1. Interpersonal communications – How staff members relate to one another and your patients… can make or break your practice.
2. Teamwork and commitment – Your group "Code of Honor" defines how team members interact, how they treat one another, responsibility to the team, and how to handle a member who isn't fully supporting the team.
3. Efficiencies and precision – Eliminating interpersonal conflict, petty personal issues, and the need for the 'management police' is a powerful empowering process for everyone, both doctor and staff members.

The reason I am blogging about this today is because I have been following Tim's raves and rantings since the NESO meeting on his blog hufactor.com .  After managing a practice for over 30 years, I understand the day to day workings and pitfalls encountered when building a cohesive team and trying to improve performance for the betterment of everyone. It was the most challenging aspect of my career.

Currently, Tim is offering Free video training on areas of his program and a copy of the "Code of Honor" that I recommend you sign up for download and read.  Whether you are a nuclear power plant, and insurance agency, or and orthodontic practice "The Precepts of Practicing Perfection" are the same:

1. Things are the way they are because they got that way
2. 84 – 94 percent of all human error can be directly attributed to process, programmatic, or organizational issues
3. People come to work wanting to do a good job
4. The people who do the work are the ones who have the answers.

Discovering how to build your practice on these precepts as your foundation, I feel, would be an amazing experience.  Charles Post DMD, of Keene, NH contracted the services of The Practicing Perfection Institute to improve the team environment and performance of his orthodontic practice in 2006.   He wanted to try something new to improve efficiency, build the practice and improve job satisfaction for the entire team.  He was able to accomplish this with Tim's program. Dr. Post comments, "Practicing Perfection has been a transformation that has refocused us all on patient priority while giving everyone valuable methods and systems to reduce errors in all areas." 

Since delivery of treatment and customer service are the two most important factors to consider in the developement of your marketing plan, consider taking advantage of this unique online opportunity that is being offered now from HU 2.0 , along with his new online program that is soon to be released. 

I read a great article today, written by Linda Talley: The Leadership Coach.  It is short, to the point and I would like to share it with you. 

Keep in mind, when reading this post, how members of your orthodontic team, including yourself, would measure up….  Every member of the team, at some point in time, finds themselves in a position to lead or manage.  I found it very enlightening.

1. When you are in a meeting, and someone mentions the word “Change,”  you ask how much it will cost.
2. When a salesperson brings in a new product idea, you ask what the downside will be.
3. When a diversity issue arises within the practice, you ask how it will affect the bottom line.
4. When an idea comes along to completely reinvent the customer service department, you ask what the competition is doing in this area.
5. Staff is required to obtain approval on everything!
6. You’re more interested in reporting short term results.
7. You get nervous with staff members who want to take the company “out on a limb.”
8. You feel there is no difference between the parenting you do at home and at the office.
9. You are depressed at the end of the day if you feel like anything or anyone got out of control, didn’t show up, or didn’t do their portion.
10. You liked the way the company was running 10 years ago rather than how it is today.

Orthodontic practices whose marketing and management strategies are run by managers, will always remain "Ordinary."  Orthodontic practices  whose strategies are implemented by leaders, can't help but become "ExtraOrdinary."

How does your practice measure up?