Welcome back to Practice Talk! Today, we're turning the hiring process on its head and exploring how to view it as a positive opportunity to build your dream team. Haley Stumbo, from Gregg Orthodontics and Bloom Consulting, is joining me. Haley shares her insights on embracing the positive opportunity of hiring new team members and how cultivating a culture of clear communication, honesty, and kindness can empower orthodontic practices to thrive clinically and operationally. Haley will also share information about Bloom Consulting, a doctor-led consulting and coaching group dedicated to helping orthodontists navigate the complexities of running a successful practice. Tune in to learn Haley's strategies for building solid teams and overcoming common business hurdles in orthodontics.
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for watching the video.
(00:00:00) Lacie Ellis: Welcome to Practice Talk, a deep dive into the world of healthcare practices, where we invite team members to share strategies to make your work life easier. Now your host, Lacey Ellis.
Welcome to Practice Talk, brought to you by People in Practice. Where we specialize in digital marketing, website development, SEO, and so much more, I'm very excited for today's conversation, where we will be discussing how to cultivate a positive environment for your patients and your team with my guest, Haley Haley's been with Greg orthodontics for seven years in the dental field for 13 and has branched into consulting for two.
She's worked in several areas of the practice, including the roles of assistant, marketing coordinator. Treatment coordinator and has managed HR and culture development, you know, above everything else, Haley likes helping others sharing what's worked and watching other teams and practice practices (00:01:00) succeed when they have the tools they need to do so.
Welcome Haley. Hey, how are you? So good. I'm so glad that you're joining us today. I know that you are busy and your time is valuable. So this is really, really special. So thank you.
(00:01:14) Hayley Stumbo: My pleasure. I'm so happy to be here. So looking forward to it. It's so nice to see you again. It's so nice
(00:01:18) Lacie Ellis: to see you too. Um, so as a reminder to our listeners, don't worry about taking any notes today.
We will put together a printable that you will be able to download for free from our website filled with the details of today's discussion. So Haley, I have had the opportunity to come to your office myself and to experience something. Truly different from any other office that I've been able to visit.
Um, and so to chat with you about this today is genuinely a gift. So thank you. So my pleasure. And you can come back anytime. I'll do that. Um, so my first question is how do you find the right team members that, you know, will (00:02:00) exemplify the values of the practice?
(00:02:03) Hayley Stumbo: So I feel like. Finding the right team members is the key to culture in and of itself.
And I think finding the right team members starts with really not being afraid to hire. And it is a very difficult thing for a lot of practices, office managers, doctors to find time to hire because of the time it takes, and there's. Always this negative thought associated with when you have to hire, it's like, Oh man, okay, I'm going to have to find somebody.
I'm going to have to release, like, look for someone and I got to get them in here. So it already has this just almost like a negative feel to it. But in order to actually find the right team member, you have to flip the perspective of that and look at it as an opportunity. So the first thing is training your mindset to be like, Oh, When you're in the mode to hire, it's an exciting thing.
It's a good thing. It's who can I find to (00:03:00) add to this team that's going to bring value or bring a sense of something that we don't even have here yet, or whose life can I change by giving them this job or this opportunity? That's a big thing. And that kind of sets the tone for the process. I also think that if you embrace this always hiring philosophy, meaning It's posted in your office.
For example, the office I work at at Greg Ortho, it is everywhere. It's on our website. Um, you can, you can scan a QR code and it takes you to a custom application that you fill out. We are always hiring. And that's the philosophy that we have, which as a parent or, you know, a teen or anybody walking through those doors.
It's like, oh, my gosh, I would like to work here. This sounds like a place I want to work. So if you embrace that philosophy, it pulls in people that are more apt to be, you know, interested in your culture and what you're already doing. And if you do it (00:04:00) right, You have a stockpile of those people that you can pull from at any time for any position.
And that's the goal then. It makes the hiring process so much more simple and also a very positive thing. And how you, how you hire and how you find people will give you, you know, the type of person that's going to walk through those doors. It's like, if I'm hiring off of platforms like Indeed or online platforms, I'm going to get some good candidates.
Yes. But if I hire in a way that's more custom to the practice, if I create a custom application, if I let people know when they walk in that they can work here, there's a better chance that I'm going to find people that I would like, or people that would fit the practice better people that just the team engages with better.
So that's a huge part of it.
