Remind and reflect: The third of three steps in a stress-resistant dental practice

1. Reigniting yourself
2. Reprioritizing yourself
3. Reminding yourself

Over the past couple of months, we posed two challenges in ending the madness and creating a less stressful life and practice. Our first article focused on reigniting passion for dentistry through a commitment of 100 hours of CE per year, every year, no exceptions. The second article centered on reprioritization, with an emphasis on the dentist’s energy spent being targeted at high-priority needs and wants.

Finally, we close the series by placing an emphasis on dentists and teams taking a step back from daily operations and taking time to think, strategize, and be intentional about the direction of their practices.

This month, we will focus on step three: Reminding yourself.

How many times have you taken a vacation only to find that you didn’t come back to the office refreshed? It seems like most vacations follow the same format:

Day 1: Race to finish the week so you can leave on time. Travel to your destination.

Day 2: Arrive and collapse.

Days 3-5: Activities to “make the most of our time,” and for some unknown reason you start regurgitating some of the problems at work.

Day 6: You finally start to unwind. “Wow, I could use another week.”

Day 7: Travel home. Encounter delays. Start rehearsing the first day back in the office in your head.

First day back: Arrive at the office exhausted and greeted by cancelled patients, a sick hygienist, a 12-inch stack of mail, and 130 new emails with most marked urgent. Gosh, sometimes I wonder if taking a vacation is even worth it?

Sound familiar?

As dentists we are inherently competitive. If we weren’t always that way, then it was at least ingrained in us during dental school. We push ourselves to be more productive, more experienced, more interesting, more confident … often at the expense of our own lives and practices. By the time we take vacation, we are completely spent. Of the three steps that we have discussed so far, remind and reflect are the most important in reducing stress in the dental office. Most of us do not take the much-needed time to sit back and remind ourselves of why we are doing this and where we want to go with the rest of our lives. So why not start today with the following seven reminders below:

1. Remind yourself to wipe your lenses. You need a clear vision for the future of your practice. Think through your vision and write it down. Keep it to less than one page. Share it with your team and ask for their input. Make it specific and make it attainable. Reflect on that vision with your team regularly.

2.Remind yourself that in order to protect your net, you must be a “goalie.” Setting and monitoring goals matter. Without clearly defined and articulated goals, we most often just orbit around mediocrity. Use “stretch goals” to challenge your team, but make certain they are realistic and achievable. Learn to develop simple, one-page strategic plans that drive performance. Celebrate when you win; regroup and try again when you lose. Remember there are times when not getting what you want today might just be the best thing for you.

3. Remind yourself that the person who matters most in the practice is you. Your leadership is critical. Your team and patients will follow your lead if you learn to lead properly. Your practice will not serve patients or fulfill team members without you setting the example and setting the standard for excellence. Strive to do the right thing every time and then worry less about what others think. Go with your gut and trust your conscience — it is usually right. To have the practice of your dreams, focus your time and energy on making your best team members even better. Create an environment that allows motivated and talented employees to rise to the top. You are not expected to have the right answer every time — build trust and listen to your team. If you are properly leading your team, you will never again have to say, “This is my office and the last time I checked, it is my name on the door.”

4.Remind yourself to watch the big screen. Keep your eye on the big picture. So your assistant prepped the tray with one too many cotton rolls or your hygienist privately challenged you on a patient diagnosis, because she thought you might have missed something. Dismiss ego and control. Focus 90% of your energy on today and 10% planning for tomorrow on today. Measure only the metrics in your practice that matter to your success.

5.Remind yourself to stop leaving early if you want to arrive sooner. We can’t all be the department chair, the owner, or the CEO today. We all graduate from dental school not knowing what we didn’t know. It takes nearly a decade to find out where our talents lie and what we want out of our professional lives. Be patient and willing to put in the time and effort it takes to achieve your dreams.

6.Remind yourself that sometimes it’s OK to check out. Find value in letting go, stepping back, and putting the chaos into perspective. Don’t wait until vacation to think about work. Reflect on what you have achieved for yourself, your team, and your patient community. Remember that September is always a tough month for dentistry and all successful practices will ebb and flow. Stop beating yourself up. No mountain is too high if you take it one step at a time. And remember that success is typically preceded by insurmountable chaos.

7.Remind yourself that there are no famous dentists. You are not, nor will you ever be Suuuuper Dentist! You, your team, and your patients are only human. You will make mistakes and you will hurt other people. They will return the favor. You won’t always bring your A-game. Want to know the key to case acceptance? Be honest and treat your patients like human beings instead of customers. Rejoice in the little things. Simplicity may be the key to significance.