776: How We Created a Great Dentist-Assistant Team – Dr. Charlie Ward & Ale Gonzalez

776: How We Created a Great Dentist-Assistant Team – Dr. Charlie Ward & Ale GonzalezTo create the best experience for your patients, you need the best people on your team. To show what that looks like, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Charlie Ward and his amazing assistant, Ale Gonzalez, to share their tips for cultivating a great team relationship. You don't need 20 years to be aligned! To learn how to plan for success and grow as a team, listen to Episode 776 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Dr. Ward:Send Dr. Ward an email: [email protected] Follow Dr. Ward on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcwardddsRegister for Dr. Ward’s Mastering Dental Photography course: (October 10, 2024): https://pankey.org/course-category/mdpRegister for Dr. Ward’s Aesthetic & Functional Treatment Planning course (July 17-20, 2025): https://pankey.org/course-category/e1Register for Dr. Ward and Dr. Chris Mazzola’s Mastering Treatment Planning course (October 2, 2025): https://pankey.org/course-category/mtpRegister for Dr. Ward’s Mastering Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry course (sold out into 2026): https://pankey.org/course-category/mardLearn More About ACT Dental:ACT’s website: https://www.actdental.comACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalACT’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/actdentalACT’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actdentalACT’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3137520/admin/feed/posts/ACT’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/actdentalMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 776: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosRead Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habitsMain Takeaways:Invest in the growth of your team members so they can help you succeed.Create systems together with your team. They will be more invested.A great team relationship is critical for the best possible outcomes.You don't need two decades of working together to be aligned.Help your team understand the why behind your systems.Cultivate a team culture where you respect one another.Learn how to give and receive feedback respectfully.Put in the effort to make your team feel valued.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.1:24 Dr. Ward and Ale’s backgrounds.2:57 Why this is an important topic.6:56 Invest in the growth of your team.12:03 Have a second set of hands and eyes.15:44 The feedback loop, explained.18:19 How to give and receive feedback.22:21 It’s the small changes that matter.23:55 The importance of photography.24:42 The photography workflow process.29:04 What dentists get wrong about this relationship.31:28 All cases are teaching cases.33:31 Their favorite system they’ve created.35:29 The future of their practice.38:31 A great practice is created one patient at a time.40:37 Final thoughts.42:52 More about Dr. Ward and how to get in touch.Dr. Charlie Ward Bio:After graduating from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004, he went straight into the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. He earned his DDS degree in 2008, and since then he has completed the Essentials courses and many others at the esteemed Pankey Institute, where he now serves as visiting faculty. He is currently a member of the Maryland State Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry.