Let’s talk about attracting, retaining, and training talent in today’s environment.
PS: Okay. So, let’s go in sequence. So, attracting A-players. The interesting thing with recruitment is every office wants A-players. They want the best people that are out there, right? But what people forget often, right, is they think it’s a one-sided interview, but it’s not. You know, if you want to get the best people out there, the best people are looking for the best environment to work in, right? And this is so important because when we recognize that, we realize that that just writing a traditional ad today that says, you know, beautiful office, this location, these are the hours, close to transit. Looking for someone that can handle stress in a high paced environment, you know, and give your soul to us, maybe we’ll hire you. I mean, this is not inspiring to people, right? So, if you want to attract the best, what I have found is that the best are actually usually working, right? And this is a really interesting concept or thought. The best are working. If they’re working, right, we need to look at, how long are they going to work in the environment that they’re in? There’s a lot of turnover that’s happening in dental offices. The best are looking for the best environment, right, to work in, and the best offices are looking for the best people. How do we close that gap? Well, we have to understand that happiness in the workplace today is very low. I’ve been doing some research, and I know you read. Which newspaper do you read a lot about?
JS: Well, I read, you know, I’m a voracious reader of the Globe and Mail report on business and National Post report on business.
PS: Yeah. And there’s a lot of statistics out there, you know, on happiness in the workplace. And they say, right now, and the jury’s back on this, that there’s only about five percent of people who truly, truly love their job. That means no matter how much money they made, no matter what change in their lives, they would continue to do what they do in the environment that they’re doing it, right? But the fact is that a lot of people are not happy, you know, in the environment they work in. They may like the people that are there. They might like the job that they’re doing. But the conditions under which they work create a lot of stress. It’s difficult. It’s tiring. You know, I like being there, but it’s difficult. So with that, we have to understand that a dental office that works, that is more organized, that gives more to its people to help them to be less stressed, to help them to have a voice in the direction of the organization, to help them to have a sense that they’re doing meaningful work, to give them the freedom to exercise their strengths and creativity without micromanaging them. These are valuable things that A-players are looking for. So, in a nutshell, I think what I’m trying to say is that you have to create a really sexy offering for the best that are out there, so they want to come be with you.
And usually, the best are employed, and they’re not unemployed for long. So, if your ads are attracting only the unemployed pool of people, you’re attracting from a very small pool of available people that are out there. Most people are looking all the time just to see what’s out there, what are my options. If you want to attract these A-players, basically, present an offering that that will help them feel that they can achieve their fulfillment goals, their professional fulfillment goals in your environment.
JS: So what you’re saying is that even if they’re working, they’re still putting their rod and line in the in the water.
PB: It’s always in the water, right? Because it’s very rare that someone is in an environment that they’re totally happy, that they want to stay long term. They’re always exploring their options. And a good employer that knows that people are exploring their options is going to want to create a better work environment in their place so that they want to keep their existing team so they’re not looking. And number two, you’re going to make sure that when you present an opportunity, or present your office in an ad or wherever you advertise looking for people, you have to create a more inviting offering, like in your ads. Maybe I can share a good ad.
JS: That’d be great. But I’m just also going to ask you if you could give us some steak. You know, you heard steak sizzle? Give us one example about how a dentist can create, or separate themselves, in a great environment that staff are going to look forward to getting out of bed and coming to work. What’s one example?
PB: So, a few examples. Number one, if you’re a dictatorial leader, that comes in and that has all the ideas and that tells your people what to do. I’ve created the systems. I’ve created everything. You just have to follow and everything will work well. People don’t want to be in that type of environment. So, the key here is how do we create more of a shared leadership environment where everyone is feels involved and valued in the growth of the organization? So how do we do that? Well, number one, it’s that we have to run very effective team meetings, right? Most offices, if you look out there statistically, most offices don’t have regular team meetings. Number one. And team meetings is like Abraham Lincoln said, “If I had two hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend one hour sharpening my ax.” How sharp is your ax? It’s extremely important to take time out of your business and involve your people in the running of your business. By involving them, they’re going to feel like they have more of a voice.
Number two, it’s how you run those team meetings. If you’re going to have a team meeting and the owner is the only person that’s bringing the agenda to the meeting, basically, you’ve got passive participants that are just doing what they’re told. But if you create an environment where you involve your people and are asking them. Instead of “here’s what we’re going to do next week,” it’s more about “how do we create an environment where people show up for their appointments?” What your opinion? What is your opinion? What is your opinion? Basically, involving everyone and engaging in passionate, unfiltered debate of ideas, and then committing to those ideas together as a team, holding each other accountable. And at subsequent meetings, picking up from where we left off, because usually, the next meeting starts with a new agenda rather than bringing the old agenda forward until it’s fully implemented. A team that is working in an office like that will feel much more involved, committed, connected, and valued, by the way. So that’s one example, but there’s lots.
JS: Now it’s slipped my mind. You wanted to add something, and I sort of jumped in.
