Dentistry is a good gig, right? Better than most careers. US News & World Report regularly ranks dentistry as one of the best jobs in the country. Yet, I’ve met many dentists who are stressed out. In fact, 29% reported high or extremely high stress, according to the latest Dental Economics – Levin Group Practice Survey.
In recent years, the business of dentistry has become more complex, which has made owning and operating a successful practice more challenging. But, after all is said and done, dentistry is still an amazing profession.
Here are three habits that can help you enjoy what you do even more:
1. Communication
Share information with your team. If they know what the goals are, they can work toward achieving the objectives. If they don’t know, there’s not much they can do.
Hold morning meetings to preview the day’s coming attractions. These huddles give everyone a heads-up about what to expect for the next eight hours. Also, hold regular monthly meetings to work on larger issues, such as fixing customer service breakdowns, role-playing scripts, implementing new systems, etc.
2. Delegation
One reason some dentists are unhappy is because they’re trying to do too much. You shouldn’t be answering phones, dealing with billing issues, or scheduling patients. Those activities should all be performed by your team. In fact, you should delegate nearly all administrative activities to your staff, so you can focus on patient care.
Delegation not only benefits you but also your team. It shows that you trust them to do their jobs, make decisions and handle things without being directly supervised or told what to do. Of course, you will need to provide effective training, so your employees are fully capable of performing their duties.
3. Appreciation
Let your team know what kind of job they’re doing. Thank them when things are going well. Recognize their efforts when they go above and beyond. You want your staff to view their employment at your practice as more than just another job. You want them to see it as a calling where they have the opportunity to learn, grow and excel. Acknowledging quality performance is one way to ensure good employees stay with your practice for as long as possible.
Conclusion
There’s a lot in dentistry (and life) you can’t control. But two things you can control are your attitude and your actions. Use these three habits to increase your personal and professional satisfaction.
Additional Resources
- Download Dr. Levin’s free whitepaper, “The 9 Areas of Expertise – Team Building,” by clicking here.
- Read a free excerpt from the popular e-book “What Dentists Can Learn from Top CEOs.”
[thb_button link=”https://levingroup.com/practicesuccess/” class=”pull-right” style=”” rounded=”” color=”black” icon=”” size=”medium” animation=”right” ]Back to Practice Success Archive »[/thb_button]
