S5 Episode 2: How We start our Day in Leadership

In this episode of Inside Dentistry Support, Sarah Beth Herman addresses the essential qualities and responsibilities of effective leadership within a virtual environment. The episode emphasizes the importance of knowing key metrics, staying ahead of issues, and being proactive in supporting the team. Leaders are encouraged to lead by example, maintain clear and consistent communication, and engage with their teams intentionally. Special attention is given to the challenges of virtual leadership, highlighting the need for active listening and clear communication to build trust and ensure smooth operations. The overarching message is that strong, proactive leadership is crucial for the company's success and growth.

Transcript

  📍 Hey leaders. Welcome back to Inside Dentistry Support. This is Season five, episode two, and today's message is just for you, our leadership team. Leadership here at Dentistry Support isn't a title. It is a responsibility and the way we lead, not just when things are smooth, but especially when they're messy.

It actually shapes this entire company. So, today's episode is all about what it means to be a leader inside of dentistry. Support what you should know, do and be aware of to lead well in a virtual space. So, let's get right into it. Know your metrics. Don't just hope for the best. You have to know your numbers.

It's just not optional. If you are leading a department, you should know what are the core metrics? What times should my team be working? What does a healthy day in this department look like? What red flags should I be looking for? Maybe it's 30 claims per hour in billing. Maybe its verifications done 72 hours in advance.

Maybe it's daily recap reporting for every department. Maybe it's call answer rates and hygiene scheduled success. You need to own those numbers, and you need to help your team understand the importance of these numbers. This allows you to correct people gently redirect clearly and protect our reputation fiercely.

As a leader, you should always know who is working today, who is out, who is falling behind in their daily tasks, who may need a hand. You don't wait for your team to tell you, or you don't wait for a dental office to complain. Of course, that might happen. Both your team telling you and a dental office complaining, but you lead by being ahead of it.

You anticipate, you ask, you plan if there is a gap in coverage or if there is work not getting done or tasks that are really, really behind. If the team needs a reset or a client is concerned, you step in, you support, you don't ignore. You lead by being ahead of it as a leader.

You know exactly what I mean when I say all hands-on deck. It's not just a catchphrase to us here at Dentistry Support. It means that you are willing to roll up your sleeves when needed. You jump into channels, you comment where it's quiet, you follow up where things feel unclear. You make sure the team knows that you expect the excellence that we represent.

So, if we have a brand-new office and you know, something's behind or an existing office that's complaining, you know that it requires follow up. Even after we've resolved the problem. You are leading with action, not with silence. When our company is stretched, you don't just help catch up. You help move us forward.

You represent the standard and every single person on your team is watching how you handle pressure, how you solve the problem, and they're watching you because they're learning exactly what to do in the event. You're not here one day or in the event they step into leadership. You see, when we as leaders.

Are reactionary and we freak out and we don't really know how to move forward because we're crippled by whatever the problem is. Our team thinks leadership is scary. They think leadership isn't for them, that there's no way they could ever manage a team because they just don't want that stress. But I want you to hear me today clearly in every scenario, be it personal or business, there will be trials. There will always be a situation that won't be perfect because we live in an imperfect world. And so, it is going to require that we grow in our eq, our emotional intelligence, and we understand that tough things happen.

Clients get upset. People don't always perform at the pace or the speed that we want them to, but we can get through it. Remember, you are representing the standard, and everyone is watching how you handle it. Let's be real for a minute. Virtual leadership requires double the intentionality. There's no hallway chat; there's no water cooler to connect casually.

If you want to build trust and community, you have to show up on purpose, and that means that you learn to show your face in meetings, you react to messages with emojis or the hovering over and clicking the like. You communicate clearly and often every day when you check in, every day when you clock out, you check on your people before there is a problem.

First things first. You head to the channels of the offices you oversee, check in on them. How's everything going today, guys? Just wanted to check in, make sure everything's going all right. Being in a virtual leadership role means that presence and visibility are a choice, and you must make that choice every single day.

Let's talk about one of the most underused tools in leadership, active listening, especially when we talk about virtually the challenges with a virtual world, is that there's no body language. There's distractions everywhere, and it's easy to zone out behind a screen. And so, some of the common fixes for this are to use a warm and enthusiastic tone of voice.

Your energy transfers even through audio paraphrase, summarize, ask questions, say things like, so what I'm hearing is, or tell me more about that part. Use emojis, reactions, or a quick noted, or I hear you, so people don't feel ignored. Schedule actual listening time. Create space to hear your team, not just to respond.

A great leader doesn't just send messages; they create clarity in leadership. In a virtual culture, it is very hard to have clear communication because messages can be misunderstood. Text lacks tonality, jargon creates confusion. So, what do we do? Choose the right chat. Some things belong in a chat. Other things need a call.

Some things need a face-to-face video. Be concise. Get to the point. Stay professional. Avoid acronyms unless you are 100% sure everyone knows them, especially new offices. BOB is really comfortable here at Dentistry Support, but breakdown of benefits is what our dental offices know it to be called. IIVR.

That's our help desk. We call it the IIVR, but really, it's a help desk. Avoid acronyms unless you're 100% sure everyone knows them. Give context. Help your team understand the why behind the task. When in doubt, say it again. In my opinion, clarity is kindness. Just because I ask a question, just because you ask a question, doesn't mean we're mad, upset, or rude.

We're just trying to get clarity. We're asking questions. We want to be helpful. Being a leader at dentistry support means that you are not just guiding tasks, you're building people. It means you are anchored in our mission. You are anchored in our core values. You are anchored in our brand statement. You are aware of your team.

You know, the metrics and the job duties and what the team needs to do to make sure that our offices have clarity. You are connected to our clients always. You are always evolving, growing, and becoming better, learning new ways to make the job better. Improving systems so that we are never leaving someone or something behind.

This company doesn't grow on accident. It grows because of leaders like you. And the stronger we are at the top, the more protected, developed, and empowered our team becomes. So, lead well, lead clearly, and lead like the company depends on it because honestly it does.  📍 I'll see you on the next episode.