Building a Deep Bench
While watching my Seattle Seahawks lose to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday (they put up a good fight in the first half at least), I was struck with the fact that neither starting QBs were not expected to be starting a playoff game this year.
The Seahawk’s Geno Smith spent the last six years as a back-up quarterback on four different NFL teams before becoming the starting quarterback for the Seahawks this year. In the process of setting the Seahawks single-season passing record, he led what was predicted to be one of the worst teams in the NFL to the playoffs.
On the other sideline, 49er quarterback Brock Purdy was starting his first NFL playoff game after being the last player drafted last April and starting the season as the third-string quarterback. After the high paid quarterbacks in front of him were ineffective and then injured, Purdy got his first start in mid-December and has gone 6-0.
The unexpected success of these two players reminds me of the need to have a deep bench in any organization, even your dental practice. Here are a few ideas to develop a deep bench:
Ensure that new and less experienced staff get some reps. Give them the chance to test themselves and improve when they are ready (or even when they are almost ready). You may find that the new team member has more potential than your starter.
Just like injuries are a sure thing in the NFL, staff turnover in a dental practice is a sure thing as well. Therefore, always have your eye out for talent.
Talk with the friendly barista or bank teller about joining your front desk team at some point. Plant that seed.
Volunteer to speak at a local hygiene program or open your office up to assistants in training.
Have a constant ad out on your website or on a job board to attract talented team members. For job postings, our clients using Betterteam have had great success at a fraction of the cost of Indeed.
Encourage a culture of being better every day. You can start by putting this Simon Sinek quote on your whiteboard for the next morning huddle; “The goal is not to be perfect by the end. The goal is to be better today.”
With a deep bench, your practice is better prepared to not just survive, but to thrive.
So take some steps today to start creating that deep bench.