(00:04:46) Lacie Ellis: I love that. So I love that, uh, flipping the script, that whole idea of like, we're just always hiring. We're always looking for great people. Um, so I think it's also about keeping your eyes and ears open for those people that (00:05:00) have those qualities that you're looking for. Um, so my ortho career started in a photography studio.
Um, so I was managing a photography studio. I was a photographer there and the cutest little wife came in all the time with her, like six kids. And I think they came in every summer. Six months. So we really got to know each other. And one day she's like, Hey, my husband's an orthodontist and he's hiring. Do you want to.
You know, do you want to take a look at that? And I was like, not at all. No, this is, I, I don't think the mouth and tooth world is for me, but that's really nice of you. And she's like, just go in and talk to him. So I did, I stayed for two hours. I put in my, um, you know, my resignation that night with a photography studio.
And I have loved it ever since it has truly changed my life. This being part of that practice and, you know, growing into these different roles from that. So. They weren't even really necessarily probably hiring, but she just something sparked in her with me and she saw some potential. And I think if you (00:06:00) can do that, just like keep your eyes and ears open.
Is there a hostess at a restaurant? Who's just like the greatest person. And you just love how she took care of you. She's probably going to take excellent care of your patients as well. Or he.
(00:06:12) Hayley Stumbo: Yes. Yes. And that's a big thing too, is when you are out and about take your business cards with you, anybody on your team.
And if I have really good service at a restaurant, I'm like, Hey, um, I, you know, do you. Do you like it here? Are you maybe interested in looking at another career choice or just those things? Because that's the type of people that you want in an orthodontic practice or people that are really going to exude that like six star customer service experience all the way to the nines.
And if you find it, it's like, why not talk about it? You never know. I mean, it wasn't in the cards for you, but look where you ended up. Look, look what happened from there. Yes.
(00:06:49) Lacie Ellis: Yes. So, uh, what are the key elements in your opinion to a positive culture in a practice? What are those like key things that really build that positivity within the practice?(00:07:00)
(00:07:00) Hayley Stumbo: Absolutely. I think that communication is a big one and honesty. You have to be honest. And the biggest thing and. I don't want to gloss over it, but you have to be kind. You just have to be a kind person. Um, and the, the honesty and the communication also play into that. So if you want a positive culture, then you have to have people there that are open with each other, honest with each other and kind all around.
And it needs to be a standard. It shouldn't be like a, Hey, if you're, if you're, if you're kind, but you're not honest, it'll work. It's like, it's, it's gotta be all three. It really does take all three. And you have to uphold it and you have to have team members that are going to uphold that. So whether you've got seasoned members on the team that have been here for years, or people that have been here for a month, they all need to have those three really important elements for it to be successful and then also maintain that success.
(00:07:57) Lacie Ellis: Yeah. Um, I also think like (00:08:00) as a team member, genuinely listening to your other team members. Um, and that's part of, so I pick a word of the year of a year. I'm super weird. Um, and I, and I kind of lean into that word all year. I find quotes that lean into it and I really try to explore that word. So this year, um, my word is curiosity.
And so through curiosity, I'm trying to genuinely listen to people. And I've learned that. Instead of jumping in and being like, well, that's not how we do it here. Or, you know, that, you know, there are so many good ideas out there. And if you're genuinely curious and you really listen with that curiosity, not everybody's going to share your values or, or how you think or relate to people.
But if you're listening and you're genuinely curious, and then if your leadership team is genuinely listening. Back and like makes you feel heard. I think you're right. It's that open communication and that honesty. That's how you build, you know, a welcoming culture. And I think your patients feel that, right?
Like they feel (00:09:00) that this team gets along and that there's synergy here. And they, conversely, they feel when there's a lot of tension and they can feel when the front office and the back office dislike each other, which I've seen way too many times. So I just think that. Uh, listening and communication and all of those little pieces.
And like you said, setting that standard right from the beginning makes a huge difference.
(00:09:23) Hayley Stumbo: Absolutely. It's huge. And it's like you said, you can feel it when it's on, you can feel it when it's off and you don't want to. You don't want to expose your patients to an off culture. You want them to feel that positivity when they come in.
And I think that it's, if it's going right, you'll sense it. If it's going wrong, you'll sense it. Um, and the open and honest communication is a huge part of that. And also talking to each other rather than about each other is a very big one. Um, and immediate conversation solves so many things. So it's just helpful to have the honesty, the communication and the (00:10:00) kindness all compact into one and knowing that that's the standard for everybody.
