DEBRA MILLER
DIRECTOR OF COACHING
Most endodontists reach a point where growth starts to level off. Sometimes it happens long before it was expected. At that point, many endodontists start to look around for ways to get back on track. They might implement some cherry-picked ideas that they heard or read somewhere. And predictably, these steps often fail to reignite the desired forward momentum.
Eventually a lot of doctors feel they are up against an insurmountable barrier to further growth and success. Trying to understand the reasons, they may point out limitations in their team, in referring doctors, in their location, in the economy, or any number of potential factors. They may even chalk it up to their past decisions, which are too late to change now.
For this reason, and others, doctors often “settle” around a certain level of success in their practices. Settling means they stop pushing for continued growth. They stop believing that more success is possible for them: that they could have a more productive, more profitable, and more stress-free practice. They settle for less-than-ideal even when they know that other endodontists have achieved significantly better practice results.
Lone wolf mindset
The real culprit holding back the practice in these situations is often the doctor themselves. Invariably, most doctors reach a point where they have exhausted the extent of their knowledge on how to run their practice. Without more experienced outside expertise (from educators, coaches, consultants, or advisors), the practice cannot make progress.
This seems obvious and yet many doctors resist seeking out the resources they need because they have a “lone wolf” mindset, which manifests in a few ways:
- The belief that “as a doctor” they should certainly be capable of being an expert in finances, team training, leadership, marketing, and other business matters.
- The belief that they must “do it all themselves” when it comes to managing the business, the team, and operations of the practice.
- The belief that they can save money or time by doing it themselves.
- The belief that they must micro-manage every decision to achieve their goal.
- The belief that their practice is so unique that no one else has any direct experience that is applicable or relevant to their situation.
The reality is that doctors spend most of their time chairside providing patient care. Usually, there simply is not enough time and energy left over for doctors to become experts at everything else at the level they need to continue to grow. The consequences of the lone wolf mindset can lead to stagnation, lost time, lost opportunities, daily stress, and burnout trying to juggle it all.
“Physician, heal thyself”
The first step is recognizing when you are at the point of diminishing returns with your own knowledge to drive further business success. You have grown your practice naturally based on your common sense, learning from colleagues and journals, and trial and error. Now (unless you have abundant time for research to become your own expert), the best path forward is to engage professional advisors.
The benefits of a coach (vs. being a lone wolf):
- Experienced coaches create more efficient practice operations based on proven strategies, workflows, and productivity.
- Experienced coaches support you to continue to focus on providing excellent patient care and a positive patient experience without being distracted.
- Experienced coaches understand how the practice grows and can help you set better goals—both more achievable and at a higher level.
- Experienced coaches know how to engage your team, train them with improved systems, and motivate them to create a harmonious and productive environment.
- Experienced coaches can masterfully blend practice systems, scheduling, marketing, and productivity to significantly improve financial success while reducing daily stress and management burdens for the doctor.
Remarkable success in endodontics is highly achievable, but it does not require going it alone. Thinking that you need to handle every aspect of the practice solo is a significant barrier to achieving your goals. Embracing the wisdom of those who have excelled in endodontic success can provide valuable insights, accelerate your practice’s growth, and lead to more efficient operations. So, break free from the lone wolf mindset and unlock your path to a better endodontic practice.
Endo Mastery can help you and your team reignite growth and achieve new levels of stress-free productivity. For more information, give us a call to discuss your goals and priorities.