When practice owners feel like things are getting stale, one of the best ways for them to jump-start their motivation is to try something new. This can be anything, really, as long as it is new. What new things have you done in your practice lately? Have you added a new service, increased fees, or dramatically improved customer service? Have you taken steps to make the schedule far more efficient or delegated things that the dentist shouldn't be doing?
In the business world, innovation is seen as one of the key factors in success. For example, Apple created the iPhone, and Microsoft created Windows. New ideas generate excitement and energy. Great practices are built one innovation at a time. Go out of your way to be innovative and keep you (and your practice) from becoming complacent and production from becoming flat. Each year, you should select one item for innovation. If you are going to add a new service, then start studying the year before and attend continuing education tracks to really master that service. Develop the right marketing to properly introduce it to your patients and plan to begin providing it on a certain date. If you decide that it is time to improve your scheduling system, then you need to understand how to analyze what you have and then build a new schedule based on mathematical principles and production goals.
Innovation can come from anywhere. If you need ideas, you can ask colleagues what they are doing or have done recently that's new to expand their practices. It is also important to read journal articles, attend courses, and keep an open mind as to what you could add to your practice to help grow it. Something that may appear difficult to accomplish at the outset could become a lot easier if it becomes your singular innovative focus for the next 12 months. We always encourage clients to identify at least one area that they would like to improve or expand on each year and then create a plan for achieving that goal. This will have a direct positive effect on practice production.
