Dr Phillip Palmer, September 2014 -
How were you introduced to Prime Practice?
We bought the practice about 9 years ago. At the time, I essentially parked the car in my new spot, logged in to the computer and started working. Nothing really changed in the practice or me. Over the course of the next few years, the practice grew, with more dentists, more team and more patients. But I was struggling to practice my dentistry and run the business at the same time. Thankfully my wife, Amy, noticed that this was happening and tried to pick up some of the slack of the admin and business side, but having little experience in the dental industry meant that we weren’t quite sure what was the right way forward. Amy had loads of ideas and I couldn’t see the point in them- most of them felt like they would create more hassle than they were worth and so we were in a bit of a stalemate.
Over the course of time, we felt that we were reacting to everything that happened in the practice and weren’t able to be proactive or think ahead about our business at all. We were entirely unsure where the business was up to until the end of year financials came through.
And then at precisely the right time, a flyer appeared in the mail from Prime Practice advertising the Practice Owner’s Workshop. And after 8 years or so trying to do it on our own, in August last year, we did the Practice Owner’s Workshop.
What has changed?
From day 1 when we came off the plane from Sydney, we were full of ideas! We introduced pre-blocks immediately which really opened our eyes to what could be achieved. It started a cumulative effect, with better run dental days, which made me infinitely happier, which lead to happier patients, which lead to happier staff, which lead to better service!
I think that the biggest change would be in me. I can now see what makes a good day and I know what every day should look like. If I am having a good day, the practice runs smoothly. Everybody wins and goes home with a sense of fulfilment. The team can see when a day is not going to be ideal and they now apologise in advance. They are actively seeking creating the ideal day every day and in this way, they are becoming more self-managed.
Through Prime Practice workshops, our team has also learnt how to set expectations around treatment plans which has meant our patients know what to expect, so there is no discomfort around treatment presentation.
Another unexpected bonus is that our associate dentists have found having their own targets has been really helpful for them to stay motivated. They can see how their work impacts the business and their own take-home.
Have you experienced growth in your practice since joining Prime Practice?
Actually, perhaps a bit! However this wasn’t a goal of ours joining Prime Practice. Our business was thriving and doing really well. Our goal was to reap all the other benefits and changes.
How has coaching helped you?
Coaching has also been great. If we hadn’t had a coach, it would have been difficult to carry the momentum from workshops and make sure that all our ideas are actioned. Also, our coach helps us to see how far we have come. Often we get a bit stuck on what isn’t happening or what maybe holding us back and she helps us celebrate our success and provide direction around the challenges to ensure that they move forward.
Has there been any changes with your team?
Initially there was a bit of resistance from our team, but with help from our coach and an increase in our leadership skills, we found it much easier to get around the resistance. Also, the immediate improvements to our ‘every day’ meant that the team were able to see the effects of Prime Practice pretty much straight away and have been generally happy to take on board the changes. Having Amy work in the practice and lead by example has also been helpful.
How have these changes affected your life outside of work?
Since we started Prime Practice, we have a much better work life balance. We are able to compartmentalise things better so we don’t bring our work home in the same way. We can be more focussed parents at home and more focussed on our business at work. I dare say we are better parents for it and we can focus better on projects while we are at work.