I love it. Love
(00:10:06) Lacie Ellis: it. Love it. So we like to get questions or comments from our listeners and our people in practice clients about our topic. So let's listen to our first question. What
(00:10:16) Listener Question: advice would you give to a new practice looking to establish a positive team and patient culture from the start?
(00:10:23) Hayley Stumbo: So, from the start, whether you have like one or two, you know, people working for you, or whether you are just looking to add people, I think you need to decide what you want to build a practice around.
So it's easier if you have a person that you can identify that is awesome on your team. So whether you're a doctor, like starting up for the first time, or you've taken over a practice, are the people on the team that you've acquired, or the people around you, who you want to build your practice around.
Is Julie really awesome? Is Julie so awesome? Like you can't imagine your life without her. She's great. (00:11:00) She just checks all the boxes and absolutely makes things work. And if your answer is yes, then you want to hire more Julies. And maybe you need Julie's help doing that. If you have somebody that's like so so in or okay.
Um, but it's not really, you don't feel like it's the best it could be. Then you probably need to be willing to find people That are more like what you want, or they're more excited. They're more extroverted, whatever it is you're going for, but you need to decide the type of people that you want to actually build around and then do that.
And on the flip side of that, if the people that you want to build around are not the people around you, you do have to be willing to have conversations and potentially move on from those people. And I know that's scary to think about, but. If, if you don't, then you're not going to have the culture that you want.
So you have to be willing to, to see the good of we're going to build at this and we're going to excuse and say goodbye to this. Yeah.
(00:11:59) Lacie Ellis: Yeah. (00:12:00) So, and I found that having those really clear expectations right from the beginning, um, tends to be the best. So yes, we evolve as a practice and we grow as we build our teams.
But I think knowing these are the things that I'm not willing to bend on, you know, the very first practice I worked in, they were like, The doctor was flat out day one hiring. He's like, if I catch any, if I catch you talking about another team member negatively behind their back, or if I catch you talking about, uh, how much you make or how much you think they make like money conversations.
Those two things were immediate firing. Now do girls gossip and talk some boys as well. Um, sure they do, but he's like, you know, do that. If you're going to do it, do it outside of this practice. If I hear it coming. From your mouth in this practice. I will let you go. And we just all knew that. And it really set that tone for like, okay, we just don't do that here.
Like, that's not how this practice works. And then I've been in practices (00:13:00) where those standards weren't very clear. And it was just Kind of chaotic, you know, it was like bickering and talking about this person back in the lab. And then, you know, these conversations just don't need to happen. It was like, oh, well, I heard she makes 2 more an hour than me.
And then there's this tension of like, well, she just got hired six months ago. You know, all those things it's just toxic to a practice. So I just think you're right. It's having decided what kind of practice and team you want, and then set those expectations right from the beginning.
(00:13:31) Hayley Stumbo: Yes, yes, and it is hard.
It's hard when you're in that moment of there is something there. That's not right. There's there's something or someone that's just kind of disrupting it a little bit and you can't let it go. And, you know, for example, there's been times where in the middle of the workday, something has happened. I'm not waiting until Monday morning.
to have a conversation. I'm going to get the people involved. We're going to talk about it. And if that results in excusing someone from the practice for a (00:14:00) poor attitude that they know is a standard, that's a standard is a good attitude. So if you're having a bad attitude and we've talked about it, it's kind of like the doctor you work for.
At that point, it's non negotiable and it's time to be willing to let that go. Because if people don't, See any change if other team members are witnessing this, then what's to say that that's not going to turn out how they end up. Well, that nothing's been done. I can do that too. So it can really be disruptive.
If you don't take care of it. And if you don't build your practice around what you have as an expectation, and if you don't have team members to hold up those expectations.
(00:14:36) Listener Question: Yeah, absolutely. Um, so let's listen to our next question. I'm an office manager at a practice, and I know that leadership sets the tone.
But no matter what we seem to do, we can't get the team to care about the practice the way we used to. I'm just wondering if you have any tips or tricks for what I can do better as a leader.
(00:14:57) Hayley Stumbo: I think the first thing to say to that is the (00:15:00) fact that you want to do better as a leader already means that, in my opinion, you're a good leader.
Um, leadership is hard. It's the hardest role you're going to ask. And I just think that it says something if you're exploring, wanting to be a better leader, then you're doing something right. So I like to always acknowledge that when I hear it. Um, but One thing I've learned is no matter what you do, it's really hard to make other people care, especially, uh, as much as you might care.
