Dentists are not firefighters, so you shouldn’t be running around trying to put out fires all over the practice. If everything feels urgent in the practice, it’s because it’s running on reaction instead of intention, and when that’s the case, nothing gets improved. You don’t need a firefighter — you need a system!
A great system will free up your time, your time, and your mental energy to focus on what actually moves the practice forward, so start building today!
1. Start with Purpose
Starting with your Why is crucial, because without a purpose, your systems become optional. That’s when you find yourself constantly harping on about what didn’t get done. However, when the whole team understands the purpose, it creates peer-driven accountability.
2. Build Buy-in through Participation
When you build any system, you must involve your team. I’ve found that when systems aren’t followed, the real problem isn’t compliance — it’s ownership. Like Kirk often says, “Without weigh-in, there’s no buy-in,” so engage in productive brainstorming with your team and let them help shape the solution. You’ll find that your team members will provide real-world insight into what’s already working and what’s breaking down, and you’ll emerge from these sessions with more clarity, confidence, and commitment.
3. Keep it Specific
The key to a great system is that it works on any given day — if it can’t be followed on a busy day, then it’s not a usable system. You must clearly define each step of the system so there’s no confusion about how to follow it, because that clarity will help you create momentum.
What I recommend you do is design your system, then have someone unrelated to the role try to follow it. If there’s a lack of specificity, it will become clear and you can make adjustments. When you can correct these friction points before implementing your systems, you’ll be able to prevent breakdowns before they happen.
4. Maintain Accountability
People think of systems as “set it and forget it” tools, but that’s not the case, because systems require constant accountability to keep them alive. Every system needs an owner who is responsible for it, and there must be clarity around who this person is and what they’re responsible for — we like to use a Function Accountability Chart to accomplish this.
A system that’s ignored will stagnate over time, so it’s crucial that you establish clear timelines for revisiting and reviewing systems. I recommend using a checklist to track your systems and document when you’re going to come back and revise them. Your practice will evolve over time, so it’s important that your systems do so too.
When you embrace systems, you can finally stop worrying about putting out fires. And it’s not because the problems are disappearing, but rather because they’re no longer repeating. When you sit down with your team and collaborate on these systems, it will make everything better. You’ll create confidence, alignment, and momentum, and your practice will be able to move forward and improve.
To learn more about ACT and how we can help you build a Better Practice and a Better Life, reach out to Gina!
Tune in next time and learn why conflict in your practice is important!
