The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

PROBLEMS INVADING YOUR OFFICE?

PLAN FOR SOLUTIONS

Recalling a comment made by one frustrated client always makes me smile. I had just arrived for a three-day, in-office management consultation, and, as we drove from the airport to his dental office, we discussed some of the challenges he was facing. A veteran of almost a dozen years in practice, he expressed his frustrations this way: "Whenever I get the office running smoothly and think all is going well, it creates a vacuum and sucks problems in."

Have you experienced a similar phenomenon, that sudden change from smooth waters where everything in the office is sailing along, to violent stormy seas where nothing goes right? Adding to the frustration, this drastic change can sometimes occur within just a few days.

Obviously, we can't discuss all problems that can occur in a busy dental office, but I’d like to present something I've read about that is often used in motorcycle training courses, the concept of target fixation.

When teaching novices the ins and outs of safe motorcycle riding, the instructor often tells the students to expect the unexpected, obstacles or events that can occur instantaneously when a rider is on the road. The instructor warns that if the rider stares at the obstacle ("target fixates"), he or she will steer directly into it. If, on the other hand, the rider looks above and past the obstacle to where he or she wants to go, the obstacle can be avoided.

Apply this concept to the obstacles in your dental practice. Problems occur in every work situation, in every dental office. Rather than "target fixating" on the annoyances and difficulties, allowing them to grow and creep into many aspects of the practice, step back. Ask for input from trusted team members. Seek advice from outside resources (attorney, accountant, practice management consultant). If necessary, examine alternatives, and then decide on priorities and actions to take.

Keep in mind that no decision is a decision, no action is action. Once the path to solution seems clear, do not delay. Get moving to rectify the problem as quickly as practicable.

The problem that one fixates on is the one that seems unavoidable, even insurmountable. Believe that every problem has a satisfactory solution, one that may be hard to reach, but one that can be achieved with logical analysis and perseverance.

Be sure to check out our Free Resources for Your Practice for additional insights, information, and practice management tips.