And I've learned that, you know, if I have an expectation for someone, it's probably just going to let me down. So I've learned to meet people where they are versus where I expect them to be. And I think that that's a huge shift change in, okay. Maybe they don't know that they have the ability to care.
Maybe they're new or they don't understand that not being in a leadership role means that they, they're allowed to contribute as well. So a lot of it (00:16:00) is they do care. They just don't know how to showcase it. And you kind of get to the root of why people don't care by asking questions. And I think a big thing that We've learned to Greg Ortho is we need 1 on 1 meetings and I'm not talking about performance reviews where you sit down and you stockpile a bunch of stuff and talk about it at the end of the year quarterly check ins where you sit down with each individual team member and you ask them a series of questions that will get you.
Establishing trust with them, but also you might learn something and you might give them the empowerment to care and to bring a new light on the practice or shut a new light on the practice. And the question should be pretty simple. I always ask people what they're most proud of since the last time we met.
I ask them where they need more training and support, and then where are you getting stuck and what's taking up the most of your time? And if they tell me things that are positive ways that they think they can contribute to the practice, then I want to do something about it. Because you (00:17:00) have to, you have to showcase the change then, or they're not going to think anything's changing.
The concern or the care of the practice does drop. So you have to listen to people, meet with them, have conversations with them and give them the empowerment to care. Let them know, again, set the standard. You, we want to hear from you. We want to know what we can do better. We want to hear your opinion. We want to entertain those thoughts.
It doesn't matter how long you've been here. I
(00:17:26) Lacie Ellis: love it. Um, I, I think that when you make room for that conversation, you allow space to just sit down and say, how are things going? Like, are you happy here? Like those conversations you find out, like you said, sometimes you find out the stuff that you're like, Whoa, didn't know that was going on.
Thank you for, thank you for letting me know. Let's see what we can do about that. Um, and I think going back to what you said about being okay to let people go as well. I think that's really a big part of being a leader and showing that leadership because you are showing the rest of the (00:18:00) team. You know, if there's that one person who maybe she is the best assistant in the world, you know, she passes instruments like nobody's business and can do all the right things, but she's the one that's always gossiping and creates all this tension.
You can't let her. Hold that position hostage just because she's a great, uh, assistant. You know, you have to be willing to say for the better of the team, I'm going to let this person go and, you know, it's probably going to be better for her also because, or, you know, he, or she also, because if they, um, aren't happy, it just, you know, Spreads that, that discontent just kind of tends to spread.
So I think part of being a leader is also being okay with seeing that the value in some people and seeing that some, maybe you're just not a really good fit for this role or this practice and being able to let them go. I think that's probably, in my opinion, I mean, I'm fairly empathetic and I feel what people are feeling and I want people to be happy.
And if I feel like they're there, (00:19:00) this is really going to rock their world. It's hard to do that. That's probably my, my weak link as a leader is like, I just want people to be happy and I don't want to make people sad. But I think as a good leader, you take care of the team by doing the hard things as well.
(00:19:15) Hayley Stumbo: Yes, and the hard things are, they're always gonna happen. They're always going to be going on and it's how it's never about the injury. It's always about the recovery. And I always like to start with a conversation with people and give them the chance to do better because there are people that will improve that will take that to heart and be like, Oh, absolutely.
Like, I need to do better. And there are people that you'll find out. Like, nope, it's just not for them. And, and allowing them to leave, allowing people to leave and allowing yourself to, to make that exit sometimes is the best for all parties and can be just as humbling and just as good for the practice is letting someone new in.
So, yes.
(00:19:55) Lacie Ellis: And I think there's this, um, this feeling that like, maybe this (00:20:00) younger generation just doesn't care the way that we care about the practice. You know, I hear that all the time from doctors and I kind of have to step back and be like, what do you mean by care though? Because the very first practice I worked in, I was super young and.
I was so emotionally invested in this practice, I would have put a cot in that back office and slept there just to make sure, like, I cared so deeply about it and people are like, yeah, we just don't see that level of care anymore from team members and I'm like, yeah, but okay, so maybe I'm a freak and that's like, uh, not normal behavior, but do they care?
The whole time that they're there, and are they present with your patients? It's okay if they walk out that door and they say, My job here is done, now I'm going to focus on my family. There's nothing wrong with that. So, I think kind of defining what does care mean? You know, what does that mean to your practice and to your patients?
