Australasian Dentist Magazine Nov Dec 2021

Category AustrAlAsiAn Dentist 121 ColUMniStS i f having ‘enough time’ feels elusive to you, then you’re in good company. the majority of business owners, including dentists, experience the same challenge. After spending all day working, they go home and collapse at night, only to spend more time working on other business activities, like bookkeeping, payroll, and business administration. it’s a cycle that quickly drives a business owner into the ground, leaving them burnt out, tired, and wondering whether it’s all worth it. At the crux of this issue is how we manage time as a practice owner. Having spoken with hundreds of dentists about managing their time, i’ve found a common denominator is that many are reluctant to take time away from their clinical work. unsurprisingly, they perceive that generating revenue is the most important activity. While there’s truth in this, if your time is focused only on chasing money, eventually you will hit a ceiling that makes it difficult (if not impossible) to grow your business. Without the time and energy to think, plan, and implement in a way that grows a business, the transition from self- employed worker to true business owner won’t happen. in short, if you stay on the tools, your business won’t grow. How you plan your day counts the one true equal is we all have 24 hours each day, so why is it that some achieve so much in their available time while others achieve only a modest amount? the Creating time Make time as a practice owner And reclaim your life and business By Dr Jesse Green answer lies in establishing a structure in which we use our time and energy wisely to work both on and in our business. Here’s how i approach this: instead of working day to day, i coach dentists to create a default diary that provides a macro view of a certain time period, for example, a week or fortnight. Within that time frame, we assign a specific theme to each day. u Clinical – obviously, these are days assigned to seeing patients. u Administration – days that you address tasks related to delivery of care (for example, referrals), financial administration (paying bills), general administration, and some meetings. u Business building – time to focus on projects, key meetings, critical thinking. u Free days – yes, these are included in the plan because taking time to relax and rejuvenate is essential for growing a business sustainably. Within each day, we take a micro view, and depending on the type of day this will vary. Here are just a few general points to consider in your approach to maximising your day: u Follow a morning routine. Consider what sets you up best for the day and do that. Whether it’s meditation, reading, exercise, listening to music, allocate that time each day. u Manage your energy. When do you feel you do your best work? if you’re a morning person, focus on your most critical tasks then and save the less critical for other times. u Follow an appointment book structure on clinical days. u On administration days, prioritise your efforts and focus on tasks that move the needle. u Allocate time for thinking and reflection on business building days, ensuring the day isn’t consumed by administration tasks. Why is this level of detail and structure so important? By planning ahead we ensure that days ahead of time we know exactly what we’ll be doing. On an administration day, we don’t just sit down and start figuring out what needs to happen next. it’s already been worked out well in advance. like many principles of high performing dental practice ownership, managing your time is simple, but not necessarily easy, particularly as it demands changes in habits. However, within a relatively short time, rewards can appear as growth and more effective management of what was an increasingly unmanageable business. u Dr Jesse Green is a leading business coach for dentists, author, speaker, and founder of the Savvy Dentist Academy. He is the creator of the Practice Max Scaling Framework and many other tools, including strategies that help dentists to leverage their time more effectively. Learn more at https://savvydentist.com Jesse Green