Your Dental Practice - What's Your Mission?

When I speak to dentists around the country, they often stress how much they enjoy practicing dentistry, but that they don't always love the "business side" of running a practice.  I ask them to reframe their thinking and to think of themselves as the CEO (aka Chief Executive Officer, President, or Supreme Ruler) of their dental practice.  If you think of yourself as the CEO (which, after all, is what you truly are), if you embrace the challenge to become a passionate, knowledgeable, and dynamic leader, your will find that you will begin to view your practice in a whole new light.

THINK LIKE A CEO 

Reframing your role as that of the CEO helps you to think about running your dental practice like most CEO's run their businesses. It can help make you more open to utilizing benchmarks, incorporating technology and best practices, and partnering with dental specialists in various areas (your dental rep, CPA's, legal, banking/financing, brokers) with skills you may not have. This is the approach that is commonly taken by other business leaders. Why should your dental practice be run any differently?

What is something that many businesses have to help inspire their teams and their customers?  Something that is on their website, their promotional material, maybe even on their business cards?  It's a mission statement!  It's the organization's reason for existing and the reason for their employees to be a part of their team. 

WHAT'S YOUR MISSION - YOU'RE REASON FOR BEING?

The goal of a mission statement is achieved when it clearly defines a reason for existing, when it is concise, and when it helps inspire the team and their customers/patients.  But be careful not to confuse a goal with a mission statement.  For example, a goal for you might be to create $2M in wealth by the age of 60 so that you can then sell your practice and retire.  But that's not a mission statement.  That's not something that you'd want on your practice website, hanging on the wall in your reception area, or on your business cards.  Or at least I hope not!

DRAFT MISSION STATEMENT

Think about why you got into dentistry and what your practice provides to your team and your patients on a daily basis.  How about this for a draft mission statement:

"Our mission here at ABC Dental is to make our patients, our team, and our community healthier and happier."

That's it. Short, sweet, and maybe even a tad inspiring. Something that you'd be proud to place in your office and have your patients see every day. Something that might help motivate your team and help them appreciate the incredible impact that your practice has on so many people within your community. Oh, and have your team be a part of creating the mission statement - that will create buy-in and make them even more proud of the practice and the wonderful things you all do. 

NOW PUBLICIZE IT

Once you've finalized your mission statement, "Go Tell It on the Mountain!"  Publicize it for all to see - in your waiting room, in your ops, on your website, on the back of your business cards. 

And once you have created your mission statement, congratulations - you are on your way to embracing your role as the CEO and you've opened yourself up to a new way of thinking.  Your practice will thank you!