810: Building Your Dental Dream Team: Retention Through Shared Values – Heather Crockett

Dentistry isn't the hard part about being a dentist — it’s finding and keeping great people! To help you make it a little bit easier, Kirk Behrendt brings back Heather Crockett, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, to share ACT’s tools and resources for developing and implementing your core values. To learn the secret to a successful practice, listen to Episode 810 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Heather:

• Send Heather an email: heather@actdental.com 
• Join Heather on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.r.crockett
• Follow Heather on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdental
• Send Gina an email: gina@actdental.com 

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 810: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Watch the entire webinar here: https://www.actdental.com/125
• Register for ACT’s Napa Valley Mastery Summit and To The Top Study Club (April 24-27, 2025): https://info.actdental.com/napa-mastery-summit
• Download ACT’s Right People Scorecard: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/Instructions%20for%20Right%20People%20Scorecard.pdf
• Download ACT’s Identifying Your Practice’s Core Values guide: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/Identify%20Your%20Practices%20Core%20Values.pdf
• Download ACT’s 3-3-3 Model for Onboarding: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/3-3-3%20Onboarding%20Model.pdf
• Read books by Patrick Lencioni: https://www.tablegroup.com/books
• Read Traction by Gino Wickman: https://benbellabooks.com/shop/traction

Main Takeaways:

• Lead by example. If you don't follow your core values, why should your team?
• This is your practice. You must establish your core values, not your team.
• Your core values are the filter for everything you do for your practice.
• Once you establish core values, your team culture will improve.
• Being consistent is crucial. You can't just set it and forget it.
• Core values are verbs. Make sure they are actionable.
• Money isn't what keeps people in your practice.
• Use simple language to convey core values.
• “Bake” your core values for at least a year.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

2:09 ACT’s TTT, BPA, and Pro Coaching.

5:34 Objectives.

7:27 Why this is an important topic.

13:45 Core values, explained.

15:29 Types of values, explained.

17:12 Values are verbs.

20:51 The role of core values in team culture.

23:23 Four steps to identify your core values.

30:29 Core values examples.

37:53 How to approach core values with prospective team members.

41:11 Right People Right Seat, explained.

45:14 GWC, explained.

46:11 Three questions to ask before you hire.

53:07 Consistency is crucial.

54:46 How to use this on a day-to-day basis.

59:52 Final takeaways.

1:03:37 Q&A: Does the leader come up with core values, or do you do it as a team?

1:07:12 Q&A: ACT’s scorecard.

1:07:50 ACT’s Napa Valley Mastery Summit.

Heather Crockett Bio:

Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.

Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.

She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.