As a Henry Schein One Consultant, I have worked with hundreds of practices over the years. So many times when asking a practice about their goals, I hear:
“We don’t have goals,” “We used to have goals,” or “I don’t feel we need goals”.
Focusing on patients and dentistry is of course a high priority, but so is deciding what you want to achieve for the future.
- How much would you like to produce this year, or next year?
- Would you like to buy additional equipment to expand, or bring on an associate?
- Are you near retirement, or do you want to market your practice?
Most people know the answers to those questions, but they haven’t thought of what they might do to work toward the answers.
And that’s understandable—owning your own dental practice can be very profitable as well as fulfilling, but it does come with its own challenges. Even with a great team, state-of-the-art equipment, and excellent patient care, thinking ahead might be the last thing you want to do when your day-to-day keeps you more than busy. But setting goals can help you stay focused on what you are working towards and help your practice advance beyond the
Include your team as well. When all team members are committed and working together toward achieving the goals you’ve set, they know what is expected of them and your whole office can celebrate when you reach each goal.
SMART Goals
It’s important that the goals be SMART— from Paul J Meyer’s “Attitude is E
- Specific – what specifically do you want to achieve?
- Measurable – how can it be measured?
- Attainable – is it in your power to complete it?
- Relevant – is it realistic?
- Time-bound – when would you like to achieve it by?
Tip: Goals that are unclear will be difficult to measure and follow, and goals that are too high will demotivate your team.
One thing that’s really helpful in keeping you and your team motivated toward your goals is using the reporting system you have to track your results. Make sure you’re familiar with what reports you have, and continue education about your dental practice management software so your team knows how to enter data and can run reports that help you see and track your achievements.
You are the practice manager, owner, and employer, so creating goals must begin with you. Implement clear systems that everyone can understand and follow, then track your success!
Learn More
If you found these ideas helpful, learn more about the Dentrix Profitability Coaching Program, where one of our highly skilled and experienced profitability coaches teach these, and many other great concepts, strategies and ideas, to you and your team. To find out more about Dentrix Profitability Coaching, CLICK HERE.