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  • Dental Tips - Communication

    Dental Tips - Communication
    2022/09/20
    Dental practices succeed and flourish when they have efficient and effective communication meetings. Take the Morning Huddle, for example. This episode illuminates the importance of communication. The team can't know what you want, if you don't say it!
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    7 分
  • Dental Tips - Training for Your Team

    Dental Tips - Training for Your Team
    2022/09/06
    We see doctors and their team become frustrated because someone was placed in a position with little or no training; or worse, continuing to do something the same way expecting a different result. This episode illuminates the importance of team training.
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    7 分
  • Dental Tips - Treatment Plan Acceptance

    Dental Tips - Treatment Plan Acceptance
    2022/08/29

    Episode 1 of our "Tip Series" begins with  Treatment Plan Acceptance.  Nearly every practice struggles when it comes to gaining  patient commitment but it doesn't have to be that way. Sheena Hindson, RDH and practice coach offers some ideas on how to overcome this common, yet costly, obstacle.  Treatment planning is often turned into a session of clinical jargon, the last thing a patient wants to hear.  Everyone knows the old saying, "it's all Greek to me".  Well, that's what patients hear when a clinician starts rattling off something that is more suited to a room full of dentists getting continuing education. Listen up for some simpler approaches and watch your treatment plans become production. 
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    5 分
  • Selling to a DSO, The Devil is in the Details

    Selling to a DSO, The Devil is in the Details
    2022/05/17
    Regardless of where you are in your career, selling to a Dental Support Organization is complicated. The devil is in the details. On the surface, a seller is mesmerized by an offer that may not be so straightforward. Upon closer inspection, a blind spot emerges. Our podcast exposes what you need to know in order to navigate the DSO landscape.
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    25 分
  • North Carolina Dental Society Annual Session 2022

    North Carolina Dental Society Annual Session 2022
    2022/05/11
    Getting ready for the North Carolina Dental Society Annual Session at Kingston Plantation. We will see you there...
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    3 分
  • Think Stronger- Know Your Cognitive Biases (EP23)

    Think Stronger- Know Your Cognitive Biases (EP23)
    2021/03/30
    Welcome, You are here at the Beacon! I am your host David Darab…prepare to have your Blind Spots Illuminated!So…It’s very appropriate, since our Team here at OmniStar Financial and Dental Systems Optimization are Experts in Blind Spots, that we devote this episode to Cognitive Biases which create Blind Spots.Let’s kick off our discussion with a quote from one of my favorite thinkers, Professor Richard Feynman, A theoretical Physicist, Exceptional Teacher, and Contributor to the Manhattan Project.> “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”> Richard P. FeynmanIt is possible for people to be confused or unaware about something rather important.  The fact that most people don’t know they are missing it doesn’t make it any less of a problem for them or their practices.This is the best definition of a  Blind Spot!For those of us that remember the movie City Slickers,  you may recall the main character played by Billy Crystal,  went out West with his friends to find themselves during a midlife crisis.  There he meets his guide, Curly, played by Jack Palance, a rough and leathery cattle rancher that will show them all a thing or two.    Curly teaches them about the “one thing”, the secret of life that everyone must figure out for him or herself!Well, we all have “one thing” that we carry around that is unique to us, and it too is so very important to figure out.  This one thing is with us at all times, at every twist and turn life throws at us.   Every time we are facing a challenge or problem that requires us to make a decision this one thing is there, hiding silently, but contributing loudly to our choices, direction, and decisions…that one thing is our Cognitive Bias.  It is unique to each one of us.  If we are not aware of its presence or its powerful influence it creates Blind spots.  A blind spot is something that is critically important even though we are unaware of it.   The fact that you don’t know you are missing it doesn’t make it any less important.  In fact, because you are unaware it becomes even more important.Here at OmniStar, it’s our Tag Line “Illuminating Blind Spots”.  We consider it Job #1 to help you find, Illuminate and see your Blind Spots!  It’s what we do because you can’t see your blind spots alone.“We see what you are incapable of… that's what we do.” David Darab, DDS, MBACognitive Biases affect how we make everyday decisions, big and small as well as how we think about and invest our money and create our wealth.A cognitive bias is an error in cognition that arises in a person’s line of reasoning when decision-making is flawed by personal beliefs.When the Bias is unseen by the individual but seen by others, it is a Blind Spot.The Cure here is recognizing and acknowledging that they exist.  Once you become aware of these Cognitive Biases they are no longer Blind Spots.I am subject to this, as I bet you are too, in the areas of clinical practice, business decisions as well as finances and investing.I tend to “cubbyhole” things, giving a lot of weight to my time in the business.  I think to myself…I have done this for 30 years, I have seen everything, I should be good to go!  But that is not always the case.  Just because it looks the same doesn’t make it the same.  I can still find myself in “the ditch” when I overlooked a small feature or minor detail that has snuck up and “bit” me.  So let’s dig deeper here.Let’s Illuminate for you what Cognitive Biases Exist so they will be less likely to create Blind Spots!Understanding Cognitive Biases first starts with understanding Heuristics.So what are Heuristics??Heuristics are mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision, we use them all time. … Examples of heuristics include rules of thumb,  an educated guess, or been there and done that!When considering the term “Cognitive Biases”, it’s important to know that there is an overlap between cognitive biases and heuristics.  At times these two terms are used interchangeably but they are not exactly the same.In his book, *Thinking, Fast and Slow*,  Professor Daniel Kahneman defines heuristics as“a simple procedure that helps find adequate, though often imperfect, answers to difficult questions.”He also defines the relationship between Cognitive Biases and Heuristics as follows:“… cognitive biases stem from the reliance on judgmental heuristics.”Putting this together we see that…Heuristics are the “shortcuts” we use to reduce complexity in judgment and choice, Cognitive Biases result from the gaps between what “should be” and the Heuristically determined behavior.According to the Cognitive Bias Codex, there are an estimated 180 cognitive biases.  This codex is a useful tool for visually representing all of the known biases that exist to date.The biases are arranged in a circle and can be divided into...
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    25 分
  • Scheduling...Are You Hitting Your Target? (EP22)

