In 15 years working in the dental field I have talked with thousands of dentists. Some doctors I meet are having the time of their lives, growing their practices, working with their teams, and loving life. Others seem to be 1 negative Yelp review away from locking up the practice doors.

When I think about the difference between the two types of doctors, I find 5 traps the struggling practice has fallen into, that the successful doctor has not.

1. No Coach

Nearly all of the struggling dentists I know cannot name a coach or mentor in their life. When I say “coach” I do not mean one of the many “profitability consultants” but rather an individual who has been-there-done-that; inspiring positive action.

Dentistry is a damn stressful profession, and a good coach can go a long way. If you don’t have a coach or mentor- find one. Think of the dentist you most admire and figure out how to connect with them.

2. Poor Systems

The happiest and most profitable dental practices I have ever seen are obsessed with their systems. They spend a lot of time studying the human behaviors that are hindering, or helping them reach their goals.

Many practices have purchased expensive “Operations Manuals” or spent a lot of time and effort building a big binder of operational procedures.  But it does no good when the binder sits in the corner gathering dust.

Systems are built and operated by the people making the thousands of decisions every day. The best systems start with the people managing them. Make a concerted effort to train your team to be excellent decision-makers; aligning each and every move with your overall mission and goals.

 3. Fear of Outsourcing

Many independent dental practices have an unusual fear of outsourcing. I have heard the horror stories of practices getting burned by poor quality vendors. But, every minute spent doing something that can be easily outsourced is time that could be spend focusing on the things that really improve the quality, morale, and productivity of the practice.  Sure, you can do your own books, payroll, marketing campaigns, website, etc.  and I could probably pull my own tooth if I had to. But I would rather hand that responsibility over to an expert and focus on what I do well.

Ask around, find out what vendors are doing excellent work in the offices you respect and take a leap of faith. The time saved will be well worth it.

4. “Good Enough” Mentality

There is a fine line between spending too much time and resources on an area of the practice in order to make it “perfect” and something that is “good enough”. But the practice that takes a “duct tape” and “WD40” mentality to anything and everything that needs fixing or updating always seems to struggle. Sure, that website you updated in 1999 can be found if I search hard enough and the neighbors only complain every once in a while about the air compressor that sounds like a jet engine taking off.  However, are those things worth losing patients over? Patients notice and will scale their trust in your dentistry by those details. If you are communicating “we do the minimum” your patients will too.

Take some time to review areas of your practice that are outdated and come up with a plan to update.

5. Poor Leadership

Success begins and ends with good leadership.  Successful dentist leaders have gained permission from everyone in the practice to lead them. Not because they sign the checks and hand out the pink slips, but because they have demonstrated the ability to inspire and positively influence both patients and staff. Good leaders are clear in their communication. Good leaders have a real connection to each individual on their team. Good leaders demonstrate character in that they do what they say they will do and follow through even when times are tough. Lastly good leaders are competent and demonstrate daily the same work ethic and intensity they expect from their team.

If you struggle with leading the people you have hired, perhaps it is time to reevaluate your approach or to the people you have working for you.