Are they taking really great care of people while they're there? And then they completely shut off the practice when they leave? That's (00:21:00) okay. As long as they're present when they're there, not everybody's going to be willing to, you know, answer their phone at nine o'clock at night. Some team members will, but that doesn't mean they care any more or less for your patients.
So I think just kind of redefining that is helpful as well.
(00:21:14) Hayley Stumbo: Yes. And one thing on that too, that I've learned is other team members that are looking at leaders, they might be like, this is what leadership looks like to me. And leadership looks like this person is always available. They're working all the time.
I don't know if I necessarily want to do that. And if that's the only way that I'm going to grow or, you know, move up the ladder at all. Ooh, maybe I'll just stay in my lane. So you also have to understand that as a leader, what you're conveying might be something that your team. isn't, they, they do care.
They have a lot of care and faith, like you said, but they have things outside of the work life that are more important to them, which is a hundred percent okay. So it kind of forces you to also look and say, as a (00:22:00) leader, what am I conveying? And what are they seeing? And if I reframe myself a little bit, do things change?
Am I going to see more care out of people because they understand that they too can contribute, just maybe not at the same level? And that's okay.
(00:22:16) Lacie Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. So when I did visit your practice, one of the things that really stood out to me was not only does your team really engage with each other and with the patients, but your patients engage back with the practice and I think that's a tricky one to like, get right.
So I'm just wondering, how do you get your patients to engage? Um, and how do you think the vibe of the practice really contributes to that patient experience?
(00:22:42) Hayley Stumbo: Yes, well, I would like to say start by saying, you know, our, our motto is like, it's a vibe, right? So, like, we have a neon sign that says we share it.
So, if we're conveying that, it's like, we have to do it, right? It's another standard, but it is a vibe. It's always a vibe (00:23:00) and getting patients. To be a part of that is it's tricky. It takes time and it is by design. People are like, Oh, it comes so natural. Well, it does. If you have people that understand those, those standards, um, for me, though, this question goes to more of a marketing standpoint and an internal marketing standpoint at that.
So. Anybody can slap a QR code on the back of a computer where a patient's mom is sitting and leave it there. Like, leave us, leave us a review, scan this code to leave us a review or scan this code to access our monthly contest. Are people really going to do that unless they've been engaged to do it? So having a clinical team that communicates with the parents sitting there is key.
And. At our office, our clinical team knows it is a standard. I sit at this chair with this patient. I'm going to talk to them, even if they don't want to talk, (00:24:00) I'm going to get them to engage. And it can be a very simple conversation. Johnny's in the chair. It's like, Hey Johnny, do you have TikTok? Most kids do.
And, uh, he's going to say, yes, I do. And do you follow us? Oh, no, I don't. Oh, let's do it together. Let me show you how easy it is. You've got to check out our page. There's so much stuff happening. We'll share your videos. You can be in our videos. We want to get famous. Like they just, you know, they're getting on the same level.
Well, now the kid's engaged and other people around are also going to hear it. So. You have to get, you can't just expect a patient to see a sign and understand what it means. Your team has to be willing to talk. And it goes back to the front of the office too. When patients walk in and tell them about the contest as they get checked in, or, you know, at Greg Ortho, we sing a birthday song on your birthday.
You get a custom song and if people know about that. And so they want to come in on their birthday now. So it's like, okay, we have to do this. We're going to do this. We're going to make sure we do it. (00:25:00) But it's these internal marketing tactics that engage the people walking through the doors or the people sitting in the back that get them talking, get them to tell their friends about their experience so that more people come in and have that same experience.
And it's always up and you should also. One comment I like to make too is think about the five senses of your practice. Always. What do people hear? What do they smell? You know, what is going on? What do they see? If they're, if they're hearing great music through the speakers and they love it, show them how to link to your Spotify so they can access your playlist anytime.
If they're smelling cookies, make sure every single person that leaves gets a cookie. Those are all ways to get people to engage and keep that engagement alive every time they come in.
(00:25:46) Lacie Ellis: Abs, I could not agree any more with what you're saying. And I do think part of, you know, in watching Greg Ortho and your team and the practice, I think what draws patients in to, uh, (00:26:00) engage is the team members.
