Arrive Together, Leave Together—No One Left Behind!
In our dental office, mornings followed a predictable pattern. The hygienist was always the first to arrive—ironically, despite having the longest commute. I’d come in next, followed by the doctor. And then, like clockwork, our assistant strolled in last…with an excuse. Always.
Evenings had their own rhythm too. The (late) assistant? First out the door—because clearly, her after-work plans were far more urgent than the rest of ours (insert sarcasm here). Next went the doctor, then the hygienist. I was the last to leave, usually tying up loose ends at the front desk.
As we started implementing systems to work smarter and take more time off, we realized that maximizing our time during office hours was key. And that meant one big change: we all needed to arrive on time.
Yes, this required some real talk—especially with our assistant. But guess what? Addressing issues directly instead of complaining behind her back actually worked and she began showing up on time. Go figure! It's amazing what happens when the leaders sets clear expectations and actually holds people accountable.
Once we were all aligned, a surprising thing happened: we all left earlier. We made a simple rule—no one leaves without checking if the rest of the team needs help. And just like that, effectiveness and teamwork skyrocketed.
Work Together, Take Time Off Together
Summers used to be chaos. Someone was always on vacation, leaving the rest of us scrambling to keep things running. A short-staffed office meant longer days, higher stress, and a constant game of catch-up.
But when we committed to taking time off together, something crazy happened—our profitability went up. Less stress, more efficiency with our schedule, and by the time fall rolled around, we weren’t just recovering from summer madness—we had momentum.
Should there be exceptions? Sure, life happens. But planning your time off as a team prevents the office from “limping along” without key players. Oh, you think hiring a temp will solve everything? Think again. Temps cost extra, disrupt workflow, and just don’t bring the same synergy as your regular crew.
And here’s a fun reality check: nothing stings quite like taking a solo vacation, only to return and realize your team functioned just fine without you. (Yes, I’ve seen it happen—multiple times.)
CHALLENGE: If you haven’t already, sit down and map out the rest of your 2025 calendar. If you’re working 15+ days per cycle, you should be planning for more time off next year. Even at 15 days, that’s six weeks of vacation—so take it together.
RESOURCES:
- Brady Group Event Calendar
- How to measure progress by Cycles vs. Months
- How many days should we work?
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