Archive for Work Life Balance
When people ask me why I had to write “Killing the Practice Before It Kills You“, a how-to guide on running a successful dental practice while having more work-life balance, I explain how I wanted to help other young dentists avoid the mistakes I made.
The truth is, it wasn’t all my idea.
Writing this book came as a suggestion from my brilliant wife, Trish (My Sweetness). I had just written and published my memoirs as a gift to my two daughters. In my memoirs, I wrote about my heart attack at 41, and how it changed my outlook on business and life.
Sweetness said: “You know that story about how you killed your practice? That needs to be shared with other dentists. They can avoid making the same mistakes you did.”
Writing the book was a labor of love, because it caused me to really think through some of the mistakes I made, and also why I made the choices I did. Some of my strategies are interesting, to say the least, like why I believe you should fire all of your staff. However, it worked for me because I created a future of choice.
My hope is that enough dentists pick up the book, read it and apply half a dozen principles to their practice. I don’t see that happening, though. Most dentists will tell me that they are so smart that they already know what to do.
Are you one of them?
Can Dentists Do It Alone?
Posted by: | CommentsWe dentists think we’re so smart and so invincible. We believe we can do it all on our own, because, hey, we graduated dental school, didn’t we? Newsflash, doctors! We simply cannot do it all on our own, not while maintaining a profitable practice and a healthy work-life balance.
I’m asking you to think back to kindergarten…. Do you remember what it felt like? Do you remember getting stuck at the top of a slide or being unable to tie your shoelaces or forgetting how to get to the bathroom? What did you do? You asked a friend.
Somehow, in this new “grown-up world”, we have lost track of this important Kindergarten lesson for dentists: Ask a Friend.
When I survived my near-fatal heart attack at 41, I was forced to lean on others to help me maintain my dental practice and re-engineer my life. I had to ask a friend. I had no other choice! At that point in my life, instead of feeling defeated that I had to ask for help, I was reminded that even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
Here are times when you need to Ask a Friend in your Dental Practice:
- You need to know what your patients expect in terms of service – ask your team
- You need to create systems for profitability in your dental practice – ask your accountant
- You need to raise your kids with strong values – ask your spouse
- You need to run your business with responsibility and accountability – ask your coach
- You need to know what is really most important – ask yourself
To think that you can do it all on your own is a deadly mistake. Don’t make it!
Have you “Asked a Friend” lately?
How did that turn out for you? Please share your story by posting a comment here.
