Do you need a dental business coach?

We know that most dentists or dental practice owners have wondered if they need a coach or consultant at one time or another.  The cliché comparative is that most professional athletes and business people have had a coach at some point in their career, so why shouldn’t you? 

We are always learning ever and should never get to the point of not learning and developing in some way and that is why coaches and coaching are now commonplace.  When you consider engaging with a coach, it has to be the right type of coach for you.  You need to be clear on what problems you want to solve and be ready to commit to putting in some work!

Common problems related to running a dental practice?

Every dentist I know who owns a dental practice has had to learn the business quickly and they all say it was not easy in the beginning. Mainly because business is not covered in any great detail in the undergraduate curriculum.  Even business owners that have run their practice for many years get caught up in the norms of working rather than being efficient, effective, and measurable. Of course, the business can be learned, and you can employ people to run and manage your dental practice, but you still need to have control, have a vision, and be a leader.

Every practice is run differently, from NHS to elite private and everything in between.  Regardless, of what type of practice you have, you have to manage and control the bottom line; and you have to enjoy your business and of course, love your dentistry.

The best well-run dental practices have well-designed systems and great people who are trusted to run and self-manage themselves and all aspects of their role.  Great teams are created and supported by a great leader.  Without a strong motivational leader, the team can be misled and disempowered.   Without well-designed systems, there will be flaws that typically cascade into issues.  It is common for those types of practices to develop quick-fix solutions and patching up problems with the aim of trying to hold everything together!  Resulting in BURNOUT!

Burnout carries a very high risk for all dentists who own and work in their own practice. Your in-tray is always full from a never-ending cycle of paperwork, signatures, treatment plans, referrals, staff issues, invoices, etc. etc.   On top of that, your schedule is full, you work over lunchtimes, and you finish late OR you have gaps and financial stress. 

You don't need me to tell you this, but when you get burnout you are no use to anyone.  So in order for you to always be your best self in business, with your patients, and with your family, a supercharged structure is required.

Another ill effect of burnout is that sometimes principals think the solution is to sell their practice to a corporate.  Of course, that could be a favourable option, although there's always the option to create structure, a framework and support to systemise and grow your business where you gain control and reap the rewards.

You are doing better than most Dental Practices if you:

• Have total control of finances
• Have a handle on your team and have great people
• Know what you need to do in marketing
• Have clearly defined business processes
• Have clearly defined clinical processes
• Are able to effectively delegate

If you struggle in a particular area of your business, you must consider a coach. The longer you struggle with something it will inevitably negatively affect other areas in both your business and personal life.  Working with a coach will help you focus your time and energy where it needs to be, ultimately saving yourself lots of time and focus in the wrong areas. 

As you read this, there may be areas in your business, career, or personal life that could be jumping out in your mind, unless of course, you have got it all mastered and have total balance.  If you have been thinking about a coach to help you in your business, you will need an understanding of what type of coach would be the best suited to your needs.

So, what are the different types of dental business coaches?

Are you needing someone to help you put everything into place and help you organise and plan?  Someone, to help you take a step away from all of the goings-on and help you to reconnect with your vision and create actions?  If this is ringing true, then a coach that can support you with strategies is what you should be looking for.

Is your business chaotic?  Is there no clear system in the clinical and business areas?  Are the clinical and business teams pulling against each other?  In this case, you would need a dental business coach who understands the dynamics of running a dental practice and who could support you and your team's development.  This is best done with the whole team, although some strategies and planning would likely be with the owner and manager.

Do you believe it to be one area in your dental practice that lets the practice down such as sales, front-of-house, profitable hygiene, or marketing? If so, you may choose a specialist coach or course in those areas?  When you do choose a specific area of development, make sure that the coach is experienced in other areas.  This is vital because every system and department interlinks with another one, and whilst full practice development may not be required, adjustments in other systems will be necessary.

 Should you hire a coach?

Some people have an ability to reflect, have mastered resilience and are capable of taking stock and bouncing back to what they were once focused on.  Not very many people can do this well and fewer people can do it repeatedly.  Added to this, team members can come and go, leaving practices open to training, re-training, and re-hiring, resulting in diluted systems and instability.

If you decide coaching is for you the first thing I would recommend is to think about the positive outcomes you want to achieve.  State what you want instead of stating what you don’t want.  If you want a better team, be more specific about what you want them to be.  If you get clarity on what you want, you will be better placed to choose the right type of coach that suits your needs.  A personal recommendation is always a validation of a good coach.

Before you make your choice it's sensible to research a variety of coaches and if possible have conversations to allow you to ascertain if you will receive the type of support you require.  

You don’t know what you don’t know!

If you are curious about how a coach can help or would like support in systemising your business and developing your people, why don’t you schedule a 30-minute FREE discovery call in the link below!

https://www.loveyourdentistry.co.uk/schedule-a-discovery-call