Having so much fun and they're, you know, these patients are like, well, I want to, I want to have fun like that. You know, I, I'm pretty sure there was a nerf gun fight while I was there. And, um, the patients were like shooting doctors in, like doing clin checks. They're shooting doctor. Like it was. So much fun and the team was just as every team member had a nerf gun in their hand, every patient did.
And it was just, they wanted to be part of that fun. And I think what you're saying, um, you know, about all of the team, knowing what is going on, especially in marketing. Is huge. And I know I started as a chair site assistant. I know there are a million boxes to check already as an assistant. You're trying to make sure you didn't forget anything and clipped all the wires and everybody's comfortable.
You didn't pinch anybody's cheek and their lips aren't bleeding, you know, all the things that go into it. But there's always chair time that you're sitting and waiting for the doctor to check or for something to happen. And using that time (00:27:00) As valuable time to build that relationship and trust with your patient and talk about the things that are going on in the practice, um, that is the perfect time and the front desk has the same.
You know, you've got mom standing there waiting while patients getting worked on and you become their therapist and their friend. I've been invited to weddings and birthday parties of patients that. They're probably years later, like who was that weird lady in all of these pictures that showed up? Um, but you build those relationships.
And I think also people want to be part of a success story, right? So, um, I, I was in a cab once. This was the, I'm dating myself, like pre, I don't actually think there was like Ubers in this town yet. This is how small this town was. So I took a cab to my hotel from the airport. Super icy out. This cab didn't smell great.
It wasn't the best experience in there, but the guy was super nice and he hands me his business card and he's like, Hey, will you leave us a review and say my name in the review? (00:28:00) Because I get 20 when you do that. And I could really use that money. And I was like, Heck yeah, go in, check in. First thing I do was go and leave the review.
Not because the car was amazing or the drive was so fantastic, but because I wanted to be part of this person's success. And so I think you have to be willing to ask. You have to be willing to talk about these things and find your own voice in it. I think scripting is great. But you've got to take scripting and make it your own because it's not going to come out of your mouth authentically or genuinely until you figure out a way to say it where you're like, okay, this doesn't feel weird to me.
I'm not going to use this script. I'm going to say it the way I'm going to say it. And people are going to respond to it better that way. So, so many things wrap up into that. But, um. But that vibe that you guys create over there is genuinely unique and really cool. So,
(00:28:50) Hayley Stumbo: yes. And thank you for saying that, because like I said, it is the goal of all of us.
I mean, even down to our TCs, you know, it's, they, they (00:29:00) ask those questions in the exam. They ask for reviews and it's not like, would you please leave us a Google review? It's like, I'm so glad you're getting braces today, Johnny. I know you came in for an exam only, but we're getting you started while you're here and it's going to be awesome.
And I can't wait to see it when it's all done. And mom, I would love to hear about your experience with us. And I would love for you to share that. And our TC's know they can do that. Like it's not just, it's not just clinic. It's not just, you know, it's not just front desk at that point. It's, it takes every single team member doing it and having some really, really Mildly competitive people that are very like, they're not competitive to the point that they're going to cut you down.
And it's like, you know, it's, it's very like all for one, one for all kind of feeling camaraderie, but having people on that team that are competitive enough to see these systems all the way through and care and really try to, you know, (00:30:00) To do these things, not just for the patient experience, but for the team experience
(00:30:04) Lacie Ellis: as well.
Absolutely. And 1 thing that I'm really proud of that people in practice that we do is we actually have a in our patient queue technology. We have a way where we ask for patient feedback. So we're not asking for review, we're asking for feedback and we ask after every appointment because every experience a patient has with your practice is different.
So we ask for feedback and this allows a patient to be able to maybe say something that they didn't want to say to your face. Um, maybe it's something as simple as like the hand sanitizer is empty and you're like, Great. We can refill that. That doesn't need to be a negative Google review. It's just feedback from the patient.
So, um, we're really proud of that system and we think it makes it a little bit easier for the team to ask for feedback versus a review. They're just like, Hey, we want to know how we did today. It's really important to us. Will you leave us some feedback? And so it's kind of a, it's a cool system. So if anybody wants more details, reach out to us.
We can, we can share. I want (00:31:00) more details. I love it. That sounds great. So, um, all right. Thanks. So what are some common challenges that you come up against when you're creating that, um, you know, that positive culture and how do you overcome those challenges?
(00:31:13) Hayley Stumbo: You know, I think the biggest challenge is always, there's two that I can think of.