    Scheduling...Are You Hitting Your Target? (EP22)
    2021/02/23
    This episode will take a look at your schedule, most importantly how to make your schedule hum with productivity and not business!Let’s start with a quote from Stephen Covey…we all know him from his best-selling books,  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and Principle-Centered Leadership.Stephen says…"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."I, you, we are constantly bombarded by marketing messages vying for our attention and clicks.These are commonly presented with email subject lines like the following I received over the past week…* How to help your practice emerge from the Pandemic…* Dentists' biggest practice challenges…* Steps to Take for an All-Star Practice…* Positioning your practice for Growth…* How to Turbocharge your Practice…* Marketing Ideas that will take your practice through the roof…Our Team here at OmniStar  DSO is all about "Simplifying the Complex!"I can think of no better or more productive area to focus on than your Scheduling Framework or Template.  Our Subject line will be… Scheduling…are you hitting your Target?Get your scheduling meme right, and everything else will flow.Yes, there are many essential and critical KPIs to monitor and track; we coach and teach our clients.   The beauty of designing a scheduling framework is that it is easy to tell how well your Team is meeting spec.  If your block booking is set up correctly,  it should be obvious how well your Team is doing just by looking at the scheduling screen on your computer.Yes, there are other important tasks and goals your practice must monitor and achieve.  You must collect patient payments, keep receivables low, manage your employees, control operational and administrative expenses along with clinical supply costs.  And last but not least, you must provide exceptional dentistry.With that said, getting your scheduling dialed in should be a high priority.For me, “dialed in” means…having all of your chairs full with the optimal mix of ideal procedures, patients, and treatments.Let's work through some Scheduling Axioms that we use in my practice and coach our clients on.Remember, get your scheduling meme right, and everything else will flow.I use the following Axioms as my scheduling foundation. Axiom 1: Being Busy is NOT the same a being Productive.Busy people; work at a frantic pace, are rushed, work harder, micro-manage, are fueled by perfectionism, multi-task, prioritize simple and mundane tasks and say "yes" by default.In contrast, Productive People; prioritize the most important tasks, work at a steady pace, are relaxed, work smarter, are fueled by purpose, focus on essential and complex tasks, delegate the simple, mundane, and repetitive tasks, and can say "no".Remember, it's ok to say "no." You are not the Coast Guard or US Military; you do not have to go out and rescue everyone.  “Stay in your lane,  bro…” as the AT&T commercial says.along with “Just Ok, is not Ok!”With these ideas in mind, one can begin to see that a jam-packed schedule may or may not be a productive schedule.  So let's get productive…Axiom 2: Prioritize your Schedule for ProductivityCategorize and colorize your new patient exams, consults, and procedure mix on your schedule.  Determine for yourself what your ideal procedure mix is.  This will be different for everyone.  What do you enjoy most in your practice? There should be lots of time for these appointments.  What do you enjoy least? There should be very little time, if any, for these procedures on your schedule.  As you become busier, these may be procedures you will refer out or cease performing completely.  Remember from Axiom #1- it's ok to say "No."Let's make some business comparisons to help drive home this point.Your New Patient Exams, Consults and Treatment Presentation appointments are like Inventory in a manufacturing or merchandising business.  It is an Asset waiting to be converted into a Product, your Dentistry.  Your Procedure or Treatment Schedule is analogous to your Production Line, where you covert that asset into your dentistry, and in the process generate revenue.If your Inventory of New Patient Exams, Implant Consultations, and Treatment Presentations is low,  your conversion of these assets into Implants, Crowns, and Bridges, or Restorations will be low too.Put another way…You can't schedule the production if you don't schedule the patient exam.So, you need to balance the availability of a precise mix of new patient exams and treatment presentations to keep your treatment schedule full.It's a balancing act; too many new patients will delay care without sufficient treatment appointments, keeping patients waiting.  If patients have taken the time to visit you and your office, they are highly motivated. Please don't make them wait!A sidebar here…the lag time between diagnosis and treatment is a critical KPI.  As this time lengthens...
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    19 分
  • Decide to Act for the New Year (EP21)

