Enriching the Lives of Dental Leaders

Enriching the Lives of Dental Leaders

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A New Approach to Salary Talks

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Dear Sharyn

My hygienists have banded together and asked me for raises that I think are extreme. We only work 7 hours a day and they have a hygiene assistant to help them.  They continually demand more and more from me because they compare their salaries to others who work 8 hours per day. They don’t want to work more hours; they just want larger salaries without understanding this is not going to be affordable for the practice.

A. G, Indiana

Dear A.G.,

Many dentists react with a meld of horror, dismay or resignation to the salary requests made by their employees. When they walk into salary negotiations, their internal dialogue is: “How do I protect myself from these greedy employees with outrageous demands that will surely bankrupt me?”

We are all conditioned to believe that the more you give to someone, the less you have for yourself. But what if we thought bigger and got out of this competition mindset? What would happen if you approached the salary conversation with these questions: 

  • How can I help you get more of what you want so that we both benefit?
  • How can you help me be able to afford this new salary amount?
  • What else would help you feel good about working in our practice?

These questions show that you want to collaborate with the employee, not compete with them.  It puts the onus on the employee to help solve this issue. You may learn that the request for more money really masked a desire for personal recognition and appreciation.  And if you apply Horizontal Thinking, together you might devise a creative solution to the “I want more money” problem.

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Enriching the Lives of Dental Leaders

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View your current payroll costs at a glance and forecast the impact of potential raises. You will be able to see any compensation inequities, compare payroll costs to your production and calculate the costs of proposed raises against your production goals. 

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Inspired Us to Dream Bigger, and it Works

“As an Office Manager, I’ve seen a great difference in my practice since starting with Sharyn. Three years ago our staff was in turmoil with a lot of infighting and gossip and some jealousy directed towards me.

I had given up because everything I did was judged. Now I have learned to have more one-to-one communication and by being more vulnerable with individuals I found my leadership voice. As a team, we’re all focused on the same goals.

Last year, in August we produced $88,000. This year we’re on track to produce $111,000 this month. I know it’s because we learned how to follow through with patients and communicate our expectations while building our systems.

Sharyn has gotten us out of our comfort zone and inspired us to dream bigger and it works.”

–Sharon St Pierre, Sperbeck Dental Care

The Stress-Free Guide to Attract World-Class Dental Employees

You’ll learn how to