The Going-It-Away Dentist

18 Jul The Going-It-Away Dentist

This is a familiar story both within and outside of dentistry.

The business owner with a good track record but with only one way of making decisions. And of course with that track record why should he be challenged? He has a decision to make, seeks opinion, speaks to a few colleagues informally, perhaps a few members of staff or a confident and then when he is ready, launches his decision. This strategy for decision making has served so many businesses owners for years and it worked really well for a number of reasons;

1. The pace of change in business was not that fast
2. It relied heavily upon knowing the industry or profession inside out
3. A robust business can survive most things

But how relevant is this strategy in 2014 and what has changed?

1. Businesses now change at a pace that would have been unimaginable even 10 years ago
2. Issues are now much bigger, more complex, more frequent and more emotional
3. It has been tough. Balance sheets are weak, customers are less loyal and move frequently

So, if going it alone is no longer viable outside of dentistry, what impact could going it alone be having upon your dental business? Well, are you absolutely certain from your existing decision making process that you have the right strategies that will help you achieve what you want? How do you test your thinking and how confident are you that doing things the way they have been done in the past will be viable both now and in the future?

Still prepared to go it alone? Well, lets also be certain that you can hold a mirror up to your business and recognise it’s biggest challenges and weaknesses (even if it’s you) and be confident that the people that you do have conversations with about your business have no vested interest and have the width of perspective and depth of experience necessary to help you.

How might going it alone effect your own personal effectiveness?

1. Can one person really handle all of the big decisions on their own?
2. How can changes be communicated quickly enough and understood well enough by everybody?
3. How can you expect your team to accept change and make sacrifices without understanding why they are being asked to do it?

If you recognise that going it alone is no longer working for you, you are not on your own and that’s why we launched Club Connect. Picture yourself in a room with a group of trusted and experienced peers…what would you ask them, what feedback would you expect to receive and how might that help you and your business? Of course this works both ways and to benefit from being a member you will be open and willing to share, have a desire for continual improvement and be ready to take on and implement new ideas.

If you think that you have the necessary skills and experience to bring to a Club Connect group then I would like to hear from you. We are conducting selection meetings in all parts of the UK and offer online booking so that we can easily arrange to speak with you.