> Emerging Group Spotlight
The Key to Fixing Smiles An emphasis on personal and professional development has led to financial and interpersonal “wins” at Potomac Dental Centre : By Graham Garrison
benefits that arose. Revenue started to take off. Potomac went from a single doctor practice with deposits of about $1 million, to in a few years being a 2-doctor practice (Dr. Eklund brought on an associate) with deposits of $4 million. “When we hit the $4 million mark, my team put a big Congratulations sign on my chair in my office,” Dr. Eklund said. “They were celebrating it more than me.”
Personal and professional growth
About six years ago, Dr. Everett Eklund met a fellow dentist, Tony Feck, who invited him to be a part of a peer group called Sunrise Dental Solutions. While Dr. Eklund was excited about the group, he had no idea at the time how transformative it would be for both his career and dental practice, Maryland-based Potomac Dental Centre.
The first book Dr. Eklund read with his team was called “Everybody Matters”, co-written by Bob Chapman, a venture capitalist who purchased blue collar businesses like welding manufacturers and transformed them into successful enterprises using, of all things, culture. “Over a 20-year period, his companies outperformed Warren Buffet and Berkshire,” Dr. Eklund said. “And he did it by changing culture and transforming lives. That really struck a nerve with me.”
6
Dr. Eklund decided to deploy the same strategy at Potomac. He and his team would read books together and then talk about it. Dr. Eklund said he could see a change happening. Both he and Potomac’s team members were more open and vulnerable in their conversations. Some of the team members even approached Dr. Eklund to tell him that he had changed, that he was “hardly the same boss” as he was before. While those changes might have been subtle, there were some tangible
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 • DENTIST ENTREPRENEUR ORGANIZATION
Dr. Eklund said being vulnerable with his team, and being interested in their growth as human beings, are what led to their financial success. Potomac Dental Centre uses a ladder system in which each department has steps team members can take for their personal growth, “and we provide the training opportunities so that the team members can take those steps,” Dr. Eklund said. At each monthly meeting when an employee goes from one level to the next, Potomac makes a big deal out of it. “We really celebrate it.” Party hats, kazoos, everyone clapping and cheering – it shows the team members a lot of support. The ladder system is also way to provide transparency for team members on what Potomac as an organization can offer. Each level on the ladder has salary ranges. “So someone who comes here can see that they can take steps to not only have an enriching career in dentistry, but
dentalgrouppractice.com
