I don’t know what it is about being a dentist in private practice, but some days I certainly feel that as a vocation, we are walking around dead set with a bulls-eye target stapled squarely in the middle of our backs.

A bulls-eye target visible to the whole world but totally invisible to us as dentists, both individually, and as a group at large.

Other dentists cannot see the bulls-eyes on our backs.

We cannot see the bulls-eyes on our own backs.

And most of the time, our spouses also cannot see these targets.

But they are there.

The public can see them.

And we cannot.

And often, these targets are so so visible to the public that they form a line to take multiple shots at your target.

This week I have been reminded of this fact.

Two of my colleagues have openly shared some human resources [HR] and industrial relations [IR] stories in an online dental forum.

On the surface their tales seem like pure fantasy.

Horror stories.

Horror fiction.

Tales from hell.

“Oh, that could never happen to me.”

Well, I’m here to tell you, it certainly can happen to you.

Despite your best intentions, as a small business, with often less than five or ten employees, and as a self-employed business owner, you’re a prime target.

Because you’re a technician, as Michael Gerber says.

You’re not really a business owner.

In buying or setting up your Dental Practice, all you’ve really done is buy yourself a job.

With all the headaches of owning a small business.

All you’ve really done is buy yourself a job with no boss.

Or in reality, you’ve bought yourself a job with a lousy boss.

You.

Because you’re ill equipped as a business owner to handle the snipers who want to take aim at your loud and livid bulls-eye.

That you cannot see.

You see, in reality, you’re not a business owner.

Business owners sit in their offices and oversee their domain.

They watch it, and monitor it.

They have their finger on the pulse.

You, though.

You’re a dentist.

Or you’re being a dentist.

Doing the dentistry.

And because of this, you’ve got your eyes in somebody’s mouth all day.

And not on your business.

And that’s where it all unravels.

“That will never happen to me”

Oh I can hear you saying:

“That will never happen to me”

“That only happens to bad employers”

“I’m a good boss. I’m nice to my employees”

Well, I’m here to tell you, it can happen to anyone.

Advantage is taken by any person who sees opportunity and vulnerability.

I’m not sure why that is.

But it is.

And in dentistry, as an employer, you *ARE* a sitting duck.

So beware.

My simple advice?

Document everything.

All agreements.

In writing.

Leave nothing to verbal.

And seek professional advice.

At all times.

When you smell a rat?

Seek professional help. From an IR specialist.

Every dentist I know who has needed to seek professional IR help has told me two things:

“It was expensive”

“It was worth every penny doing it right”

 

The Ultimate Patient Experience is a simple to build complete Customer Service system in itself that I developed that allowed me to create an extraordinary dental office in an ordinary Sydney suburb. If you’d like to know more, ask me about my free special report.

Email me at david@theupe.com

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