She has built a hugely successful practice because she's always thinking about the best ways to improve herself, her team, and her business.
A Culture of Continuous Learning
Other practices may be slow to adopt new technology, but not Hellertown Dental. Their latest addition is a 3D X-ray machine.
To invest in and master the latest dentistry techniques, Ann maintains a strong commitment to continuous development for herself and her team. "As I've grown, my team has grown along with me, and they've kept pace."
The High Performing Team at Hellertown Dental
Tackling the Risky Business of Expanding a Practice
Looking ahead to the future, Ann knew she wanted to bring another dentist into her practice. Yet she didn't know where to start. "I was concerned for two reasons. One, most of my team had been with me for 20-some years. How would they react to my doubling the team and bringing on another 'boss'? And, what if I invested time and money in hiring and training someone, and he or she didn't fit our culture?"
Ann's business hinged on her hiring the right associate, so she listened with interest when Shawn Kent Hayashi described a process that took the guesswork out of hiring. "When I met Shawn and she described what The Professional Development Group could do, I thought, 'Wow, that could really help me.' And it did!"
The Professional Development Group used a straight-forward process for helping Ann achieve her goal:
1. Understanding Ann's current team. Everyone participated in a High Performing Team Meeting. As preparation, they completed an assessment so they could understand their preferred communication styles and motivators. This gave us a clear picture of their culture.
2. Communicating the vision. Ann and Shawn shared that a new dentist would be joining the practice and ensured that this new person would fit with the culture because of the hiring process we would use.
3. Managing change. Ann and Shawn met with everyone individually to give each team member an opportunity to express her feelings about what this change would mean, as well as to share concerns around creating a new schedule. Everyone -- including Ann -- had built their family lives around the current schedule, so shifting hours required significant planning and problem-solving.
4. Creating a job benchmark. Ann took the job benchmark assessment to create a profile of the role she was hiring for. Shawn worked with Ann to develop key accountabilities for the new associate and as well as other roles that would now be needed.
5. Hiring the right candidate. Candidates with the preferred levels of education and experience were also given an assessment and then their profiles were compared to the one established by the job benchmark. Shawn then evaluated each candidate for fit with the culture at Hellertown Dental.
The result?
Dr. Maria Garubba joined the practice in August 2014 and has been a thriving member of Hellertown Dental Group ever since.
Learning on All Fronts
Ann may have doubled the size of her practice, but she still hasn't stopped growing. She serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Academy of General Dentistry, whose goal is to provide the best continuing education for dentists.
Ann also participates in the Business Banter book and discussion group. Lead by Shawn Kent Hayashi, the group meets every other month to exchange ideas about the latest business practices and trends. "I really do get a lot out of Business Banter. I've read books that I probably wouldn't have read and what I've learned gave me another perspective on my business. You don't know what's out there unless you come across it. I think it's important for all of us to know more about what is happening in business today."
Ann Hunsicker-Morrissey is proud of the loyalty and professionalism of her high performing team, proud of the culture of innovation and growth at Hellertown Dental, and proud that her practice has grown 300%.
Are you eager to grow your business, but stuck on how best to move forward?
The Professional Development Group can provide you with the expertise that moves you toward growth. Contact us to schedule a conversation for transforming your passion for growth into a profitable reality.