John Meis (00:02.533)
Hey everybody, welcome to this episode of The Double Your Production Podcast. I'm Dr. John Meis. I'm here with my partner, Wendy. Hey, Wendy.
Wendy Briggs (00:09.718)
Good morning, how are you?
John Meis (00:31.561)
I'm doing fantastic. I'm so excited about our guests today. We've had just the most wonderful conversations leading up to the podcast and we're so happy to welcome Victoria Roos Olsson. And Victoria, why don't you introduce yourself and tell everybody why we're so interested.
to be speaking with you today and why we've chosen you as one of our guest speakers for the Champions of Dentistry Summit.
Victoria (00:39.737)
Well, good morning and first of all, thank you so much for having me. I am super excited to be here today and also to get to meet all of your members later on this spring. So my name is Victoria Ruse Olson and well done on the pronunciation. I am originally from Sweden hence a very complicated name but I live here in Atlanta with my family and my background is really within leadership development very passionate about that, working with leaders, all levels really, across the globe. And to the point that I'm even writing and authoring books around that, which also means that I'm super passionate about what is it that drives engagement and culture and energy. And yeah, that's about me. So originally from Sweden, have had the opportunity to live and work across the globe. The US is my 10th country. In my free time, I'm very passionate about movement. So I am a yoga instructor and a running coach and yeah, just a few things.
John Meis (01:46.929)
Yeah, fantastic. Well, you hit on one of our magic words, and that is culture. We talk a lot about it, and we help our clients start to develop their culture. And there's so many different ways to go about it. I never think of it as being done, right? You're always building on your culture. So I'd love to hear your thoughts about culture and building a good culture, maintaining a good culture, and strengthening that over time.
Victoria (02:16.685)
Oh my goodness, I'm already really enjoying the words that you're using here about building it, strengthening it. It is so important, because whether we like it or not, we're always gonna have a culture. If you did not spend a moment as a leader to think about your culture, it's gonna be there anyway, right? It's there, it's in our office, we even have family cultures, we have country cultures and state cultures, it's all there, right? And I think what makes the best cultures really truly best is that they are intentionally created. That someone just sits back and if usually that's the leader, but maybe even the team together and really think about what kind of a culture is it that we truly want to have. And I think that is the starting point to have a great culture.
John Meis (03:11.129)
Yeah, that intentionality.
Wendy Briggs (03:12.078)
I was just going to say, I love that same thing, Dr. John. We were on the same wavelength. I think sometimes when we talk about culture, some of the feedback I get from some dentists and their leaders, we've kind of built a reputation for having real world solutions. Sometimes culture can seem a bit intangible, but what we do see in many, many circumstances, especially as a profession right now, is difficulty hiring and retaining team.
Victoria (03:32.234)
Yeah.
Wendy Briggs (03:39.758)
And we know how important culture is to something like that. So if you could, Victoria, share with our people a little bit more of why culture matters and what we see. It's not just some intangible difficult thing to manage. It actually does provide impact in day-to-day operations. And it's more important than I think some people really understand.
Victoria (04:02.173)
Yeah, I'm sure you've heard the famous saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast, right? So it has been around for a long time, I'd say. However, it is getting more and more important. And I think for every generation that gets into the labor market, and for the first time, we actually have five active generations in the labor market. Isn't that interesting? So, you know,
which makes it even more important to really, really have that intention and set the culture. And you can have the best strategy, you can have the best processes, tools, machines, what have you. But if you don't have the culture to support that, that is what's really going to make or break if people will be staying with you or not. That's really going to be your magic sauce. So it is super important.
Sometimes it's not, we don't stop. So that's why it's just brilliant. Like today, and now when you're looking deeper into this in the future to pause and really think about what's the culture like right now in my organization? And is it doing what it needs to do for us? Or should it be something else? And then what should it be and how do we get there?
John Meis (05:27.353)
Yeah, I love the intentionality that you're talking about. One of the things that we see in dental practices is that if there isn't a stated culture that someone isn't tending, and tending means watering, fertilizing, and occasionally pruning, if you don't have that, then someone that is strong-willed, a new employee comes in, they have a different culture, they can actually change the culture of a practice.
