“I don’t like confrontation,” are the most common words we hear when coaching Dentists. Who really likes confrontation? Wouldn’t we all like to know how to minimize or even eliminate confrontation? The solution seems rather simple, the follow through is the touch part. Confrontation between Dental Team members, Front Office and Back, Patients, etc.
Avoiding confrontation
Are you the business owner that hates confrontation so much, you avoid rather simple issues, compounding negative results? Avoidance only lasts so long before an explosion can occur. We can only pump a balloon with so much helium before it gets to the point of popping.
Boundaries
Boundaries for employees are very similar to boundaries we give children. If boundaries are defined, kept firm and entwined around accountability, confrontation will be minimized or even eliminated.
Example: Five-year-old Johnny wants another cookie. Mom is busy cleaning the kitchen. Johnny insists on another cookie. Mom says no, you have already had one. Johnny continues to push. Mom; no. Johnny becomes relentless in his five-year-old clothing, insisting on another cookie. After unscathed determination, Johnny continues in his pursuit for another cookie. Mom, at this point, is escalating in her agitation from Johnny’s persistence, but instead, chooses to give Johnny a cookie to keep him quiet and to calm herself. BOOM. Barriers are lifted, accountability is out the door and Johnny is brilliantly successful in taking charge of a situation.
We refer to this example as the “Inmates running the asylum.”
Compare this to Employees
You make a new rule, say, no phones or smart watches while on the clock.
- You publicly declare this new rule with accountability standards. Those standards may look like this – if I see you on your phone or using your smart watch while on my clock, I will assume you are telling me you don’t want to work here.
- Same as #1, however, the phone use continues during office hours, yet you are unwilling to “confront” what you have just created, allowing those under your leadership to now lead your business. Your lack of confrontation breaks all the rules you just put in place. Now, the next rule you try to put in place can, and likely will, be frivolous.
How many times has this happened to you as a business owner? Want to change that? Want to avoid confrontation through elite coaching, implementing measurable standards that are based on entire team accountability? Call us!