The biggest one being change, um, change is always something that is a, could be a threat to the culture for sure. And most people have a, Negative thought about change, I believe, and I say it all the time, nothing changes. If nothing changes. It's one of my favorite quotes. Um, but change can just it's a lot for people to take.
So, on our team, for example, I think of 1 team member who absolutely, like, she loathes change. She just it's like, she knows it's going to happen, but she just is like, and we all know it about her. So, kind of reverting back to the open and honest communication when something's going to change. Dr. Gregg is very good at being like, Hey, there's going to (00:32:00) be a change.
And I know you're going to love this. I know you're going to, you know, like, so it becomes like, it's coming. There's open and honest communication. So if it was going to be a threat or a potential, like, okay, it rocks the culture a little bit, you know, at least we all know about it. At least we know what to expect and we're all on the same page.
So. I think being open and honest with your team about change, whether it is a positive change or maybe a difficult one, um, whatever that may be, you have to be willing to embrace it and talk to your team about it. I think we both have been in practices where it's, that change is very secretive and the team loses trust in that and it just kind of plummets then after that.
So you don't have to be secretive. There's obviously certain things that. You need to do by the books and maybe be a little bit more, you know, you can't disclose it right away, but you can talk to the team when it's (00:33:00) time and prepare them to expect that. So that they're just feeling a little bit more better.
And like, okay, we're good. We'll get there. We'll get there together to is the big thing. And I think the other end of that is, um, when I think of. A challenge would be new hires, new team members coming in, um, they're going to be a reflection of what they're being taught. And if they see positive culture, they're going to respond to that.
And they're going to feed that back if they see the opposite side of that. Whether it is just a negative toxic trait or anything that's just a little icky, they're also going to think that's okay. So, a new hire can be a big challenge, and that's why training, onboarding, and setting those talent standards for the entire team is so important.
(00:33:47) Lacie Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. So, um, the, the biggest challenge that I always feel like I dealt with in a practice was, was working with those toxic people. You know, the people that like to gossip or, you know, whatever. And it just (00:34:00) creates so much friction. Um, and I heard someone say once I, I don't exactly remember where, but it was just like, Don't let that person change how you show up.
And I think that really helped me in working with team members that we didn't really do things the same or have the same philosophy about how to deal with patients. And they were always kind of eye rolling and all of that. I was like, okay, well, this person's going to do their thing over there. And I'm just going to show up the way that I always show up, whether they like it or not.
And, you know, I'm not everybody's cup of tea and that's fine. Um, but like understanding that, like, I'm not going to let them change the light that I want to shine out. They're not going to dim that. They're not going to change it. You go do you that really helped me. You know, overcome some of those people that we work with that maybe aren't ideal team members in our minds.
So
(00:34:48) Hayley Stumbo: yes, something that I love that. I love the, the, you're still going to be, you're still going to let that light shine. And I think that that's so important to hear because (00:35:00) it is a hard thing to do. It's, it's a great mindset to have, but to actually do it as another thing, but knowing that you can and getting there.
And it's really important for me to empower it. Not just new team members, but all team members and embracing who they are and not letting the opinions of others, you know, it's like the opinions of others are none of your business kind of thought, like you're still going to show up every day and you're going to be the awesome person that we hired and it's going to be great.
And I can't wait to see what that greatness brings to the table. Oh,
(00:35:30) Lacie Ellis: absolutely. So people in practice was really born out of, um, Dr. Leon Klemper having an extremely successful orthodontic practice. And he was having doctors constantly ask him, how do we elevate our practice? How do we do this thing that you're doing?
Um, In your wildly successful practice. And I know that this has similarly happened with you, um, and your practice because you have a really high level of (00:36:00) care and touch and vibe and all of these things, this actually led to the creation of bloom consulting because offices were constantly asking you guys, how do we do what you're doing?
So I just would love for you to just take a minute and share bloom consulting with us and with our listeners and with our, um, With our team as well, just so we can understand what you guys do and how that kind of came about.
(00:36:22) Hayley Stumbo: Absolutely. And I would be love. It's just so good to be able to share about it too.
Um, I think it's been an excellent thing. Bloom has been an incredible outlet for us to share ideas with doctors and teams. And. That's really what this is about. It's, you know, it's consulting, it's coaching, but it's sharing ideas and it's stuff we've always done. Now it just has a name. Um, Dr. Ben Gregg found it and I was lucky enough to partner with him on that early on.
