Do you ever feel like your team is technically doing their jobs—but they’re not pulling in the same direction, and performance still falls short? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Miranda Beeson, ACT’s co-host and practice coach, about how to shift a practice from “working with each other” to “working for each other.”

You’ll learn how a “me” mindset creates invisible walls, why vulnerability-based trust changes accountability and communication, and how leaders build clarity, consistency, and connection to create a true “we” culture. Listen to Episode 1031 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

A team can have high individual performers and still underachieve if people are playing for themselves instead of for each other.
A “me” mindset shows up as guarded communication, weak collaboration, reduced trust, and decreased accountability.
Shifting to a “we” mindset starts by replacing “that’s not my job” thinking with “how can I help the team succeed today?”
Vulnerability-based trust creates psychological safety where people admit mistakes, ask for help, and assume positive intent.
Leaders must model the behavior first by owning mistakes, asking for help, and consistently reinforcing expectations.
Team building matters because time together outside the daily pressure helps people connect as humans and lowers defenses.
Culture is shaped intentionally through clarity, consistency, and connection—and unintentionally through defensiveness, favoritism, avoidance, and hierarchy.

Snippets:

00:00 Intro

02:25 The volleyball story that sparked the “with each other vs. for each other” framework.

04:00 How “I did my job” thinking limits team performance.

10:00 A practical example of “me mindset” vs. “team player mindset” during a handoff and ringing phone.

13:00 Predictive trust vs. vulnerability-based trust in a dental practice.

16:45 Why team building and bonding help teams lower their guard.

23:00 Using purpose and process mapping to show how every role impacts the patient experience.

27:00 Clarity, consistency, and connection as leadership habits that shape culture.

34:00 A simple next step to start building “for each other” behavior in your next team meeting.

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

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.

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

The Exchange 2026: https://smilesource.com/exchange
The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
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