Victoria (05:41.247)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yes.
Wendy Briggs (05:46.813)
Yeah.
John Meis (05:57.321)
And so having it done intentionally really protects you from that and also helps you to hire people that match your own culture.
Victoria (06:07.233)
Yeah, exactly. And to think about that, it's, okay, so let's say that new person is coming in, right? If it's not clearly identified and if it's not clearly articulated to that person, but more importantly, not just this is the way we do it, but really by the rest of your team showing this is how we do it, you kind of give carte blanche to that person to create that culture. And I think a common mistake for many leaders and it's that we reward the results or we look at the end, but we also wanna make sure that if we're looking for that culture, that specific culture that we really know deep within, that's what's gonna make the difference. We also need to make sure that we reward whenever we see examples of that culture. How do we celebrate that? How do we reinforce that? How do we make that shine if you will?
John Meis (07:08.953)
Yeah. So you mentioned in your topic there, engagement, you know, and having a culture and finding people doing things right within that culture is one of the ways that drives employee engagement, I believe. What are some other ways?
Victoria (07:16.735)
Yeah. Well, so I could talk for hours about engagement and I feel like we all agree on that, right? And I think first of all, it's important to define what we mean by engagement, right? And in Franklin Covey, we talk about that, having that feeling that you're a part of a winning team, that we're moving forward, that I'm in an environment of trust where, okay, I feel confident that I'm here and that, you know, I can really make and do something that matters and that has an impact. I think that's that definition of engagement. I mean, if you think back in your career, how can you think back to a moment when you were like super highly engaged? I put you on the spot here, but...
John Meis (08:20.865)
Oh, absolutely. Yeah, no, absolutely.
Victoria (08:25.219)
And how was it? Describe that moment.
John Meis (08:29.465)
Well, you said some keywords there. Number one, we're winning. However, one defines that. And in my case, it was it was a great, great patient experience with a high level of productivity. So if we felt like we're winning, that was good. We're making progress. So this year is better than last year is better than the year before that. That's another way of winning. Another way of winning for me is to see the growth of my team. That I see their capabilities grow as individuals, their capabilities grow as teammates. Those are some examples for me. Wendy?
Wendy Briggs (09:08.33)
Yeah, for me, it's similar, right? I have the perspective of being a team member. So for me, there were certain times when I look back that everybody on the team was somewhat in sync and we were able to anticipate and deliver for ourselves and for our patients and for each other at a higher level. And no drama, right? I mean, that's something that kind of suck, can suck the engagement out, is having too much drama or chaos or conflict.
Wendy Briggs (09:38.022)
And like Dr. John said, sometimes people that are new can bring some of that with them before they really understand what we're trying to accomplish. But when I look back at times when I knew I was highly engaged, it was often because things were clicking, we were in sync, it seemed easier and less of a struggle. And I look back and I'm like, that's because I was working with a team full of people that were highly engaged in the vision, right? And you mentioned also Victoria, that people want to be a part of something important, right?
I think that's key as well. Dr. John and I, we do quarterly practice growth retreats for our members and we have one coming up here soon. And the entire topic of the retreat will be on all things team engagement, but we'll be talking a lot about principles in the book, Drive by Daniel Pink, where he talks about mastery, autonomy and purpose and how critical purpose is to engagement. So again, I think in my history, when I had team members or we were super engaged as a team, it was because we had
Victoria (10:25.196)
Oh yeah.
Wendy Briggs (10:37.722)
that larger vision that we were all driving to accomplish. And we're willing to do almost whatever it takes to get there.
Victoria (10:45.421)
I love that. And you've kind of both illustrated that it's similar and yet we have our own touches, right, to it. Like, okay, this is what it meant. And I think that's also so critical that very creatively excited on top of that scale of engagement might look slightly different for different individuals. And it's our responsibility to also stop and pause and say, what does that look like for you, right?
