Dos and don'ts for leadership: Formulating a disaster plan

Many dentists are often unprepared to protect their practices when disaster strikes. It is indeed ironic that dentists dedicate their lives to the health and well-being of others, yet many leave themselves vulnerable to a significant financial or emotional setback due to a lack of planning for unexpected events.

Have a plan -- don't just talk about it. Every practice should have a disaster plan. In case of a disaster, your recovery plan is the one piece of information that allows the dentist and team to move forward and recover.

Don't assume disasters just happen to other people. There are many potential disasters facing us in life. As the old adage goes, life is a series of roadblocks, and it is just a question of when the next one will appear. Having a disaster plan is like having life or disability insurance. Most dentists would never consider going without life insurance, but they do allow themselves to practice without a disaster plan.