Creating the best team

CREATING THE BEST TEAM –
A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT BUT WORTH IT ! ! !
Successful teamwork, regardless of the nature of the team, requires building one on one
relationships, outstanding, constant communication, doing many ordinary things
extraordinarily well, paying attention to fine details and then, more communication.
Whether you are part of a football team, a rowing team, a surgical team or an
orthodontic team, the characteristics don’t change. The bottom line always seems to be:
YOU WANT TO WORK TOGETHER WELL, YOU HAVE GOT TO COMMUNICATE TOGETHER
WELL. Communication, although it remains the #1 characteristic of a high performing
team, without the TOGETHER is meaningless. Rather amusing as it is, in researching the
word “TOGETHER”, I found a remarkable number of words about togetherness that begin
with the letters CO
COmmunicate
COordinate These three seem to be the most important
COoperate
Exemplary teamwork certainly requires EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT, non-stop
communication. We routinely ask each other where are we going, how do we get there,
what is our goal. The who, where, what, why, when and how questions must be
constantly addressed for the team to function well as a unit.
The effective team also must coordinate all interactions, just as the gears of a finely
tuned watch need to coordinate to keep accurate time. When I am done with this, what
should be done next? If things go wrong, who can help us? Knowing the sequences of
events and the Plan B’s of life help the team and enhance the communication process at
the same time.
Unless the team cooperates in an atmosphere of mutual support and assistance, any
objectives, or goals or great abilities of the members are meaningless. To cooperate
fully, team members need to know how valuable other members are to the team, they
should be concerned about other’s successes and not just their own, they should be
willing to help others achieve and, above all, should care what other people think and
have to say.
During a workshop that I gave in beautiful Cancun, Mexico, I asked the participants in
the room to shout out what they thought the four most important words would be for any
effective, peak performing team to use. A rather bold and humorous orthodontist near
the back of the room yelled out “Get back to work!” Above the laughter which this
caused, a young, lovely staff member bellowed back at him “When is my raise?”
Naturally we had a fair amount of fun hearing all the four word combinations that were
creatively put together. The four words that I had come up with were WHAT DO YOU
THINK ? Without seeking this cooperative information from teammates, we are working
individually rather than collectively.
©Rosemary Bray 2004
There are a few additional CO words that pertain to the true TEAM PLAYER atmosphere.
TEAM players will:
Consult and Confer with each other Constantly
Contribute their own, original ideas
Confide in each other
Consolidate suggestions into Concurrent strategies
Collectively Commit to the team
Consent to solutions which are not their own
Co-exist with positive relationships
Co-author and Co-execute plans to bring about Congruent goals
Convene together to Confirm that their practice is on track
Coach Constructively
Compliment others on their abilities
Be Compatible and Congenial and Considerate
Congratulate and Commend teammates
Be Concerned and Conciliatory
Show Compassion, Condolence and Comfort
Above all, great teammates who work effectively and enjoy the process tend to be
COHORTS, COMRADES, COMPATRIOTS and COMPANIONS
Those of us who can remember the Three Musketeers can fully attribute those four CO
descriptions to the Musketeer comrades and compatriots. The motto that the Three
Musketeers had, could certainly be a part of every orthodontic team vision statement. It
simply stated: “ALL FOR ONE…AND ONE FOR ALL !”
So what is it that prevents most ortho teams from reciting this motto in unison at the
conclusion of every morning huddle? Why is it that every office I visit and every staff
member I speak to has the same question, “Why can’t everyone just get along?” In other
words, “Why aren’t we all for one and one for all?”
Last year, I conducted my own personal survey seeking ideas from approximately 100
quality orthodontic and dental practices across the country. The questions addressed the
idea of teamwork –specifically, what makes it work and what tears it down? The
responses weren’t particularly astounding – I heard exactly what I had expected to hear.
In summary, the results were:
WHAT TEARS DOWN A TEAM AND IMPAIRS PERFORMANCE?
1) Lack of, or ineffective, communication
2) Gossip
3) Excessive bickering
4) Jealousy
5) ‘Buck Passing” (That’s not my job)
6) Distrust, disrespect, inability to accept
7) Lack of recognition, reward and appreciation
8) Negative attitudes
9) Lack of purpose or goal

©Rosemary Bray 2004
10) Lack of commitment(to each other, to the office)
WHAT CREATES EXCEPTIONAL, EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK ?
1) Great communication (not just good, but great)
2) High levels of mutual trust, respect and support
3) Team members are more concerned about others than about themselves
4) Strong leadership by the doctor
5) Team portrays a sense of “genuine-ness” and sincerity. They put people before
profits.
6) Attitudes and behavior are positive and in line with the vision
7) Having FUN is a high priority and comes naturally
8) Personal values are in agreement with the office
9) Continual learning and growing is available
10) Visions and goals are clearly stated, understood and agreed upon
In the survey, I also asked staff members to list the traits of other team members they
had worked with over the years who demonstrated superior team building skills and
made the group function more productively and in a positive atmosphere. They replied
that in order to “play together well”, team members must:
1) practice great communication
2) have a positive attitude
3) have good, healthy self esteem
4) show respect for others, like to help others
5) appreciate and accept the differences in people
6) feel and show team spirit (be a Musketeer)
7) assume responsibility and be reliable
8) be loyal and committed to the practice
9) appreciate and accept kind criticism, coaching
10) trust their teammates
PUTTING THE TEAM TOGETHER - - -
IT TAKES EIGHT ATES
What do you do in order to get started?
