851: Embracing Conflict for Practice Growth – Dr. Barrett Straub & Miranda Beeson

We’re taught that conflict is bad and it’s to be avoided. But what if you embraced it instead? To teach you how, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Barrett Straub, ACT’s CEO, and Miranda Beeson, ACT’s director of education, to share the tools to help you have productive conflict in your practice. Conflict is where growth happens! To start getting excited about embracing conflict, listen to Episode 851 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Dr. Straub & Miranda:

• Send Dr. Straub an email: barrett@actdental.com 
• Join Dr. Straub on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrett.d.straub
• Send Miranda an email: miranda@actdental.com 
• Follow Miranda 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
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_US
• 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 851: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (April 11, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-april-11-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1012966789937
• Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (July 25, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-july-25-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1205497959849
• Read Radical Candor by Kim Scott: https://www.radicalcandor.com/the-book
• Read Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313485/thanks-for-the-feedback-by-douglas-stone-and-sheila-heen

Main Takeaways:

• Try Dr. Straub’s 48-hour rule.
• When done right, conflict is the secret to building trust.
• Avoiding hard conversations will cost you time, money, and morale.
• One-on-one check-ins are critical for staying on top of potential conflict.
• Conflict does not mean confrontation. Approach it openly and collaboratively.
• Change your mindset about conflict. It can be helpful and productive, not harmful.
• Practice having difficult conversations. They will get easier the more you have them.
• Lead by example. Be first to show vulnerability and inspire your team to do the same.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

0:45 ACT’s TTT, BPA, BPA app, and Pro Coaching.

5:00 Why this is an important topic.

7:22 Conflict is the secret to true, authentic trust.

9:32 Conflict, further explained.

11:06 The 48-hour rule.

14:32 When done right, conflict can unlock huge potential.

15:10 The culture you have is what you allow.

18:09 Every team member has the ability to be a leader.

19:35 Be a cultural leader.

21:59 High-performing teams address challenges head-on.

25:49 Why check-ins are critical for addressing conflict.

28:16 Conflict, defined.

30:00 Patrick Lencioni’s conflict continuum, explained.

34:42 Barriers to productive conflict: Fear.

35:44 Barriers to productive conflict: Not knowing how to have tough conversations.

36:18 Barriers to productive conflict: Time.

38:08 Be clear, kind, and respected.

44:25 Barriers to productive conflict: One’s natural communication style.

47:44 How to embrace conflict in your practice.

48:57 How to embrace conflict in your practice: Mindset.

52:12 How to embrace conflict in your practice: Practice.

56:04 How to embrace conflict in your practice: Lead by example.

57:10 What if my team resists?

1:00:04 Go first and take some arrows.

1:02:11 Final takeaways.

1:05:41 Q&A: What do you do about cliques in your practice?

Dr. Barrett Straub Bio:

Dr. Barrett Straub practices general and sedation dentistry in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He has worked hard to develop his practice into a top-performing, fee-for-service practice that focuses on improving the lives of patients through dentistry.

A graduate of Marquette Dental School, Dr. Straub’s advanced training and CE includes work at the Spear Institute, LVI, DOCS, and as a member of the Milwaukee Study Club. He is a past member of the Wisconsin Dental Association Board of Trustees and was awarded the Marquette Dental School 2017 Young Alumnus of the Year. As a former ACT coaching client that experienced first-hand the transformation that coaching can provide, he is passionate about helping other dentists create the practice they’ve always wanted.

Dr. Straub loves to hunt, golf, and spend winter on the ice, curling. He is married to Katie, with two daughters, Abby and Elizabeth.

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH Bio:

Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.