Let’s get one thing straight: Growth is in the eye of the beholder.
No one (and I mean no one), should tell you or force you into a type of practice you don’t want to be in. First of all, it won’t work because your heart won’t be in it. Secondly, even if it did work, you won’t enjoy it; and that defeats the purpose now doesn’t it.
Not the next seminar, this month’s trade journal, your friends from around the country, your inbox, your mailbox or anything else … nothing should push you into a direction that you don’t want to go.
If you lack a clinical identity or a business identity (which is even more important), then it stands to reason that you need some help finding that to figure out what you love again and what you will be passionate about.
That said, most every doctor I meet knows what they want and they damn sure know what they don’t want. They know the type of dentistry they want to do, they know the hours they want to work, they know the headaches they want to live with because they think they are worth it and especially the headaches they don’t want to endure because they don’t care whether they are worth it or not.
All of these things matter.
Everything from what time you want to wake up everyday until what time you leave the office to get home and all of the things that happen in between.
You can’t just set out to “grow” your practice. That’s just a fun action word to use and to talk about.
You can grow your team, your patients, your dentistry, your hours, your building, your production, your income.
You can growth them all, you can decrease some and grow others. You can do whatever you want to do.
Please do not fall victim to arbitrary growth. And don’t let the charlatans and snake oil salesmen sell you on the flavor of the month and tell you that…
“The only way to grow is to sign up for all insurances.”
“The only way to survive is to be open 12 hours a day.”
“The only way to make money is to do every procedure.”
No. No. No. and NO!
Yes, these are ways to grow…the worst ways. The most unsophisticated, easiest, volume-based ways. Oh trust me, I have done them for some. I’m similar to a magic genie, I grant whatever wish you want granted. I don’t judge.
But these ‘trends’ are just things people sell. They are not the only way.
That’s why it’s important to decide WHAT YOU WANT – WHO YOU ARE – HOW YOU WANT TO WORK.
And once you have all of that figured out, then we can determine how you want to grow and continue to make your practice more valuable.
You can also grow by being more discerning over the patients you take and screening more selectively. You can grow by doing less procedures and focusing on specific niches. You can work on your team’s ability to sell and your ability to treatment plan.
The list is endless really, of how to grow your practice.
So often Doctors, when they own their business, forget they are their own customer. YOU ARE YOUR OWN CUSTOMER, first and foremost. You can give yourself whatever you want. You can order up any type of practice, lifestyle, income, clinical work, team members, patients that you choose.
Most just don’t stop long enough to take a step back, pause and ask themselves seven of the most important questions of being a practice owner (important for anybody, but especially you)…
1. What do I want more of?
2. What do I want less of?
3. What do I love?
4. What do I hate?
5. What makes me happy?
6. What stresses me out, zaps my energy, leaves me frustrated?
7. What makes me feel the most fulfilled, successful, proud
I challenge you to ask yourself these questions. Only then can we really create a customized practice growth strategy and plan for you that’s going to work and that you are going to enjoy and thrive doing.
That’s what true success is all about – You. Then once you find that, you can commit without second guessing, without doubt, without being misled or swayed by people or companies or things trying to remove you from your foundation.
Sure, you can and will always continue to evolve. However, when you really find yourself and commit, that’s when you hit your stride and the magic starts to happen easier, more effortless and more profitably than you ever thought possible.
If you’ve already got all this down…then get ready for next week and stay tuned for powerful and dynamic growth strategies that you probably haven’t ever thought about.
If you’d like some help figuring out your next chapter of your career…start here with this straight-to-the-point video presentation just for Dentists wanting to shift their practice to match more of their own personal vision, passions, and preferences.
