PLAN ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE DAYS OF YOUR PRACTICE YEAR

No!---I don’t mean plan a day to schedule a killer-amount of dentistry!  I’m talking about a PRACTICE PLANNING RETREAT.  A Planning Retreat is a day out of the office to assess practice work systems, plan improvements, set new goals for the year, and strengthen teamwork and interpersonal communications.  Attendees include all dentists associated with the practice and all team members, part-timers too.  Well planned and enthusiastically presented, a Planning Retreat can be one of the most productive days any practice schedules.

Guidelines for a Planning Retreat:

• Schedule a Retreat at least three months in advance so that dentists and team members can put the day on their personal calendars.
• The Retreat should be held off-site, in an attractive out-of-the-office setting.  A conference room in a hotel or local business such as your bank or accounting firm is a likely venue.  Working off-site emphasizes that a Retreat is far from a routine work day, and a different setting encourages expanded thinking and out-of-the-box ideas.
•  Distribute a written agenda to each attendee as the Retreat begins.  Seek input from all involved at least a month prior for topics to be included in the day’s discussions.  Assign time slots to each topic and stick as closely as possible to the plan so that no one issue monopolizes the discussion.  A good way to generate ideas for topics to be discussed is to ask each attendee to list: (1) What’s working well in their work area and needs to continue; (2) What needs to be changed; and (3) What needs to be stopped.
•  Begin the Retreat with a short enthusiasm-building session to break the ice and signal an enjoyable, up-beat day in which every dentist and team member will participate.  Ask that every person remain open-minded and positive, ready to listen as well as to talk.
•  An experienced facilitator who is not an employee can be invaluable, even if brought in for only part of the day to address and coach a specific issue such as team communications.

As the team evaluates current work systems and plans new goals, assign tasks to individuals along with deadlines for accomplishment.  Record all topics discussed and decisions made, and follow up at subsequent staff meetings.

Practice Systems to be evaluated and worked include:

            Personnel matters---number needed, hiring process, training, work schedules,                                                performance appraisals, etc.

            Physical facility---needs, changes

            Business desk

            Patient flow and processing

            Finances---production goal, collection goal, costs, savings, budget for the year

            Scheduling for the dentist(s)

            Scheduling for the hygienist(s); Recare system

            Operatory and lab

            Inventory control

            Practice growth and marketing

            Administrative details---such as delegation to staff, government regulations,                                                  office calendar, practice business monitors-daily, weekly, monthly, and                                            annually, etc.