the operatory and move on to the next item on the schedule.
It worked like a charm. Production increased, profit took off, and team morale went through the roof … all because of Dr. Suago.
By Tom Rich, MBA, GG12 Senior Practice Analyst
Your schedule determines the rhythm of your practice. Day by day, each column carries the promise of potential, the prospect of profit, and the possibility of patients’ appointments being postponed, all because the Dentist falls behind.
So, the schedule goes out the window, each beautifully arranged column comes crashing down, and the team goes from white-hot motivation to red-alert frustration because they can’t rescue you … but Dr. Suago can if you let him. Several years ago, at one of the Gems Retreats, one Doctor’s team was sharing their concern about how difficult it was to keep the Doctor on schedule. They wanted to produce more, but, after each exam, the Doctor would get caught up in 10–20 minutes of idle chatter with patients. It didn’t take many appointments to completely destroy the day’s schedule and deflate and decimate the team’s motivation. That’s when a team member from another office chimed in. She said, “It sounds like you need to meet Dr. Suago.” She then went on to explain that, prior to Dr. Suago, the team in her office encountered the same frustration. When they shared their concern with the Doctor, he shared that he felt like he needed to have a better excuse than “I have other patients to get to” to cut a conversation with a patient short. The Dentist expressed that the only reasonable explanation to get up and out of the op was because of a Doctor calling. In that moment, Dr. Suago was born. That office (Doctor included) agreed upon a plan. Whenever idle chitchat was putting the schedule at risk, a team member would step into the op and inform the Dentist that Dr. Suago was on the phone with an urgent call. That would give the Dentist the necessary lifeline to excuse himself from
Who is Dr. Suago? It’s a special code: Doctor … Shut Up And Get Out (SUAGO).
"They wanted to produce more, but, after each exam, the Doctor would get caught up in 10–20 minutes of idle chatter with patients."
Imagine this …
You’ve just finished your weekly 90-minute staff training meeting and the entire team is on board and excited. You’ve introduced the Team Bonus System 2.0, and they’re chomping at the bit to start the day and do everything in their power to blow past last year’s numbers. In that moment, you have the perfect practice … everyone is getting along, they are all working toward a common goal, and you think life couldn’t get better. "The schedule goes out the window, each beautifully arranged column comes crashing down, and the team goes from white-hot motivation to red-alert frustration." Then, Mrs. Jones comes in for her check- up. Her superpower is turning a simple story, like going to the grocery store or visiting her grandkids, into a full-on retelling of all 500- plus pages of "The Canterbury Tales." Once she starts talking, it’s almost impossible to get her to stop, and, you, being the kind Doctor you are, want to let her know how much you care … so you listen. It’s free psychotherapy.
As a quick aside, this is one example of a simple, yet powerful, nugget to keep you and your team on the same page. This type of sharing can only come from attending a Gems Retreat. The next Retreat is in September in Boston, which is the epicenter of Planet Gems. For more information and online registration, go to InsidersCircle.com and click on the retreat link at the top left corner or call 1-888-880-GEMS (4367). Make it a great month. Here’s to a full schedule and a motivated team! Unfortunately, that’s all the time I have. Apparently Dr. Suago is waiting for me!
4 InsidersCircle.com | 1-888-880-GEMS (4367)
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker