Dentists do not have an easy job. It is extremely difficult to keep up with the explosion of materials and technologies, deal with patients all day, manage the practice, oversee the finances, monitor the scheduling, maintain harmony on the dental team, establish employee benefits ... the list goes on. Many dentists today feel as if their practices are encroaching too far on their personal lives. Why?
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IT’S ALL ON THE DENTIST
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Dentistry has changed. The business side of dentistry is taking away the enjoyment for many dentists who feel overwhelmed, stressed and unable to truly manage their practices. One problem is that dentists are not doing only dentistry any more. Too many practitioners spend nearly all of their continuing education efforts on the clinical aspects of dentistry. They would do well to rethink this strategy. Although they are totally (and admirably) dedicated to the goal of providing excellent patient care, these dentists have ended up managing their practices without any formal business training or some of the leadership skills it takes to be successful and maintain harmony.
Without a structured approach to practice management, many dentists go to work each day hoping that they will not have problems but being apprehensive that they will. They are asked endless questions by their team members on how to run the practice and make decisions, and these practitioners find themselves spending enormous amounts of time answering those questions. At the end of the day, these dentists know that they should be working on strategic, tactical or business issues but find themselves fatigued, unmotivated and anxious to go home. All in all, it feels little like the enjoyable career most dentists envisioned in dental school.
The trap in which many dentists find themselves will not spring open on its own. They walk into the office and fall into their old routines, concentrating mainly on getting through the day. For many dentists, this scenario rings all too true. When issues arise, dentists often say things to themselves such as, "I’ll get to that." Unfortunately, many dentists will not get to it. They simply will continue running on the treadmill for the remainder of their careers, often practicing years longer than expected.
So how can dentists break out of this rut and move their practices forward?
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A FEW SIMPLE RULES FOR TAKING CONTROL OF THE PRACTICE
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Improving the practice and the practice’s work environment requires that the dentist understand leadership and set objectives as follows.
Communicate goals clearly.
It is important that the dentist learn how to communicate effectively with the team, expressing his or her message in such a way that the team understands it and is motivated to comply. Clearly articulating the vision, identifying measurable and specific action steps, and asking the team for comments and feedback are simple steps that can clarify expectations greatly and produce excellent results.
Put documented systems in place for every job in the office.
Documenting systems lets the team knows exactly what to do step by step and helps with training and staff turnover issues.
Write scripts to go with each step of the systems and with all routine conversations.
Scripts ensure that current and future team members will know how to communicate with patients without causing conflict, controversy or antagonism.
Train the team extensively in these systems.
Whatever amount of time is needed in staff meetings, one-on-one discussions, overviews or continuing education will repay the initial investment 20 or 30 times over.
Study leadership.
The dentist cannot simply motivate an untrained team and expect to get results. Dentists have to follow the steps delineated above and then motivate the team every minute of every day. How does the dentist motivate his or her staff members? Possibilities include compliments, feedback, coaching, one-on-one meetings, out-of-office activities, adding new responsibilities and requiring accountability. Additionally, it is advantageous to hire people who have the potential to grow.
Lead by example.
A successful dental practice work environment demands that the dentist and team members interact, collaborate and communicate in an effective manner. Dentists need to understand that their teams watch their behavior as a model of how to behave. A dentist who is motivational and upbeat and has a positive view of patients will transmit that feeling to the team. In turn, the team should be sufficiently motivated to emulate the doctor’s positive outlook.
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SUMMARY
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Once mastered, the dentist’s leadership makes an incredible difference in the practice. However, dentists do not acquire leadership skills overnight and get results in a week. The effects of leadership, motivation, attitude, direction and enthusiasm will take approximately a year to kick in. However, as they do, a dentist’s outlook on dentistry will change for the better.
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IT'S ALL ON THE...
A FEW SIMPLE RULES...
