The more you delegate, the more you're able to focus on what you enjoy or do exceptionally well. Unfortunately, delegation is often not employed by dentists. By nature and training, dentist are generally do-it-yourself people -- highly trained, clinical experts with all power and authority over their practices because they are the owners. All of this causes them to have an antidelegation mentality without them even realizing it.
Train your team to perform at a higher level. This investment in training will pay back over and over again, as the dentist can then move to the highest level of productivity and production.
Don't feel guilty. You've probably heard the statement "I wouldn't ask anyone to do anything I wouldn't do myself." With leaders, there is often a guilt factor that prompts them to think "I should pitch in. I shouldn't think that I am so important that I would not do these things." The guilt factor is very strong, but this type of mentality is counterproductive to a dentist's desire to build an outstanding team who will take on the tasks that allow the dentist to focus solely on clinical work.
Dr. Roger P. Levin is the CEO of Levin Group, a leading dental management consulting firm, and one of the most sought-after speakers in dentistry. Levin has authored 65 books and more than 4,000 articles on dental practice management and marketing. You can sign up for the Levin Group Tip of the Day.
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