What is your superpower?

Everyone has a superpower! Perhaps you’re crafty, witty, calming or street smart. The list goes on and on. Why would I ask this question when you’re working in a dental practice? You aren’t fighting crime or jumping off tall buildings. But, have you ever looked at where your employees’ talents lie? Shouldn’t we be doing this as managers when we hire new employees? Some of you make think it seems silly and irrelevant, but it isn’t.

Why ask? Knowing that an employee has a critical skill set will help you to hire and develop the best talent to make your practice the most successful. Don’t you want to have creative thinkers who can energize your practice by introducing new ideas for continuous quality improvement? If you continue to practice dentistry the same way you have been for the past 30 years, guess what? The competition is going to pass you by.

More from the author: 16 ways to get new patients

What are your employees’ talents?

• Frugality: Which of your employees is frugal with their money? Does this employee pack his or her lunch every day? Is paper recycled or the backs used if there’s no personal information on them? Doesn’t it make sense that someone who’s careful with his or her own personal resources would be careful at work as well? Does the employee turn off the light when he or she leaves the breakroom? If your staff isn’t frugal, the competition is going to pass you by.

• Social media savvy: The current generation of professionals has grown up with social media. How are you using that to your advantage? Do you have a young professional looking at how best to run your website? Are employees looking at the language used on your website if you haven’t hired an outside vendor to do so? This is marketing 101 nowadays. If you don’t have this kind of marketing, the competition is going to pass you by.

• Customer service: Your patients are the most important aspect of your practice. Making sure they’re happy with the services they receive is important. What are you doing to develop a strong relationship with them? If you’re not providing exceptional customer service, the competition is going to pass you by.

• Thinking outside the box: Yes, that’s a very cliché thing to say, but it’s so true on many levels. Being creative is critical to problem-solving. If you have a patient who needs a very expensive dental procedure but is concerned about the cost, what do you do? Do you explore other options with him or her? How creative are you with finding those options? What kind of brainstorming is done in your office? Is it just the same old process, or are you really looking for a way to make it work? If you aren’t creatively problem-solving, the competition is going to pass you by.

• High energy: This may be viewed as a little hypomania, but let’s face it: those with high energy are infectious. Your burned-out employees aren’t motivated for change and are dragging you down. Those with high energy and a positive outlook can really impact your team and your patients. If your practice doesn’t have positive energy, the competition is going to pass you by.

Recently, I was asked what my superpower was. I’m a change agent. Many people are afraid of change. It’s scary, tiresome and overwhelming to some, but people like me who embrace change seem to get farther in whatever journey they’re on.

You want more patients? Find out what your employees’ superpowers are and tap into them. It will help with morale and will make your practice much more successful. Remember, if you don’t tap into those superpowers, the competition is going to pass you by.

Email me at diana2@discussdirectives.com and share what your superpower is and how it has benefited where you work.