In this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, host Shane Tenny, CFP®, asks the questions you want answers to if you’re considering buying your own practice or struggling with attracting the type of team you need to be successful.
For those working in medicine and dentistry, having a great team is key to being able to support their patients. Today’s guest wants to help practitioners attract, develop, and retain the right team so they can see their businesses thrive.
Ben Shaver is a certified leadership coach and a business consultant working with medical and dental practices on organizational development, recruiting, and branding. He is passionate about helping his clients develop leadership skills and building a brand that consumers value — and team members want to work for.
“What makes us unique is we have this process called the leader brand,” says Ben. “If you look at your typical org chart, we flip that upside down, and say, ‘At the top now is the consumer. Who are we actually going after?’"
As a self-proclaimed recovering marketing agency owner, Ben understands the importance of putting a practice's brand and culture at the forefront to excel at recruitment, engagement, and retention. In this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, host Shane Tenny, CFP®, asks the questions you want answers to if you’re considering buying your own practice or struggling with attracting the type of team you need to be successful.
Ben also shares how he uses assessments to better understand the behavioral and communication styles of team members. Using tools like DiSC can give practitioners a better understanding of their team’s behavior and how to set them up for success.
“Figure out what type of practice you want. As you grow, you're going to have bigger problems, but you need to figure out the culture and see if those assessments help fit people into the culture,” he says.
Name: Ben Shaver
What he does: Ben Shaver is a certified leadership coach and business consultant. He works primarily with medical and dental practices helping them with organizational development, recruiting, and branding. His core program The Leader Brand™ helps clients turn from managers to leaders by flipping the organizational chart and focusing on the consumer first.
Company: Venture Practices
Words of wisdom: “If you really create a brand people want to be a part of, then you're going to win because they're going to see that and engage with it.”
Connect: Website | LinkedIn | YouTube
Top takeaways from this episode
[02:29] Flip the org chart upside down: Ben explains how he approaches leadership training from the consumer or patient first, because they’re the ones going out into the community or talking about their experience on Facebook.
[06:07] Look, act, and feel: Consistency is key. If you want to look professional, act organized, and feel trusted, then you need to model those behaviors every single day.
[06:59] An outsider in your own practice: Ben understands that it is challenging to transition from technician to operator when you purchase your first practice. His team knows how to walk people through this transition so they can be successful.
[08:31] Cynics, contributors, committed, and champions: There are four different types of team members you might find in your organization. Ben reviews the impact of each.
[14:32] A proficient and passionate team: Ben uses task filters from leadership professional Michael Hyatt to find holes in systems and processes that need addressing.
[21:28] Using DiSC assessments: Ben reviews how different personality types can complement each other and cause conflict. Using assessments is one tool to help you create the culture you want.
[24:50] You have to be unique in your approach: Helping people identify what they are drawn to is an important part of creating a path for their training and company processes. Ben emphasizes the importance of asking these questions to create custom solutions.
[26:54] Retaining the right people: According to Ben, your ability to retain people starts at onboarding. Creating a great experience from day one is key.
[31:10] Everyone needs a business coach: Ben gives a shout-out to his business coach, Harvey Smith, for everything he has done for him over the years.
Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors, dentists, and those whose work can help them to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists throughout the U.S. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at http://www.sdtplanning.com . You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP®, at shane@prosperousdoc.com.
Compliance code: CRN202512-3477621
Top quotes from the episode:
[04:11] “Leadership builds a great vision. That vision is then shared with a leadership team, they go out and hire an elite team that builds a culture. That culture is your look, act, and feel. Then that look, act, and feel is, everyday, what your team is putting out there. They've now created this great brand that people want to be a part of.”
[06:14] “Nothing is greater than getting in those mom groups where there's 8,000 people and somebody asks, ‘Hey, what's a great dentist?’ And all of a sudden, everybody's saying it's your practice.”
[12:13] “Your best recruiters for both patients and future staff members is your staff.”
[27:05] ”Onboarding is key. If you really want to retain people, you're going to lose them on onboarding because they're already going to have a bad impression of you. You didn't do what you said you were going to do. Get them involved with the team as quickly as you can, whether that's lunches or how you introduce them — they need to be part of the team as quickly as possible.”