Do's and don'ts for practice leadership

As a practice owner and team leader, you need to make numerous decisions about management issues both large and small. To make this leadership role easier to handle, separate the decisions to be made into two categories: the 98% that will have little long-term effect on practice success and the 2% that will have a significant impact. By spending less time on the former and more on the latter, you'll be a better leader for your team and make better decisions.

Concentrate on the major decisions. Should you add more cosmetic services? Open a second office? Hire a marketing coordinator? Upgrade all practice management systems? Questions like these represent the 2% decisions, and they deserve careful consideration by you as the practice owner. Often, it is wise to consult with outside advisers who have specialized expertise in these matters that you lack.

Don't waste time on minor issues. If you let yourself get distracted by routine matters, you'll have less time for the big questions or patient care. You and your team will be happier if you learn to let go and move on to what really matters.

Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].

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