‘Quiet times are inevitable, but they don’t have to be your downfall’: Ashley Byrne discusses the dangers of a quiet lab.
For many of us, 2024 has been a challenging year. Sales have been flat, the dental industry isn’t seeing the growth it once did, and the latest government budget seems to have done little to promote business growth or entrepreneurship.
As the communications lead for the Dental Laboratories Association (DLA), I’ve heard from many of you about the frustrations you’re experiencing this year, particularly following the recent budget announcement.
I won’t dive into the specifics of the budget – that was covered thoroughly by Matt Everatt in his recent article. Instead, I want to focus on how we, as dental labs, can weather the storm and keep our teams engaged and motivated, regardless of external factors.
Keeping your lab engaged
The truth is, teeth restorations don’t just disappear. Treatment plans may be delayed, but when a patient has been quoted for implants, large veneer cases, or other major work, it’s highly unlikely they will back out entirely.
The challenge for dental labs is managing the quieter periods, keeping the team engaged, and maintaining cashflow while waiting for patients to move forward with their treatments.
For many labs, the real struggle isn’t about being profitable, it’s about surviving the slower times. It’s about managing the ebb and flow of business, staying motivated during lulls, and keeping morale high so that when things pick up again, your team is ready to hit the ground running.
The pressure paradox
I’ll be the first to admit that my team operates best when we’re under a certain amount of pressure. We don’t want to be running at 120% all the time – burnout is real – but when we’re at about 95%, that’s when we’re in the zone.
We’re smashing deadlines, getting things done, and delivering quality work. But here’s the paradox: we make more mistakes when we’re not under pressure.
It may sound counterintuitive. When we’re busy, we’re focused, and the work seems to flow more naturally. But when things are quieter, we tend to make more errors. Why is that?
The answer lies in something called the Yerkes-Dodson Law, which explains how moderate levels of stress can actually improve performance.
In simple terms, a bit of pressure helps our brains stay alert, focused and sharp. As the law suggests: ‘Moderate levels of stress can improve performance on tasks. Teams channel their anxiety and urgency into heightened concentration, leading to faster decision-making and better productivity.’
This response is part of our biological makeup – our ‘fight or flight’ instinct kicks in under pressure, enhancing performance.
In a team setting, this shared sense of urgency brings people together, encourages collaboration, and helps everyone stay aligned on the task at hand. Pressure can actually improve team coordination and efficiency – when it’s at the right level.
But there’s a fine line. Too much pressure can lead to burnout, and that’s where the danger lies. But a lack of pressure? That’s even worse.
The dangers of a quiet lab
A quiet lab – one without deadlines, without a sense of urgency – can be just as damaging to your business in the long run. Without pressure, motivation tends to wane. Team members get relaxed, and the absence of immediate tasks or goals leads to a lack of focus.
When the pressure is off, it’s easy for confidence to turn into complacency, and for overconfidence or even arrogance to set in. Mistakes creep in, roles and responsibilities can blur, and the team structure begins to erode.
Decision-making becomes sluggish, risks go unchallenged, and a kind of organisational rot sets in. Quiet periods can also lead to communication breakdowns, both within the team and with clients, which we all know is a recipe for disaster.
As a lab owner or leader, it’s critical to manage your team’s workload so they stay engaged and productive during slower periods. For me, one approach is to allow team members to ‘bank’ holiday days or take extra time off during quieter times. Then, when the workload picks up again, I can pull from those banked days as needed. This ensures the team is still under a manageable level of pressure, rather than sitting idle, twiddling their thumbs.
This keeps morale high, and it reduces the risk of mistakes that often come with complacency. It also ensures that when we’re busy, we’ve got the manpower to handle the rush without overburdening anyone.
Managing pressure is a fine art. Too little pressure leads to disengagement, mistakes and inefficiency. The key is to find a balance – keeping your team engaged without pushing them into burnout territory. But make no mistake: pressure is a powerful motivator. A little bit of it can keep your team focused, sharp and ready for whatever comes next.
Embrace the challenge
Quiet times are inevitable, but they don’t have to be your downfall.
By managing your team’s workload and keeping a moderate level of pressure, you can maintain a high level of performance even during the slower periods. After all, dental restorations aren’t going away anytime soon, and neither is the need for well-run, motivated teams.
Stay engaged, keep the pressure at the right level, and your lab will be ready to thrive no matter what the future holds.
Catch up with previous columns from The Lab Expert:
- How do you transition from analogue to digital?
- The challenge of driving change in the dental lab
- Is it time to eliminate the model room?
- Dental technology is changing fast – are we ready?
- Is it time to embrace the printed digital denture?
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