PB: Related to when we’re talking about attract—oh, about, writing a good ad. Yes. So, number one. I’ve had people call me, Jordan, and they’ve asked me, oh, can you write me one of those really good ads that attract people? And my answer usually is no. I can’t do that, right? The ad that you write has to be real about who you truly are. It’s almost like a dating ad, for instance. You can’t say, you know, I am into horseback riding, if you’re not into horseback riding. In order to attract people, they will come and find out, hey, they can’t enjoy horseback riding dating you because you’re not into it. I think, similarly, when you write a really good ad in the marketplace, it has to be real, first of all. It has to represent who you are. Even if you’re in a stage where your office isn’t where you want it to be, but if you decide to yourself, hey, we’re moving in a new direction. We want people to be happy, fulfilled, stimulated in this work environment, then you can make your ad sound like that. So you may write something like: Fantastic career opportunity. Don’t hope any longer. You know, thriving dental practice is seeking someone who loves dentistry and enjoys people. If this is you, come interview us for an exciting opportunity to help us move to the next level. We provide an environment for you to exercise your strengths and creativity.
So, something that’s got life in it, you know, something that helps people to know, this is an environment that wants to empower me to use my strengths and abilities. This is when saying, come interview us, means this is an environment that equally understands that I matter, and maybe I’m going to feel more appreciated in this environment. And basically, the ad has to be sexy and meaningful to people. And can I say something about steak?
JS: Sure.
PS: You said about steak. You know, the biggest thing that people want in a work environment that literally they’ll take a pay cut to experience it is they want to feel appreciated, right? If they’re going to be and you’re very aware of that. I mean, you’ve kept your team for a very long time. And that’s not just by paying them well.
JS: I will tell you, every night, I go around and I say goodnight to each member, and I thank them for the help they provided that day.
PB: And you thank them emotionally. Yeah. Because I’ve heard you when you speak, you’re like, thank you. I appreciate you so much, what you did for us today. We’re so happy with you.
JS: Hundred percent.
PB: Rather than the old school appreciation, right? Which they say, you know, that high D on DISC personality. The only time they say well done is when ordering a steak, right? No, people don’t feel when you tell them well done, appreciated. It’s a heartfelt thank you for what you do for us. You’re important to us and you matter. And there’s many ways actually to make people feel appreciated beyond just thanking them in a work environment, right? I call it team building. There’s actually processes for team building.
JS: Can you give some strategic planning advice to dental professionals who want to accelerate the growth of their practice and their professional careers? What pearls can you share with them?
PS: So, in dentistry, especially the type of dentistry that you do, you are an expert at treatment planning, which means that before you initiate in treating someone, you’re going to have a human conversation with them, right? And if someone’s not going to have a human conversation with you, you’re not going to engage in beginning to do dentistry on them because you know that your job is to fit the dentistry into their lives, not just into their mouths, right? So that they’re ready for what it is that they want. And so it’s the same thing in business development planning. Just like treatment planning, I strongly believe that practice planning and goal setting is an important first step, right? All people have teeth, but their needs and desires are different. It’s the same thing for all dentists.
All dentists do dentistry, but their needs and desires, their interests, their skills that they want to move in the direction of are all different. So, I usually say, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. Slow down to speed up means sit down and make a plan. So how do you make a plan? Can I share some of those things now?
So how do you make a plan? I would say that the first thing a dentist that wants to accelerate their growth would do is to sit down and make a close plan, a plan for a year ahead. Sometimes when you start thinking about five years, six years from now, it’s so abstract that you don’t really act as focused now towards what you want in the future. But if you make a real plan that says, if we were meeting here and it’s one year from today, looking back on that year, what would have to have happened in order for me to feel happy with my progress? So, you start writing and listing everything that you want. So based on that, you have to look, and you have to ask yourself, okay, what challenges along the way exist that I have to transform into strategies in order to achieve that goal? So, if I want to get from point a to point b, and there’s a fence in my way, basically, the fence is actually the raw material that I use to achieve my goal, right? I have to focus on it rather than turn away from it. Do I blow it up? Do I go under it, over it, around it? But the fence, the challenges, to achieving our goals are actually the raw materials that we have to transform into strategies, right? What strengths do I have that I want to make better use of? Get clear on who you are, on what you’re good at, on what you’re not good at so that you can delegate those unique abilities.
And lastly, I would say make a list on what opportunities exist out there in the marketplace that you would like to tap into. And leverage. And I think having a plan like that, almost a life emerges out of it where you’re going to start getting clarity on what to be doing, what not to be doing, the direction to move, who to engage with, who not to engage with, what to learn on that path. And I think it will accelerate anyone’s growth if they start with that plan. That’s what I usually do with people as a coach, right?
JS: I have to tell you, such fabulous wisdom, it’s almost like the glue that holds all the pillars of what we have to focus on in running a practice, drawing it all together to allow us to come up with that one-year, three-year, five-year plan. You’ve really shared some great pearls, and I’m going to tell you that I’m going to take away today that the next time, hopefully, it won’t be for a while that I have to write an ad. Ad, I’m going to be putting that line in, come interview us. What a great line.
PB: It’s leadership, really.
JS: A hundred percent. So I want to take this time. Thank you very, very much for joining us. Always interesting to chat with you, get your perspective on what’s going on, what’s changing, and how we can, you know, really utilize these changes to help us excel.
PB: Awesome. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed spending this time with you.
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