Common mistake, I see leaders, what we do, and I say we, I've been a leader myself for many, many years and led large organizations, and we use ourself as our own case studies, right? So, okay, this is what worked for me. So that's just what I'm gonna apply for everyone else. However, we're all different, right? So it is similar and there are certain cornerstones that we definitely should look for, but also not forget to listen and say, hey, what does engagement look like for you? And even that new team member coming in and might perhaps be a little bit destructive, which is normal because whenever it takes one new person to the team and we have an entire new team actually. So that's what happens. But then to say, all right, what is it that makes this person click and how can we help them to get that? And maybe then. At one point that will also make them relax a little bit because they're like, Oh, okay. I'm seen and I'm heard.
John Meis (12:17.597)
Yeah, cultures have to be inclusive, but they also have to have boundaries, right? There is behavior, there is mindsets that are outside of the culture that's gonna fit here. And so occasionally, people need to be pruned if they just are not a great fit. But far better to help them along the path so that they do fit and doing that by meaning you.
Victoria (12:21.801)
Yeah.
Victoria (12:43.51)
And to that point, what I'm thinking is the more articulate as a leader or practice owner that you are about your culture, it is easier to, as you said, prune because then it's like, okay, we set this up front and then you don't need to like wait for like months go by, but you can say, hey, right, let me guide you right here because I saw something this morning when you were interacting with this patient or with this that just wasn't really in accordance to our culture. Let me help you get it right. So really that's also how being very intentional and articulate about the culture that you're looking for is gonna help you make an impact and use it before you get that disruption potentially.
John Meis (13:31.434)
Mm hmm. Yeah.
Wendy Briggs (13:33.51)
Yeah, Victoria, one thing that I think is really interesting about what you just said is it's so important. I think sometimes we lose good team members or good employees. And when we look back, we realize we could have probably saved the relationship had we had some of those other things in place. And right now it's a really difficult time in dentistry. It's very, very difficult to find hygienists in certain markets, even associate doctors in certain markets, assistants in some markets. And so I think this is a really timely topic, which is one of the reasons we invited you to join us at our summit, because we're hearing so much that practices are having difficulty hiring. And what's interesting to me is, again, I'm in a little bit of a different space being a hygiene provider and being a mentor to other hygiene providers, in that it's interesting because I'll see posts online of, you know, I have this opportunity to leave a practice I love for $10 more an hour. And you would think that people in the comments would be like, do it, it's $10 more an hour. But more often than not, they say, if you love the practice, sometimes the shift isn't worth it, right? So it's interesting to have that kind of mindset. And I think sometimes we just think, oh, it's the marketplace, it's everyone else's fault that we can't hire and retain good team members. But in reality,
Victoria (14:34.698)
Yeah.
Wendy Briggs (14:48.846)
There's a lot that the practice can work on if that is their current struggle. Isn't that right? Isn't that right that that's something that we can fix?
Victoria (14:56.649)
Oh, yes, most certainly. And I think sometimes some more perhaps junior members of the team, they will not understand what a lovely culture it was until they experienced something else, right? And they're like, oh, okay, now I get it. But if you play the long game as a practice owner, if you're really in for it and you are sincere and intentional, I believe people will come back. If you're creating that environment where the culture is seeing the individual. You both mentioned that you like being in a high-performing team. So it doesn't mean that having a wonderful culture is not a culture where everyone's like nothing is happening, right? Most of us want to be part of a winning team that moves forward, that makes progress, that have lots of patience, that are part of that buzz. But to stay sincere to your values long term is the winning game.
John Meis (15:54.637)
Mm-hmm.
Victoria (15:54.889)
even though, yes, you might lose one or two for a few dollars short term, but not long term.
John Meis (16:02.509)
Yeah, yeah. So when the culture is right, the engagement is good. Employees are energized. But we but we've seen a lot and noticed that in dentistry, people, even though it's a very physical job, is more physical than people would realize. But people don't people in dentistry don't run out of physical energy first, they run out of mental energy first. Right. And so engagement certainly drives some mental energy. But
Victoria (16:27.806)
Yeah.
John Meis (16:31.757)
I know you've talked about other ways to keep the energy up. I wondered if you had a few tips that you could share with our audience.
