“I Just Want To Do Dentistry!”

In my 35 years in dentistry I have heard this phrase over and over again. Most dentists didn’t get into the profession because they wanted to run a business; they did it so they could be DENTISTS! Unfortunately, the business side of running a dental practice often ends up being so overwhelming they aren’t able to enjoy their true passion of dentistry.

For many dentists, this dilemma leads to contemplating corporate dentistry, the Military, state programs, and associateships. While these options can remove some of the administrative headaches they do have significant disadvantages: loss of practice control, less decision flexibility, lower potential income, and often pressures resulting in lower quality of dental care. Some dentists think it is worth it and take the leap, although most do not.

The good news is there’s a solution right at your fingertips: your dental team! Many dentists consider their dental team a source of added stress, but that doesn’t have to be the case. With the right systems and encouragement you can create a “Self-Managed Team”.

What does a “self-managed team” mean? This simply means you are in control of your own practice, but are able to delegate more day-to-day activities to the people who already know and understand your practice. Your role shifts to a CEO, with your team reporting to you for discussion and approvals.

Wouldn’t it be nice to simply sit down at your team meeting, lean back in your chair, and ask, “Well, team, tell me how we did this month? What do you think went right? What do you think went wrong? What do you recommend we do to improve our results? Who will make this happen? Who will monitor and report the results?” Then sit back and let it happen.

This could be you. All it takes are a few foundational systems to establish this responsibility and accountability. Once you have a fully functioning self-managed team, it not only reduces your administrative workload, it also provides benefits for the entire practice, including:

– Reduced workplace stress and professional burnout
– Increased employee engagement and motivation
– Decreased employee turnover
– Increased production

It is a win-win. Think about it.