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Leadership For Dentists: It’s A Good Idea To Avoid These Bad Habits

Leadership For Dentists: It’s A Good Idea To Avoid These Bad Habits
by Roger P. Levin, DDS

Leadership in your dental practice is not to be taken lightly. Even though most dentists take the job very seriously, it's still easy to fall into some bad habits without even realizing it. Here are four to try hard to avoid.

PRACTICE OWNERS FACE A PERPETUAL TIME CRUNCH. There never seems to be enough minutes in the day to get it all done—treat patients, present cases, speak with other doctors, review key performance indicators (KPIs), motivate the team, eat lunch, etc. Clinical care, which is how the practice generates revenue, usually and justifiably trumps others activities.

In such a time-compressed, fast-paced environment, it’s easy to fall into some bad leadership habits. Here are four you should do your best to avoid:

1. Procrastination

We all procrastinate, whether at home or at the office. “Yes, I’m going to clean out the garage sometime this fall,” we tell ourselves. Yet months go by, and the garage remains messier than ever. The same applies to your practice. You may need to update your practice management software, replace your scheduling system, or talk to an employee about a recurring performance issue, yet the activity always gets postponed. Sometimes, there are good reasons for delay, but if the item remains on your to-do list month after month, or worse, year after year, it won’t get done unless you make it a priority. Minor issues can easily turn into major crises if they’re ignored long enough. Break the procrastination habit by identifying problems, creating a plan of action, and setting realistic deadlines and sticking to them.

2. Impulsiveness

It’s good to be passionate about what we do, but sometimes emotions can get the best of us. While we don’t want to procrastinate on important issues, we also don’t want to race ahead without a plan.

I’ve met a number of dentists who are quick to jump on the latest trend and then just as quick to abandon that initiative for something else. “Today, we’re going to be a cosmetic-only practice; tomorrow, a one-stop shop for every oral health need. Wait, today we’re going to be a group practice with multiple locations.” That kind of emotional decision making wreaks havoc on your team members, who feel like they’re on some out-of-control amusement ride. Take your time for the big decisions, get input from experts and stakeholders, think it through, put together a plan, and then move forward.

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