Step One towards a peak performing team is to INITIATE.
Start with your thought, your dream your vision. What are you thinking about as far as a
team? How many people make a team?
What do you envision when you think of the word team?
What do you, as doctor, as owner of the business, want to create?
Step Two in the team creation is LOCATE. Where do we find the quality people to form
this award winning team that we envision? In the newspaper? Perhaps. Through your
sales reps and the dental society? Perhaps. From an employment agency? Could be.
Remember that quality people usually surround themselves with quality people. Letting
your staff, your colleagues, even your patients/parents know
©Rosemary Bray 2004
that you are looking for top notch employees is generally your best bet at finding just
that. They all have friends and acquaintances and word of mouth can often prove to be
an excellent recruiting method. If people in your dental community know that you are at
the top of your field, they will likely want to be a part of what they see and hear
Step Three in the process is to actually CREATE. This means, as Nike says, Just Do It !
Fulfill your vision and make your words, your actions consistent with that vision. In other
words, do exactly what you said you would; “walk the talk”. If your vision said you were
going to do “x”, then do “x”. If you said you are only going hire certain quality types of
team players, then do not compromise yourself by bringing on Attitude Annie just
because she is well skilled clinically.
Step Four in Team Creation is to EDUCATE. This means go to seminars, bring in
consultants to train and fine tune, listen to tapes, read the books, network with
colleagues. Attend your local, regional and national meetings whenever possible. When
your staff cannot be there, let them purchase the tapes made at the lectures. Provide in
office cross training sessions for your team. Doctors all should sit down with the entire
team and give an Ortho 101 class so everyone knows what you do, why you do it, how
you do it and who specifically does what. Each team member must be responsible for
writing her own job description and keeping it current. Is not the real purpose of
education to replace an empty mind with an open one? And doctors, after you have spent
time and energy and money in the education of your exceptional team, always
remember that insightful quotation of Zig Ziglar’s: It is better to train your staff and have
them leave, than to never train your staff and have them stay.
Step Five is now to COOPERATE. Two rules simply can be applied to ensure that the team
works together in a mutually cooperative
Environment. The Golden Rule –to just treat your teammate the way you want your
teammate to treat you. Secondly, The Platinum Rule –
to treat your teammates they way they would like to be treated.
BE the change you want to see in the world –Ghandi
Step Six is the most difficult and also the most important. That is,
to COMMUNICATE. We do this with constant discussion throughout the day, with
the “morning huddle” meeting to set the tone for the day ahead, with one on one
(doctor/staff) lunch meetings and with regular staff meetings that are to the point and
productive. The top performing teams hold annual one to two day retreats, often away
from the physical environment of the practice to allow their creative juices to flow, their
thoughts and ideas to be well expressed and to provide social team time to better know
each other. Retreats like these that I have been fortunate to participate in, give an often
very necessary opportunity to reopen communication lines which have become closed for
one reason or another. A very important aspect of communication is to listen – not
merely to speak. Surveys tell us that the “average” doctor will interrupt his/her patient in
the first eighteen seconds of conversation. Becoming a great listener is a most valuable
trait of a
©Rosemary Bray 2004
quality team layer. Plato once said most accurately that wise men talk because they
have something to say and fools talk because they have to say something!
To MOTIVATE is the Seventh Step in Team Formation. By setting goals together, your
team will be far more likely to work towards those goals than if the goals are determined
by the doctor alone, or by an outside source. As a thirty year veteran employee, I know
from my own experience that when I was directly involved in setting the goals of the
practice, I was far more motivated to attempt the reaching, or even surpassing, of those
goals. Allowing the team to monitor the results and then participate in some sort of an
incentive, creates a feeling of ownership and accountability. In speaking with staff
members all across the United States (and also in other countries), I am constantly
reminded by them that they are ALL motivated by appreciation. The verbal, sincere
thank you remains the number one incentive to do better and to achieve more. Trips to
the shopping mall, days at the spa, money in the hand are always appreciated
motivators. . .yet they still, and I hope will always be second to the pat on the back, the
praise in public and the sincere kind word.
Lastly, Step Eight of the “Eight Ates” is to CELEBRATE!! Wow! That’s the easy one. Take
time out to acknowledge accomplishments big and small. Waiting for the end of the year
to celebrate can be a de-motivator – so remember all along the way to be happy about
and proud of the little steps that bring you to the larger goal. Getting three starts from
three exams today is cause for celebration. The deband of an unusually difficult or
involved case is cause for celebration. A team member’s fifth anniversary on the team is
certainly cause for celebration.
There are three kinds of team members on your team right now:
1) those who make things happen
2) those who watch things happen
3) those who wonder what happen
When your team is comprised of the Number 1 type, let each other know how terrific that
is and how valued they are. It is much easier to be the Number 2 or Number 3 type of
team player and when we are fortunate to have Numbers 1’s instead, celebration is
deserved!
Easiest of all is to realize that any day in Ortho is better than any day doing anything
else!! Have fun, lighten up and be glad you didn’t choose Hospice, Perio (sorry!) or the
Cancer Hospital for your career!!
It’s ORTHO! THAT IN ITSELF is the greatest celebration!
(Not to be Reproduced Without Permission)
©Rosemary Bray 2004