{"id":1205,"date":"2023-11-09T13:27:19","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T18:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warsaworthodontics.com\/?p=1205"},"modified":"2023-12-19T11:38:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T16:38:08","slug":"the-benefits-of-a-strengths-based-orthodontic-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warsaworthodontics.com\/the-benefits-of-a-strengths-based-orthodontic-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of a Strengths-Based Orthodontic Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Dr. Emily Watson<\/b><\/p>\n
Medical practitioners who open their own practices \u2013\u2013 or take over an existing practice \u2013\u2013 aren\u2019t always ready for their new role as a business person and boss.<\/span><\/p>\n In part, this is the nature of our training.<\/span><\/p>\n Doctors, dentists, orthodontists, and other medical professionals devote years to learning the skills we need to improve the lives of patients. What we aren\u2019t taught is how to manage a business or read a profit-and-loss statement. We aren\u2019t taught how to figure out what the expenses should be for the practice. We aren\u2019t taught how to manage employees. Our credentials say such things as MD or DDS, not MBA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We arrive at our newly opened or newly acquired practices excited about treating the people who come to us for care. But we also have, almost overnight, become bosses and are asking ourselves, \u201cWhat leadership skills do I need? How do I set expectations and communicate them to my team?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That was me nine years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n I took over an existing practice ready to put my orthodontic skills to use, but walked into a work situation where gossip, drama, and negativity ran rampant. What in the world had I gotten myself into? I preferred to focus on correcting overbites, underbites, and other problems with teeth, but it was clear that one of my priorities needed to be correcting an out-of-balance work culture.<\/span><\/p>\n Initially I was hesitant to do so, not because I was OK with what I saw going on, but instead because I didn\u2019t relish the idea of having those difficult conversations with team members. I didn\u2019t want to deal with the conflict and make people resolve the issues they had with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking back, I know that\u2019s not the right course. Sometimes those conversations must happen and it\u2019s better for everyone involved when they do.<\/span><\/p>\n So, like many other medical professionals who suddenly are business owners, I got to work learning.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finding Your Strengths<\/b><\/p>\n As it happens, I had a foreshadowing that I needed to hone my people-management skills back when I was in my residency. One day someone in an assisting program was assigned to do X-rays with me. I was in a time crunch and in my haste to finish I was abrupt with that person, leaving her with hurt feelings. Afterward, a faculty member discussed the situation with me. \u201cI understand you were in a rush and needed to get this done,\u201d he said, \u201cbut six months from now you are going to graduate and will have an entire group of people you need to lead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n