    Decide to Act for the New Year (EP21)
    2021/01/12
    Welcome…You are here at The Beacon…So glad you found us…I am David Darab, your host for this episode.Prepare to have your Blind Spots Illuminated “To begin, begin.” said William Wordsworth.Let’s do that and get started.It’s the New Year, 2021…Happy New Year to You!  We are all excited to see 2020 end, and our hopes are that the countless challenges we faced last year will soon come to an end too!The New Year is a time of reNEWal, time for a fresh start, and a time to reset, recalibrate, and recharge.  It is also a time we are constantly reminded about our New Years Resolutions.  Seems  that we can’t say New Year’s without adding the Resolution part too.   Every year we pass this same threshold with the same hopes and desires for the year ahead.What will you do??…do you have a plan??Will you offer up some recurring laundry list of New Year’s Resolutions like you may have done many times in the past;I’ll go first…- lose weight- workout more- eat better- work less- spend more time with your family- save more- spend less- read more books- watch less Netflix- etc, etc, etc…. I can’t  help asking you, “How’s has your plan been working for you?” You getting things done?You Moving your needle?You Accelerating?Are you Reaching your Goals?If your response was not a resounding  YES, You are not alone.   The experts tell us that half of all adults make New Year’s Resolutions, but less than 10% follow through on their goals each year.  In reality, by Valentine’s Day, you may find yourself in the same “rut” as before.Fighting these poor odds and without a better strategy I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions years ago.The Truth is … Resolutions don’t work. Action does.I anticipate if you are like me, you know deep down, in your heart of hearts, that you could do better, achieve more, and become a better version of yourself.During these first weeks of the New Year Social Media and the Internet, heck…even my PodCast here… will have expert after expert share their guidelines, rules, hacks, shortcuts, and strategies for achieving more.How about, for a change, instead of getting burdened with lists, journals, apps, processes, and other people’s ideas, we just Resolve to do One and only One Thing.Act…Let’s make a New Year’s Resolution to Decide to Act this year!  Let’s put aside all of our thinking, prioritizing, researching, and list-making and exchange it for one simple task… to Act!Of course, Simple does Not mean Easy!We are all very intelligent, with lots of knowledge of the things we know we should do.  Just look at the list you create each year.I hate to break it to you, but Knowledge is the Easy Part…We all know that to lose weight we should eat better and become more active…We all know that to grow our Wealth we should spend less and invest more…But knowing is the easy part…taking Action is the hard part, that’s why it is so challenging to achieve and so easy to come up short year after year.This point is key and worth repeating…Knowledge is the Easy Part, Action is the Hard Part.It is your Action that leads to the Change you wish to make.The Words “Resolution” and “Goal” are Nouns, not Verbs.While the Words “Decide” and “Act” are Verbs defining Action.I like to use the acronym D.A.T.E…D…A…T…E forD.ecide toA.ctT.oday andE.verydaySo…why is taking Action so very Hard?Why is it so hard to 1. Decide and 2. Act?Let’s dig deeper here and go down a rabbit hole, deconstructing this process so you can understand better the challenges and roadblocks to Action.Once this is understood,  it easier for you to conquer.I’ll take it for granted that those listening here are all high achievers, driven, competitive, and highly successful.  We want and demand the very best from ourselves.  We are, at most times, our staunchest critic.  Failure is not an option, nor something we tolerate or enjoy, after all, we are “Perfectionists”. But alas, there is no such thing as Perfection.  A belief in Perfection is in fact a defense mechanism.  Waiting for Perfection gives you a way out, it gives you an excuse.  It lets you stall, it requires you to do more research, to think some more, and avoid doing anything that might possibly fail.  Because as we just said, failure is not an option…especially for a perfectionist.But, and here is the kicker…with the risk of failure, comes an even greater reward…the reward of success, of accomplishing something important, of creating the change we so desperately need, want, and desire.There is an irony here…we want one thing, yet do another…Does any of this sound familiar…does it sound like Resolutions, Rationalizations or Goals not achieved…??!!The contradictions never end.Why is it so difficult to do what we say we’re going to do?The answer is …as Seth Godin says, our “Lizard Brain”, or as Steven Pressfield calls it,  “The Resistance”, our Inner ...
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    15 分