I have written many times in this space that one key ingredient of a profitable, stable dental practice is developing a strong, effective team. When you combine a well-trained team with systems that have been tested and refined, the results are almost always positive. The net result is more profit for the practice and more time for you, the dentist, to spend doing what you truly enjoy. That may mean spending time with patients, it may mean spending time dreaming up the next big marketing campaign, or it may mean more time on vacation!
But you won’t get there without a strong team. A well-trained team ensures that your practice continues to run smoothly… without demanding the attention of the dentist or the practice manager every 30 seconds.
Now, all of this sounds good in practice. In fact, I’ve yet to encounter a dentist or a manager who disagrees with me that a well-trained, competent team is very important. But… when it comes to actually creating and refining this team, it’s a different story.
Why?
Because training a team and developing your employees takes time. It requires an investment. And let’s be honest, in many cases it really is easier to “do it yourself” than it is to train your staff. But here’s the thing—if you keep “doing it yourself”, nothing is ever going to change. If you suck it up, bite the bullet, and take the time to train your staff… within a few weeks you will have one less thing to worry about. Continue this process for several months and you’ll find that you’ve got much more free time in your day—time that you can spend with patients, or growing your practice, or home with your family.
So here’s my challenge to you – get rid of the “it’s easier to do it myself” mentality. Take the time to train and develop your staff so that they can take trivial tasks off your plate. Yes, it requires an investment of time on your part. But I can promise you it’s an investment that will pay off many times over.