Things we can learn from Mr Beast

Mr Beast may not require an introduction.

He is, perhaps, the most famous person in the world and has the most followers on the biggest platform in the world;Youtube.

He’s 25. He employs about 250 people.

I was listening to a podcast the other day and the host was talking about a conversation he had had with Mr Beast about how he scaled his business. He talked about how bringing in employees to some critical positions had not worked out well in the long term as they had done the job, but just not quite the way Mr Beast felt aligned with his identity.

So how did he solve this problem?

By extreme shadowing. He brought an employee on and the employee followed him for, wait for this, 24 hours per day for more than six months!

By the end of this time, the fellow knew how Mr Beast thought and could “be” him when he was editing videos and making video thumbnails, what ever the role was. This person could then lcone the next and so on.

This got me thinking about how we bring new team members in to the practice. How long we spend training a DA chairside, one on one or two on one with another DA. It takes about four months for the DA to be fully conversant with most procedures, notes and room management. They still have a lot to learn.

And yet what do we do with new employee OHTs or dentists, especially if they are new graduates?

It's not uncommon for new employees to observe for a couple of days or maybe a week or even a month. But I’m sure there’s not a practice that would invest six months into the process. Mr Beast is extreme in his focus hence his success.

So how do we expect an employed clinical team to think like us, present treatment the way we would, talk about products and recommend them when we would?

How do we achieve a team of three OHTs all singing from the same song sheet so that clinically, they are interchangeable even though they all bring their unique personalities to the position?

How do we support a young dentist to plan treatment with the patient at the centre of care and with treatment appropriately prioritised and presented?

What gets in the way?

The financial imperative may limit the employer. Maybe a lack of systems and documentation and then sticking to the system. Perhaps the time and emotional toll of teaching moments in between patients or at the end of the day when there’s other things to do.

On the part of the employee,maybe their motivation and ability and commitment to learn deeply from observation.

Getting a job with Mr Beast is a whole different ball game from a job in a dental practice, however, one would like to think that the candidate who has taken the job is excited about the prospect of learning and developing and taking every opportunity to do so

So as business owners: 

• We need to have professional values and clinical skills that are worthy of the next generation and desirable to the new employee; worthy of emulating.

• We need to have a practice that is safe and well presented.

• We need a well trained and professional team.

• We need to have policies and procedures that are clear and followed.

The new clinician must recognise that their chosen practice is worthy of the investment of time and effort. They should approach it with willingness and patience, aiming to deeply learn and integrate comprehensively into the practice.

I think both sides of the partnership have some work to do to reach the heights of Mr Beast.

Have a great week ad dont forget to share with a friend

Rosie