Many dentists are micro-managers. It’s true. Perhaps you could blame it in part on dental school. As clinicians, we are taught to make sure everything is right or the treatment could potentially fail. That “it all depends on me” attitude often carries over to running a practice and leading a team.
Another culprit is the lack of systems. Without documented systems, there’s an element of uncertainty that permeates the practice culture. As business owners, we feel it’s our duty to check, double-check, and hover over employees to make sure things are getting done the right way.
At the end of the day, the cause really doesn’t matter as much as recognizing the behavior and finding a way to change it… because, ultimately, micro-managing is costing you big time––probably tens of thousands of dollars in lost production every year. On top of that, it wastes a great deal of doctor time, discourages employee growth and undermines the staff’s confidence to act independently.
So here’s the question––are you a micro-manager? Take our quiz to find out.
- Do you go up to the front desk area to give instructions, check up on tasks or monitor employee activity at least once an hour? Yes or No
- Does the team run all minor decisions by you before acting? Yes or No
- Do you get frustrated when team members don’t do things “your way?” Yes or No
- Do you believe that you are the best one in the practice to handle any administrative task? Yes or No
- Do you perform non-clinical tasks that could be delegated to team members? Yes or No
- Do team members have authority to solve patient problems and issues (versus checking with doctor)? Yes or No
- Have you ever corrected a staff member for performing an administrative task differently than you would have, even though the result was the same? Yes or No
Rate Yourself
Based on your total number of “yes” answers…
1 – Recovering Micromanager
2–3 – Passive-Aggressive Micromanager
4–5 – Heavy Micromanager
6–7 – Extreme Micromanager
They say great leaders are born, not made. Fortunately, they’re WRONG! You can easily learn how to eliminate the stress you feel trying to keep track of every single detail in your practice. More importantly, proper delegation gives your team the chance to shine in their jobs. And it will have a huge positive impact on your bottom line and free you up to do more dentistry in less time. A perfect combination.
Additional Resource
Download Dr. Levin’s free whitepaper, “Level IV Leadership,” by clicking here.
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