43 Rules: Rule No. 2 -- Have a vision

Jun 8, 2016

In his recent book, 43 Rules to Increase Practice Production, Dr. Roger P. Levin shares recommendations for achieving greater practice success in the new, more challenging dental economy. The following is an excerpt.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, founder and CEO of practice management consulting firm Levin Group.

All good leaders have a vision of where they're going. As a third-generation dentist, I am only too aware that most practice visions doctors create in dental school fall by the wayside when they graduate and enter practice. Doctors put so much effort into building and retaining a patient base, working with the team, and interacting with patients that they lose sight of the vision.

Vision answers one question -- where do you want to be in three years? The best CEOs always have a vision. They know where they want their company to be in three years. In bigger companies, they must have a vision to share with the board of directors and shareholders. In a dental practice, dentists have no one to answer to except themselves. As a result, they often operate without any vision of where they're going and simply hope that things get better.

Highly successful CEOs also have written vision statements. They don't simply keep a vision in their head. They put their vision in writing, so that it can be easily shared with others. When a vision in your mind becomes a written vision statement, it helps you and others commit to it.

43 Rules to Increase Practice Production by Dr. Roger P. Levin.

My suggestion would be to start by simply writing down a list of key points you want to include in your vision statement. Don't worry about the order or importance of each item. Then put the list away, come back to it in a few days and prioritize the list.

What are the most important items on the list that must be achieved within the next three years? Wait a few more days and incorporate those items into a three- to four-paragraph statement. Not only will this help you clarify where you want the practice to be in three years, but it also becomes a written document that can be shared with the dental team. Most employees are far more motivated in a work environment where they know the vision and feel that they have a greater purpose than simply coming to work every day.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the chairman and CEO of practice management consulting firm Levin Group.

To learn all the new rules Dr. Levin has developed, based on more than 30 years of experience consulting with dental practices, download the digital version of 43 Rules to Increase Practice Production, available for just $59.00.

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