STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR DENTAL TEAMS

By

Karen Fulton Davis, RDH; BSDH

 

Corporate America can serve as a business model for the business of dentistry.  Successful corporations for years have been committed to development of vision, strategic planning and goal setting.  The success of dentistry for years has been based upon the reality of supply and demand.  Refining vision, strategic planning and establishing goals is often an overlooked priority in dental practices, but suddenly becomes one if the balance in supply and demand changes and a lull develops in productivity.

 

This article takes a look at how to position a dental team to meet goals today, while simultaneously focusing on planning for the future. The three areas of focus are: Vision Refinement, Strategic Planning and Goal Setting.

 

Refining the Vision

 

Team involvement in vision refinement, strategic planning and goal setting can be accomplished with the aide of a professional facilitator, or can be accomplished within the team alone, but must be guided by the doctor’s leadership.  If the doctor already has a written vision, the next step would be strategic planning. If there is not a written vision, the place to start is to consider answers to the following questions at your next team meeting:

 

What do we want to accomplish?  (Be specific)

What outcomes do our patients want?

 

Take the responses from those two questions and formulate a statement of your vision based upon your desired end result as well as the patient’s.  Make it clear and concise so that it is easy to internalize. 

 

An example of a practice vision, following this exercise might be,

 

“Our vision is to provide the finest restorative, periodontal and aesthetic services available using a comprehensive approach to treatment along with the latest technological advances for ease and effectiveness.  Our commitment to our patients is to provide enough information to make good decisions, answer questions, and respect each individual’s freedom to choose their own level of dental health.  It is our intent to provide an atmosphere that is caring and rewarding for all who choose to be a part of this practice.  We welcome and cherish personal referrals.”

 

Strategic Planning

 

Once a vision has been established and refined, the next step is development of strategies to insure accomplishment of the vision.  It is helpful to begin strategic planning by an assessment of where you are currently.  Answer the following questions:

 

1) What are the necessary adjustments to be made in order to accomplish our vision, consistently?

 

2) What are the barriers we must overcome in order to accomplish our vision?

 

 

Once those have been identified, it is helpful to divide the team into two focus groups.  One will focus on what is necessary in order to accomplish the practice vision presently. The “Present Team” should be made up of those individuals more interested in improving what is, and doing things right, between now and approximately 12 months from today.

 

The second group will focus on what is necessary in order to accomplish the practice vision in the future. The “Future Team” should be made up of those individuals more interested in creating what isn’t, and innovation toward doing the right things, for future growth approximtely12 months and beyond. 

 

Teams should meet individually for strategic planning related to 1) Necessary adjustments to accomplish vision and 2) Overcoming barriers.  By implementing strategic planning for both the present and the future simultaneously a dental practice can avoid stagnate growth that all too often creeps into a practice while you are “too busy” to notice. 

 

The following samples give an idea of what strategic planning might look like following a well-planned team meeting devoted to this topic:

 

Present Team

(Sample Strategic Planning)

 

Necessary Adjustments to Accomplish Vision?

Hire an office manager

Take course on laser dentistry

Develop continuity in responding to patient’s questions

Barriers to Overcome?

Locating right individual for office manager

Expense to attend laser course

Fear of sounding rehearsed or insincere in communication

Team resistance to change

Strategic Plans Related to Vision, Adjustments, and Overcoming Barriers:

à     Doctor offer team financial incentive to find the right person for office manager within the next 60 days

à     Business Administrator, track revenue generated through laser treatment following course

à     Each team member, add one role-playing topic to monthly team meeting agendas for managing patient’s questions

à     Each team member read the book, “Fish” by Stephen Lundin, prior to next team meeting and bring at least one pearl to share with the team

à     Entire team, identify patients daily on schedule daily to ask for referrals

 

Future Team

 (Sample Strategic Planning)

 

Necessary Adjustments to Accomplish Vision?

Target a new patient population

Add a second dental hygienist

Add an espresso/ coffee bar

Barriers to Overcome?

Previously, new patients have only come from local radius

Unknown costs to equip extra operatory for second hygienist

Remodel of reception room for espresso/coffee bar

Burn out from team

Strategic Plans Related to Vision, Adjustments and Overcoming Barriers:

à     Business Administrator develop web site and begin marketing to new residents in community in 12 months

à     Hygienist meet with dental supply company within next 2 months to begin estimating costs for adding second operatory next year

à     Clinical Assistant contact general contractor within next month to secure estimate and plans to remodel reception area for coffee bar

à     All team read the books, “Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard and “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey within next 12 months

 

 

Goal Setting

 

Once the vision is refined, and strategic planning is underway you want to develop a mark at which to assess accomplishments and continue to make necessary adjustments.

 

Monthly, goals should be set, and monitors reviewed for:

# of new patients

# of referrals from existing patients

# of comprehensive exams

Percentage of treatment acceptance compared to treatment diagnosis

Percentage of active therapy and periodontal maintenance compared to overall hygiene procedures

Percentage of open time for doctor and hygiene schedules compared to total time available

Hourly production for doctor

Hourly production for hygienist

Total daily and monthly production for practice

 

Annually, goals should be set for:

Average monthly percentage of overhead

Number of days devoted to C.E. for doctor, and team

 

Strategic planning for dental teams will not only improve the business of dentistry, it makes the journey more satisfying along the way. 

 

 

 

 

 

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