Victoria (16:38.981)
Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of energy maintaining and really to be very again intentional and reflect upon our energy. And I would say that actually it's the next book I'm working on, like the power of the past and to really, really think, okay, how am I stopping and checking in to make sure that I have the energy that is required physically and mentally to do my job. And in Franklin Covey, we talk about the five energy drivers, right? So and it's not us that invented them even though I've worked with them now for years. I can so see how people are really relating to them, but it's in cooperation with doctors and medical and brain experts of really looking at what is it that creates energy and we see five energy drivers where one is a few of them are very simple and not surprising. It's like, what do we eat? How do we nourish ourselves? And I think it's simple in practice, but maybe not what we do. And we think of food as something that really is just for our physical energy, but on the contrary, it's also our brain energy, our smartness, our ability to focus. So that's what we eat and how we eat. It's also how we sleep.
And I think if we're, when we're having feeling a little bit of mental strain. And it's just so important to really think about how we sleep. And unfortunately, it's been a little bit of a trend that I'm this cool entrepreneur and I can get by on four hours of sleep. And when in reality, it's like taking that mental shower for the brain, right? And I say that, I'm like, could show up to work without having a shower first, that's disgusting, right? So.
We need to let our brain also get that shower so we come clean with a fresh mind to work. And I think that's super important. Then we have movement. And of course you get a lot of that, as you already said, which is brilliant. I mean, when I work with other professions, I'm really like, folks get up and move because you sit down, you slow down. So that's very good that you get that in your day-to-day work and really be grateful, I'd say, to have that because it's a big challenge for many others in society today that they don't have that. And then the fourth one that I think it's really fourth and fifth are about connections.
And I don't know if you've read the recent studies about the blue zones and Akyayi you know, the zones where people live the longest, right? So I was really interested to compare that to the five energy drivers. And it is so interesting to see how it comes up in all the zones where people live the longest. So they obviously also have mental stamina. They have really important connections. And when I say connections, it's not about they were married for like 100 years and, but it is about the connections in their day to day work. So I think if you want to build and create that energy in the clinic and to really think about, do I create space for my team to connect, to connect with the patients, but to connect with each other and to get that energy? And I think that's super important for our brain and our mind and
It's a little bit of an energy boost. And then the fifth one is to relax, right? And when we hear the word relax, I think many of us are just thinking about that moment at the end of a busy day when we're sort of like on the couch. But in reality, relaxing is also finding those small moments throughout the day. And it could be like, just go outside, do a few deep breaths.
Here comes the yoga instructor, right? But really to be intentional and conscious about finding a little bit of space so I can recharge, refocus, re-energize before I go in to my next appointment. Does that make sense?
John Meis (21:08.905)
Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
Wendy Briggs (21:11.594)
It absolutely does. And I can tell you some of the practices that we work with that have a really strong culture. As you went through those five energies, you know, I'm clicking them off one at a time in my brain. And, and also times in my past, when we haven't been super engaged or we haven't had a great culture. I'm like, you know, people just weren't very interested in making time to connect. Um, they didn't want to spend time with the team outside of, of working hours. And so I think, as we mentioned, the very beginning of the conversation, we talked about how creating a culture is very intentional. And that just shows that, you know, a lot of these things that can help us keep our energy up and our enthusiasm up are things that we kind of need to think about and plan for so that they actually happen. Because dentistry also is a very taxing and busy profession. You can get lost in it in some ways.
Victoria (21:54.094)
Yes. Yes! And you say that so well, Wendy, you need to plan for it. You need to really make sure that you carve out space for that. And whenever I go to my dentist, I feel exactly that, oh my goodness, they are so busy. And also that is the energy that you also send out to your patients and they will then meet that energy. So if that's the energy you send out. Probably that's also the energy that you get back.
John Meis (22:31.769)
Yeah. Well, this is so awesome, Victoria. I wanted to tell you how grateful we are that you joined us today and how excited we are to hear you go into more depth on these topics at our Champions of Dentistry Summit. So that's it for this episode of The Double Your Production Podcast. Thanks, Victoria. Thanks, Wendy, and we'll see you all next time.
Wendy Briggs (22:56.674)
Thanks so much everyone.
Victoria (22:57.069)
Thank you, bye.