And for a few years, we just spent building it up. What do we want to do differently? And I think there's two major differences. And the first is it's doctor (00:37:00) led. It's a doctor led consulting group, and there's not many of those out there and who better to teach an orthodontist, you know, doctor related things or talk to them through challenges, whether they're business systems, clinical systems, administrative systems.
Then a doctor himself that's going through it and that's the other part of that is we do this every day. We're still very active in Greg orthodontics. We still show up to work every day. He's still a doctor. I'm still doing my job as a CEO. Oh, we're on the front lines. So when a client has a question, I feel like I can actively give them the feedback they need because I'm experiencing it too.
Or I have experienced it. And I think another cool thing about it is as consultants, yes, we go visit these teams, you know, go visit them, learn about them, see what their challenges are. But on the flip side of that, we invite teams to come to us and they get to come hang out with us. They get to see our (00:38:00) systems that we've taught them or that we're talking about.
It's still custom built to their practice. No two practices are like, there's nothing cookie cutter about it, but it's just the, Ability to come and see what we're talking about in action is a game changer. I love courses. I love lectures. I think they're very helpful. We plan to do some of that, too, but just to come and live.
It is a whole big game changer, especially with a doctor right there. Um, it's been amazing. It's been a great thing to utilize and I love. Again, helping people. I love watching our practice like thrive and new people come in, but I also love seeing practices all across the U. S. have the same success and go from like feeling like this and stressed and overwhelmed to feeling great and having the best month that they've ever had.
You know, it's just a great feeling to watch doctors grow and teams thrive. So,
(00:38:55) Lacie Ellis: well, and like I said, because I've come to your office and experienced this, I know (00:39:00) exactly why you bring people there because there is, it's just special. This, this thing that you guys have created is special. And what makes it special is, you know, not the building.
It's not how many I Tarot's you have. It's not how many 3d printers you have. It's the people that you have. And it's the culture that you built and you can take this team and you could put this team in any building or office around, and they're still going to provide the same experience and the same level of cool.
So I, you know, I've been to practices that are so shiny and they have frozen yogurt machines and they have, you know, a separate room just for adults that has like massage chairs and things like that. And that, that particular office really did nail culture as well. But I can imagine that if they didn't, it wouldn't.
You know, all of that shiny stuff is just shiny packaging. It's the people that really make it. And so I love that you not only sit in the same chair as a lot of the other TCs who are listening. You were treatment coordinating this morning. It sounds like, (00:40:00) um, but that you've also take that, taken that and grown your experience into this new opportunity with Dr.
Greg. And so, um, I wish you so much success and luck with bloom consulting. If somebody does want to get in touch with you to learn more about what you guys do, is there a good way for them to do that?
(00:40:15) Hayley Stumbo: Yes, they can easily email us at hi at bloom dot C. M. Uh, we always joke and say it's a boutique website, which is why we have the C.
Um, and we're excited to always meet new people, help. And we always say, even if we don't work with you, we're always here to help. So,
(00:40:54) Lacie Ellis: and I. Believe every word you're saying, because I've experienced it. So (00:41:00) So, um, I really hope that you enjoyed our conversation today as much as I did. Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your valuable insights.
Haley, you are one in a million and I am really lucky that I know you and I consider you a friend. And, um, so thank you. This is very, very valuable. Thank you for your time.
(00:41:17) Hayley Stumbo: My pleasure, Lacey. Thank you for having me here. I feel the same way about you. I just, it's so nice to actually see you and talk to you and just Be around you because you've always been a positive impact on us as well.
So thank you.
(00:41:30) Lacie Ellis: So, um, our goal with this podcast is to give truly tangible items that you can use in your day to day life at the office and to elevate the voices of the people like Hailey that actually work in an office and sit in the same chair that you sit in every day, uh, we would love to hear from you with topic or guest recommendations, as well as.
Questions or comments about the things that you are dealing with in your practice. So send your anonymous, or you don't have to stay anonymous. If you don't want to questions and stories to practice dash (00:42:00) talk. com, please subscribe and share this episode with your friends and family that might find these conversations helpful and interesting.
And don't forget to listen to our original podcast called the golden age of orthodontics hosted by the founders of people in practice, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein. So until next time, thank you for joining us on practice talk where your voice has value. Thank you for listening to the practice talk podcast, head over to practice talk.
com to ask us questions or tell us your stories until next time.
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