Nothing inspires change and transformation quite like the dawn of a new year. January 1 is a day that holds more promise and potential than any other date on the calendar. It’s a day to put the past year behind us and welcome a fresh start. I’ve always referred to it as “the ultimate do-over.”
Everyone looks at the new year a bit differently. Some folks are anxious because they don’t know what lies ahead, while others find it exhilarating to plot a new course or tackle new goals. I commit to making resolutions each year, usually writing them in the notes section of my smartphone. Putting my resolutions into writing makes me feel more obligated to carry them out. Resolutions can be simple, silly, lofty, personal, or professional. Whether you stick to them for one week, one month, or the entire year, I see them as a promise to keep climbing those mountains, exploring new passions, and becoming a better version of yourself.
No dental practice can be successful without setting annual goals. If you began 2025 exactly as you ended 2024, intending to keep business as usual, with the hope that things will improve just because the year changed, you’re fooling yourself. 2020, the Year of Covid, really turned the field of dentistry upside down. Nearly five years later, practices are still struggling to hire an adequate number of hygienists and dental assistants to stay afloat. Doctors feel short-staffed and unable to find the right employees. Turnover is higher than ever, and salary demands are unsustainable. You may be asking yourself, “How do I maintain this crazy pace for another year? How can I provide a healthy work environment for me and my team under such stressful demands?” News flash: demand will never go away. People will always need dentists, and dentists will always need their teams. The answer lies with you and the leadership you’re providing. Stop using the excuse that you don’t have time or you’re too busy and start this year off with a new vision for your practice. If you want things to change, you need to lead the charge!
The key is to aspire to provide better leadership. Being a great dentist does not automatically make you a great leader. That is why it’s important to bring your staff together and appoint roles and responsibilities to team members who can help you execute your vision. It’s time to plot out a happy and healthy new year for you and your employees. You’ll be amazed at how small adjustments to mindset and best practices can make a big difference on production and morale. Consider making these resolutions for yourself and your team today:
- Make recruiting and hiring a top priority. The right candidates are out there, but they won’t just fall out of the sky. It’s up to you to take the time to list job openings on various platforms and conduct interviews throughout the year. Never hire out of desperation. Ensure that job expectations are outlined in the interview so there are no surprises for you or the potential hire. Trust your gut when you are interviewing. Hire people you instantly connect with and train them properly, so they don’t feel overwhelmed or isolated in their first few weeks.
- Institute or re-institute the morning huddle. Don’t use the excuse that people come in at different times to not start each day with a plan of attack, or to discuss changes in the schedule. Get those who are there at the start of each day on the same page and assign someone the role to pass along pertinent information to those who come in later. Not starting the day with a plan is a recipe for disaster.
- Conduct monthly or quarterly all-staff meetings to share production goals, train on new technology, bring in guest speakers, and keep your team informed. Team meetings allow staff to come together and collaborate, voice ideas and concerns, and learn more about your vision for the business. They can be celebratory, motivational, educational, or all three. It’s important for everyone to have a day to slow down, regroup, and get back on the same page.
- Incentivize staff with contests and brag boards. It doesn’t always need to be monetary. People of all ages respond well to recognition and can be inspired to perform at a higher level with public praise or even a free cupcake. Friendly competition can motivate those who are quiet or lack confidence. It can also promote a fun atmosphere where staff love coming to work. Hang mantras on the walls, post photos of patients or employees to evoke a feeling of family and a tone of positivity in your breakroom and/or waiting area.
- Make education and incorporating advanced technology a priority. Dentistry is constantly evolving. Attend CE events offered by your vendors. Share new innovations you’ve heard about among your peers or read about in dental publications. Take advantage of training opportunities inside and outside of the office. Don’t allow anyone to say, “I’m not learning this” or “I’m too old to change how I’m doing something.” Ongoing training is an important part of growth within any job. Show your staff that it’s important to allocate time to their development and always be willing to learn alongside them. Your willingness to learn will greatly impact the mindset of your team.
- Hone your communication skills. Focus on your delivery and demeanor to ensure better comprehension. If people aren’t doing what you want them to do, ask yourself if you made your directions clear. This applies to patients accepting treatment recommendations and staff performing at the level you expect. If the results don’t meet your expectations, look within to see if you are communicating clearly. Remember, you are a role model and people are looking to you for guidance.
- Provide annual check-ins with all staff to discuss performance, strengths, areas for improvement, and goals. Every employee should have an individualized performance plan. Staff need to know how they are doing in your eyes, and they also need to be able to communicate their own concerns and future goals. Growth check-ins allow you to offer and receive valuable feedback to ensure you have the right people in the right positions to push your business forward.
- Do whatever it takes to maintain a positive attitude. As the leader, you need to be able to manage the unpredictability of the day and project an air of confidence and calm. If staff start spinning out of control, make sure there is someone who can troubleshoot, put out fires, and keep the team from spiraling. When the leader projects a “we’ve got this” attitude, even in the most dire situations, the rest of the team will be able to manage their own stress at a healthier level.
- Make best practices non-negotiable. Post a team mantra or mission statement and set clear expectations for how you’d like your practice to run. Lead with compassion, but don’t fail to hold people accountable when they make their own rules or abuse your policies. If things aren’t going the way you want them to, start by asking yourself what you could do differently to institute change. Handle conflict before it starts and address problems at the onset.
- Delegate. You don’t have to do it all yourself. Put the right people in the right roles, give them access to training and resources, then allow them the autonomy to help you lead. Appoint team members to positions that highlight their strengths, empower them, and keep the shared focus on providing a happy, healthy environment for patients and employees.
Big or small, all dental practices see a daily mix of chaos, monotony, and anxious staff and patients. Schedules often blow up with unforeseen emergencies, no-shows, sick staff, equipment breakdowns, etc. from the moment the lights are turned on. Every day may feel crazier than the next, but that’s often considered “just another day at the office” in this business.
Good leadership amidst chaos is what differentiates a healthy work environment from a toxic one. Structure, accountability, teamwork, and fun are the things that will make people flock to your practice. People tend to leave when they are left to fend for themselves with no real leader. The start of a new year is a great time to hit the “reset” button. Making small resolutions and adopting some simple best practices can eliminate stress and unite your team as they come back from the holidays or vacations. Change can happen anytime on any day, so don’t fret that the first month of the year is almost gone. All you need is a willingness to set fresh goals for the practice, and an ongoing commitment to collectively see them through. It’s the ultimate do-over, so take this annual opportunity and make this year more successful than the last!
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in DE Weekend, the newsletter that will elevate your Sunday mornings with practical and innovative practice management and clinical content from experts across the field. Subscribe here.
