The following is a guest post by Jameson Management. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here.

If you already have a good practice, going to the next level is challenging. Delightful, but challenging. Why? Because you wouldn’t have a good practice if you weren’t doing a lot of things right. So, give yourself permission to pat yourself on the back for work well done. “That which is rewarded is repeated,” according to Dr. Michael LeBoeuf. And then, take a hard look at what you can do better.

Take the time to Analyze

Take a look—a hard, honest look at each and every one of your systems and ask yourself, “What are we doing well?” Do more of that! Then ask yourself the really difficult question, “How can we do this better?” That’s the most important question for dental practices today! Certainly, the time to sit back on your laurels is not now!

Take your good practices and make them great. One of the most dangerous things you can do is become complacent. As we come out from under tumultuous economic times, now, more than ever, we need to focus on constant improvement.

Take into consideration both the pros and the cons of issues that are impacting the industry today. Take a good hard look at your practice and make supreme effort to go back to the basics—the things that put you where you are now—and be diligent about making each aspect of your practice even better.

For example: No matter how well you think you customer service may be in your practice, I would suggest that it could be even better. As a team, review the internal promotion/customer service protocols you are performing that add to the health and well-being of your practice and which enhance your patient’s experience with you. Then, together, decide on three new things that you can add to your customer service protocols. Set your goals for these protocols and then design a plan of action for each of the three new protocols/services. Next, put the plans into action. Continually review the results to assure their effectiveness and success. Then, add to the services—on a regular and continual basis. Do this with each of your systems.

The 25 Management Systems

There are 25 management systems in your practice. Those systems are:

1. Attitude and Expectations / Mission Statement / Goal Setting
2. Communication Skills
3. Scheduling / Broken Appointments / Filling Voids
4. Morning Huddles / Team Meetings
5. Patient Financing
6. Insurance System
7. Full Use of Computers
8. Overhead Control / Fee Analysis
9. Payables
10. Monitors
11. Accounts Receivable Control / Statements / Collection
12. New Patient Experience
13. Treatment Planning
14. Consultations / Case Presentations
15. Patient Education
16. Clinical Efficiency
17. Charting System
18. Hygiene Retention
19. Periodontal Program
20. Marketing / Practice Building
21. Telephone Skills
22. Sterilization / Infection Control
23. Inventory Control
24. Follow Up on Treatment Diagnosed and Left Untreated
25. Intra Oral Camera System

We have never been in a practice where these systems are as good as they can be! Without question, we’ve been in some excellent practices where many things are working very well, but we’ve not seen perfection to date! If you improve each of the 25 systems by 1%, that will make a 25% difference for you – a positive difference. Taking a highly productive practice and making a positive 25% difference is very significant!

On the other hand, if you do not feel that any of your systems are as clean, or smooth flowing, as they should be, then you have a lot of work to do, but you also have a tremendous opportunity. Growth for you will be boundless!

Step back. Humble yourself. Look at your practice with wide-open eyes. Commit to making every aspect of it better. Not only will you be more productive, but you will also be more profitable, and you will obtain control of the stress that is caused by systems that are not working succinctly.

Try This Exercise

Refine each of your management systems. Find ways to make each system a bit better. This may be a good time to have your practice evaluated by a management professional. A third-party set of eyes is effective when determining where your practice can be improved. Coaches are appropriate for everyone who is interested in continuous improvement.

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