Managing Dental Drama

After receiving a clear plan of action for terminating a relationship with an employee, the crucial question becomes – How do you handle the aftermath of firing an employee? What do you say to the team? When do you say those things to the team? Often, the aftermath is the scariest part of termination decisions, and at times, the anxiety over the aftermath can even prevent a practice owner from mak...

Firing an employee should always be a last resort, but many practice owners delay in terminating a relationship with an employee simply because they are not confident in HOW to fire an employee. Firing an employee is an incredibly difficult task, and if the task is not handled correctly, it can lead to an emotional explosion. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany line out a simple formula for term...

There are times when the team is surprised with or plagued with a disrespectful or dramatic team member. It is unpleasant and can have an impact on every single person. In this episode, Bethany asks Dr. Kuba what she would do in three different scenarios where an employee was dramatic or disrespectful. Dr. Kuba offers office to the practice owners that have suffered with an employee who is verball...

Everyone worries about it, and yet nobody talks about it. It’s a cringe-worthy topic, and yet every practice owner should diligently work to prevent a board complaint AND be prepared for one as well. In this episode, Dr. Kuba enlightens listeners on a typical board complaint process. She then walks through each step and explains how to best navigate the process. Woven throughout, she offers many t...

In a world where insurance continues to find new ways to pay less, it is incredibly frustrating when the dentist and team are somehow the ones to blame. In this episode, Bethany and Dr. Kuba discuss what is becoming a chronically reoccurring problem – patients angry at the dentist when insurance fails to hold up their end of the deal. Bethany has witnessed four angry patients in the past two weeks...

Meet Dr. Ludlow! He and Bethany have worked together for almost 10 years. Dr. Ludlow has a unique practice in that is very large and still privately owned. Therefore, it might be surprising to most listeners that Dr. Ludlow does not have an Office Manager. In this episode, he discusses his strategic decision to grow a large, successful practice without a manager in place. Although practices can be...

Dr. Kuba is back in the studio today, and she is asking some very raw questions. She confesses that there have been many times in her career where she simply doesn’t care, so she asks Bethany how to push past these moments. Together, they discuss why practice owners and team members sometimes hit theoretical walls and what to do once you hit them. At times life out balances work, and this certainl...

Oftentimes practice owners groan about the necessity of “morning” huddles. In fact, many practice owners opt to do away with them completely. In this episode, Bethany discusses all of the benefits associated with a daily or weekly huddle. Benefits include preparation for the patient's care plan, accountability for team members to prepare, and setting the tone for the day. Due to the benefits...

This long overdue episode reveals two new scathing negative reviews that Dr. Kuba received in the last few weeks. After lamenting the torture of these negative reviews, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the specific details of the reviews. They also identify the specific claims that the reviewer made which then informed the needed response. They also discuss the various dialogue that she and her adviso...

 So often, there is a spoken and unspoken pressure to push your practice as far as it will go. Grow. Grow. Grow. Push. Push. Push. So many well-meaning people apply pressure to dentists to grow their practice into something massive. There tends to be a simple definition of success that every practice owner is fed, and then they spin their wheels always working to achieve. In this episode, Bethany...

Most days for dental professionals feel overwhelming. How is it possible to get everything done? With constant interruptions and consistent “fires” to put out, the daily tasks of running a dental office often get pushed to the side. Then, they pile up. By the end of the week, the mound of things to complete feels insurmountable. Dentists and their team members leave the week feeling overwhelmed wi...

Peer-to-peer feedback is one of the most helpful forms of performance feedback, and yet it is so incredibly difficult to figure out HOW to incorporate peer feedback. Fret no more! This episode provides a detailed description of how to tackle this difficult task. Dr. Kuba shares the specific details of her most recent iteration of her “Engagement Scale” that she uses in her practice. Bethany also s...

No matter the specialty, treatment acceptance is the lifeblood of every practice. In a good number of practices, an excellent treatment coordinator is behind exemplary treatment acceptance. So, what is a good treatment coordinator (TC)? What makes them unique and better than other TCs? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the core qualities that make great TCs. As a foundational quality,...

 Join Bethany as she discusses the growing popularity of membership plans. As the quality of dental insurance continues to degrade, membership or wellness plans have grown in popularity. Bethany describes the three most popular types of wellness plans, and she reminds listeners of the importance of keeping the plans profitable for the practice and yet simple for the patients and staff members. The...

It is, unfortunately, a frequent occurrence. Team members argue, disagree, and simply cannot seem to get along. At times, it is related to simple personality differences. Other times, it runs deeper and seems to impact daily interactions. In most situations, the arguments lead to a chronic feeling of bad blood on the team. The doctor is often unaware of the specifics, but can sense that something...

In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about the various disappointments in continuing education courses and dental conferences. It is difficult to find a course or conference that meets everyone’s needs, and it is even harder to justify the cost involved in these classes. Often, practice owners will limit down the number of team members they invite simply because the results of the course oft...

It is often the foundation of stress, the things we dread the most – legal issues. Often times, the things that keep dentists up at night are the fears of being sued for something, anything. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss multiple real-life scenarios. First, they discuss being caught in the middle of a divorce case where Dr. Kuba was called as a witness. She reminds listeners of the...

Dr. Kuba is back, and she has an agenda! She turns the spotlight on Bethany and forces her to undergo the same treatment that Bethany dished out to her many months ago when Bethany recorded the “What Would Kuba Do?” episode. In this episode, venture into the mind of a consultant. See what she sees as Dr. Kuba has multiple questions for Bethany ranging from firing clients to the ONE piece of advice...

100% of Bethany’s clients have struggled with attendance issues on their teams. Either an employee is chronically late, often asks to leave early, or is simply absent chronically. In this episode, Bethany reminds listeners that some requests to be off should be met with a no. She describes scenarios that could potentially incur an automatic “no” to the request. She also encourages listeners to cre...

Bethany flies solo in this episode to tackle an important and often repetitive topic which is maternity and medical leaves. So many practice owners face this issue multiple times over the years of their career. Bethany discusses several simple tips to ensure that medical and maternity leaves are handled with consistency and a clear, documented plan. In addition to clear documentation, open communi...

Dr. Kuba is often not often surprised by a raise request in due to the diligent systems she has in place for frequently reviewing compensation. But, in this episode, she and Bethany discuss what may have caused the employee to unexpectedly ask for a raise. They also discuss what they can do going forward to ensure unexpected raise requests do not continue to happen. If you’ve found yourself in thi...

A common and practical question often asked is – How many team members do I need? What are the parameters for determining what is overstaffed and what is understaffed? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss three different tools for determining the right number of employees. First, Bethany discusses certain financial milestones that the practice reaches that solicit the potential addition o...

Many practice owners struggle to find out true feedback from their employees. They desire to know their teams and know how things are going, but it is hard to get honest feedback from them. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about the importance of establishing a foundation of good communication and trust with team members. Then, prior to asking for feedback, employees must have a chance t...

Get ready for crusty Dr. Kuba! Today, she talks about her natural aversion to forced holiday celebrations. She confesses that she has never celebrated dental assistant week, administrative assistant day, etc. She and Bethany talk through all the reasons why she resists these celebrations. Dr. Kuba confesses that she gets cranky even thinking about the holidays. Bethany advises listeners to truly t...

Bethany has her dad, Dr. Jones, in the studio today. Together, they discuss a hot topic – hiring family members or friends to be a member of the dental team. Dr. Jones has employed multiple friends and family members throughout the years of his profession. For him, it felt like a dream come true, but he discusses that it is critical to have clear expectations before the friend or family member joi...