Three Big Steps When Introducing a New Dentist
By Imtiaz Manji on March 12, 2014 | 0 comments
Bringing a new doctor into a practice is a huge step for any dental team. Unless you can make the people around you really believe in what you’re doing, all they will see is disturbance, and all you’ll get is resistance. This is where leadership makes all the difference, and these three early milestones are especially important:
1. The Big Reveal: The unveiling of your transition plan marks a significant turning point in the practice, and you need to present it the right way. It shouldn’t be an “Oh, by the way...” conversation. Book an evening out for the team for a “special announcement” where you reveal your transition plan with the right sense of excitement.
2. The Big Hello: It’s not until the new person walks through the door that the reality of the transition hits home and your team realizes this associate is going to be an integral part of their life. Don’t have the new dentist just show up for work one day—that is a recipe for awkwardness. Arrange a get-together, preferably off-site, where your new associate and the team can get to know each other in a relaxed social setting. Again, you are striving for an atmosphere of celebration and anticipation.
3. The Big Test: There is no way around it, the first week or so is going to be chaos and tension, which is why it’s important to have an end-of-week debriefing where you can review progress and ensure momentum continues. You need to acknowledge that people may be feeling unsettled, but at the same time make it clear that your commitment to the transition is absolute.
The future is not in doubt—what is open for discussion is how to reach that future success. What did we learn in this first week? What did we do well? What can we do better? It takes a great leader to create a great practice and this is never more true than in times of change. Bringing a new dentist aboard is probably the greatest change you can introduce to the practice, and it requires perfect planning. Ultimately, it’s how successful you are in mobilizing and energizing your team that will make or break that plan.