Building Your Basics: Building Your Confidence
Turning the page on August was particularly challenging this year. Let’s face it, as much as we cannot wait to see the end of 2020, the ease with which we enjoyed outdoor time during the summer was also a tremendous source of comfort.
Fall and the coming winter are bringing higher levels of anxiety this year. Parents are wondering how reopening schools will work. We want our kids back in school and enjoying time with their friends. But will this lead or contribute to the dreaded second wave?
A second wave concerns many of us on more than just one front. The most obvious concern is that ourselves and our loved ones remain healthy. However, we will also be concerned about the potential impact it could have on our practices.
So far, dentistry has come out of the lockdown in quite a robust manner. Even the sucker punch of the WHO telling patients to put off non-essential treatment until the end of the pandemic has not slowed down many practices. But a second wave could risk that progress, so it is understandable that many dentists are nervous about such a possibility.
However, there is something else we also know about a second wave. It will come or it will not come no matter how much we worry about it. We can take some steps to protect ourselves. However, spending too much time stressing about it will only cause…well… stress. Instead, we need to focus on the things we have a greater ability to control.
Redirect that energy to those aspects that can take your already great practice and make it even just a little bit better. Make sure your standard of care is up to date and that all team members are familiar with it. If training is needed, make sure it is provided. With all of the COVID changes we have had to make to our procedures, there is a good chance some training is necessary!
Have you updated job descriptions and/or office policy and procedure manuals to reflect some of the new procedures COVID has introduced into your practice? It is nice to think that any such changes will not be permanent and that we can get back to our “old ways” soon. However, that may take some time…so best have your documentation up to date for what is going on.
Many of you may have to update your employment contracts to accommodate COVID concerns. DentalPeers will actually be holding a Member’s Only webinar on this topic with lawyers from Emond Harnden on September 16th…certainly looking forward to some great information there.
With all the talk of “dentistry in the new normal”, it may seem counter-intuitive to go back and address these fundamental basics of your business operations. But having these matters looked after can provide you and your team with confidence that you are solid to the core with what you are looking after.
Confidence is key in dentistry! It always has been but perhaps more so now than ever. If your patients are nervous about seeking treatment, having a team that believes in their mission…that believes their health, safety and wellbeing are being properly addressed…can convey that confidence to your patients.
So, build your basics with a focus on showing your team you believe in them. They will then be more likely to believe in you…and so will your patients!