How to Have Tough Conversations with Employees

Dental Practice Heroes

What happens when you need to address declining performance in a well-loved, long-time employee? It’s never an easy conversation, but it's crucial for maintaining the high standards of care in your dental practice. On this episode of the Dental Practice Heroes podcast, join me along with special guests Dr. Henry Ernst and Dr. Stephen Markowitz, as we share our experiences and strategies for tackling these tough but necessary discussions. From Dr. Markowitz’s heartfelt account of confronting a dentist’s performance issues to creating safe and genuine relationships with your team members, we explore how to navigate these challenging conversations with empathy and professionalism.
Tackling complaints about legacy staff, setting firm boundaries, and even quirky communication techniques—this episode has it all. Discover why bringing a witness into challenging meetings might be a game-changer, and how restricting break room access can make a world of difference. Dr. Henry introduces a trust exercise designed to foster open dialogue and honesty within your team, and we highlight the amusing yet effective use of a toy alligator to voice concerns indirectly. Whether it's setting clear expectations or ensuring every team member feels heard, we provide actionable insights for maintaining a cohesive, high-functioning dental practice.

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the DPH Hero Collective will teach you how to work less days, make more money, and achieve the life/work balance you've always wanted by giving you a scaleble business, instead of a job.
You will get:
✓Comprehensive Training to level up your team and practice

✓Live Monthly Webinars to make sure you are moving forward

✓Live Question and Answer Sessions to get you help when you need it

✓A Community of practice owners to support and cheer you on

✓System and Protocol Documents to Edit, to standardize your operations

And Remember, we are actual dentists! At DPH, we don't coach you on anything we haven't personally accomplished ourselves.

Visit www.dentalpracticeheroes.com to Learn more.

Chapter

1. Difficult Conversations in Dental Practices (00:00:00)

2. Challenging Conversations and Resolutions (00:08:21)

3. Effective Feedback in Dental Practices (00:13:56)