Before You Blame the Team, Check the Forecast

It was raining outside my office this morning, and it reminded me of something I've observed after years of leading dental teams.

Every practice has "weather".

Sometimes it's calm.

Sometimes it's tense.

Sometimes everyone seems energized and working together.

Other days people tiptoe through the office, conversations get shorter, and everyone feels like they're waiting for the next storm.

Here's what I've learned:

The leader sets the weather.

Where does that stress really come from?

Most leaders think all the stress comes from...

• difficult patients

• insurance

• staffing shortages

• schedule changes

• hygiene problems

Those are real triggers. Everyone deals with them. They can be be the source that creates the storms.

But storms don't become climates unless the leader allows them to.

That distinction is powerful..

So take 5 and consider this...

One of the biggest forecasting mistakes leaders make is expecting accountability before creating clarity.

Before frustration...

Before criticism...

Before another difficult conversation...

Ask yourself:

Have I clearly defined what success looks like?

• Did I communicate expectations?

• Did I teach the skill?

• Did I provide the resources?

• Did I verify understanding?

If they can't, they need training. If they won't, they need accountability.

Patients will cancel.

Team members will call in sick.

Equipment will break.

Insurance companies will still be insurance companies.

Those storms are inevitable.

But every morning you decide what kind of weather walks through your front door.

The Leader Sets the Weather

Great leaders don't create perfect conditions.

They create calm in imperfect conditions.

Because people don't just respond to a leader's decisions. They respond to a leader's climate.