Status quo is a Latin term referring to the existing state of affairs. If you are running a dental practice, staying at the status quo also is a potentially perilous place to be. Read on to see why remaining at the status quo can mean stagnancy for your practice, and how Bryant Consultants can help you snap out of this phase and start growing your business again.
As a business owner, you always should feel empowered to meet the next challenge
Think about how far dental science has advanced in just the past few years. Many restorations such as crowns and veneers now can be made chairside through the use of CAD/CAM technology. The advent of digital technology has streamlined various administrative and organizational tasks, ranging from taking and updating appointment schedules to billing to even making patient records accessible with just the click of a button.
Ask yourself… is your dental practice evolving right alongside technology? In any industry, there are those who seem content with the current state of things—the status quo—while others always are striving to seek out new innovations and find new ways to improve while maximizing efficiency and minimizing overhead. The field of dentistry is no different!
Sticking to the status quo is easy, safe… and risky
Irrelevant. Obsolete. Neither of these are words that you want to have associated with your practice, but by remaining at the status quo, your practice runs the risk of being qualified with both these adjectives by your clientele. Let’s say a new tool or technique starts to become popular in dentistry. You are happy with the way you are doing things now and don’t see the need to change. Then, a competing practice in your area starts to use this new breakthrough and promotes it. What do you think is going to happen? Curious patients may want to go see how this breakthrough benefits them. The next thing you know, you’re dealing with the attrition of your client base, and face the task of rebuilding your patient population to existing levels—all while now being behind your competitor.
Engage your team
Share your vision for the practice with your employees and, more important, ask for their input. How would they like to see the practice grow in the coming year? How about the next five years? What ideas do they have for improving the way you treat patients or streamline the overall efficiency of your office? Their answers might surprise you. Your team members have just as much investment in your practice because if business declines, they face the stress of potentially having to change jobs. Moreover, asking your employees to have a voice in the vision and future direction of the practice will make them feel more engaged and involved, and their productivity and performance will improve as a result.
Do an honest audit of where your practice stands
As the owner of your practice, you always should be evaluating every aspect of your operation to see where improvements could be made. Just like you advise each of your patients to come in for regularly scheduled appointments to help maintain good dental health, you should conduct a “check-up” of your practice at regular intervals. Write down some areas where your practice may have become stagnant, and set goals you want to accomplish. Then compose a list of three to six steps you can take to make these goals a reality.
Running a dental practice is a big responsibility, and sometimes you might need help incorporating certain methods. Bryant Consultants is here to help. We offer a wide array of dental consulting services, including in-office or off-site coaching, leadership training, team building, and much more. Our services can help you realize your vision, establish goals, and set processes in place to evolve your practice. Contact us by calling (877) 768-4799.
We provide consultation, training, and coaching to help improve the operations of your practice so that you can provide exceptional results to your patients. No office is out of reach for us…we will even come to you!
