The last two months of 2024 were spent with clients reviewing practice performance indicators and setting goals for the new year. My decades of experience can predict how well the offices will stick to their goals. For some, the excuses will start to emerge around April. Other clients will take any obstacle as a reason to abandon carefully laid-out plans and strive for safe numbers.
The Grumpy Consultant. Image created using DALL·E by OpenAI.
Will this be you? I hope not.
The purpose behind this (what I hope will be a regular) column is to share how doctors and leaders sabotage their teams and goals. DrBicuspid's Editor-in-Chief Kevin Henry agreed to an anonymous arrangement so that I could be honest with what I see happening in offices.
Why am I "grumpy?" I've had great clients, and for that I'm lucky. But I've also advised clients who could not get out of their own way. Maybe their college roommate knows better. Maybe the Uber driver has brilliant ideas that blow mine out of the water.
You would also become grumpy when people regularly disregard your advice because they know better. Wait … you do know what I mean. You're in dentistry too!
Back to a new year, a new you. I'd like to share a few ways that dentists set themselves up for failure or just a very difficult year.
Let's start with my favorite seasonal word: Goals. It's so vague. Just saying you have them means you're an accomplished businessperson. It's perfect. How do you set these goals? Do you go by your favorite Facebook group's collective definition of success? Or perhaps evaluate the numbers swapped at the local dental society meeting? Let's use my grump-inducing client, Dr. Juan Abee as the subject of the column.
Dr. Abee likes to look at last year's numbers and raise the goal by 10% every year. His formula is the cost of living + inflation + pick which kid is starting college next year. We usually compromise by looking at whether they met last year's goals (shocking concept, I know), whether his expected costs will rise, and whether he's adequately staffed.
I know these are details but, luckily, I'm able to express their importance. Then we prepare for the amazing yearly kickoff meeting.
This three-hour meeting is held in the team's favorite location: the lounge they sit in every day, of course. Consistency is key! Everyone has their favorite chair, and we all know who is looking at their phone under the table. This glorious gathering consists of the doctor and manager going through all the new goals, protocols, and updates. Everyone nods and agrees to band together to provide ah-mazing patient care and explain the oral-systemic link to everyone, including the cleaning crew.
The aftermath of the meeting should be studied by Harvard business students. The doctor goes to brush his teeth and see the next patient. There's a hop in his step because the meeting went well, everyone was on board, and this will be THE YEAR.
When the doctor is spotted greeting the patient, the rest of the team descends on the manager. "Is he serious with that goal?" "We have needed another assistant for six months!" "Block scheduling again??"
The manager blinks as her head whips from team member to team member. Her mind is racing. Then she says what she must to calm the masses: "I'll talk to the doctor." I wish every manager had a dollar for every time they've uttered that phrase. They could all retire tomorrow and now who is going to keep the peace … Dr. Abee?
Experienced managers won't sit and complain with the others even though they really, really want to. That's not a good manager … that's a co-worker. Instead, they do what all good leaders do … they take it home and unload on loved ones.
Dr. Abee's drive home is a great one though. He's unaware that there are a few minds at work. Newer employees may decide that work is getting too hard and they should find another job. After all, everyone is looking for help.
The office veterans are convincing the others to hang in there, because after a few weeks, the "Great Fade" will happen. Solid efforts and high performance will slowly give way to old habits of confusing motion with progress. We color-coded the appointment book and set up barcodes for our inventory. We are killing it!
Do you see a small bit of yourself in what I wrote? It doesn't mean you're a lost cause … seriously. Many doctors make terrible business decisions. I'll share a secret: Most businesspeople make terrible business decisions.
Breaking the mold means both the doctor and manager need to be realistic about the office's capabilities. Are your employees able to move together toward success? Are you seeing patients who listen to you instead of fighting with you? Are you listening to the wrong colleagues or mentors? These are questions that only you can answer.
In a future article I'll discuss the lost art of firing the heck out of terrible employees. Many offices have dead weight walking around with a branded name tag. But again, another article.
I bring that up because change can seem impossible. It's definitely uncomfortable. Sometimes it's needed to reach that amazing seasonal phrase: inner peace. Until the next column, this grumpy consultant sincerely hopes that you have an amazing day at the office!
The Grumpy Consultant has a long history of entertaining audiences and sitting side by side with doctors and teams. Grumps has coached both superstars and absolute dumpster fires. Lessons can be learned from both camps, along with all the oddballs in between. If you would like to send a question to Grumpy, please forward it to the editor in chief at [email protected].
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
