From Surviving to Self-Determined Seriesâ„¢, Part 2
By: Dawn Patrick, COO + Business Strategy Coach, IgniteDDS
Missed Part 1? Read it here.
Every December, dentists begin thinking about next year: “I want to produce more,” “I want a better team,” “I want less stress,” and “I want to take home more money.” These are all valid desires, but the problem is that most practices stop there. They want growth, but they never define what growth actually looks like.
As a result, January arrives with excitement and good intentions, and by March, those intentions have been replaced by the same daily pressures that existed the year before. The cycle repeats, not because the dentist lacks ambition and not because the team doesn’t care, but because there was never a clear plan.
Wishing Versus Planning
Many practices are unknowingly operating on wishful thinking. They hope:
- The schedule stays full
- Patients accept treatment
- Collections improve
- Team performance increases
- Profitability grows
The challenge is that hope doesn’t create accountability; numbers do. The practices that consistently grow know exactly what they are trying to achieve and how they plan to get there. They know:
- Their annual production goal
- Their collections goal
- Their new patient goal
- Their hygiene goals
- Their treatment acceptance targets
These numbers become the roadmap that guides decisions throughout the year.
Numbers Create Confidence
One reason dentists avoid goal setting is that they’re afraid the goals may feel unrealistic. In reality, the opposite is true: numbers create confidence. When a $300,000 growth goal is broken into monthly, weekly, and daily targets, it suddenly becomes manageable, the team understands the objective, progress becomes measurable, and success becomes predictable.
The Cost of Flying Blind
Without goals, it’s impossible to know if you’re winning; without measurements, it’s impossible to know what needs improvement; and without accountability, growth becomes accidental. And accidental growth rarely lasts.
The Bottom Line
If you want next year to be different, you need more than hope. You need clarity, measurable targets, and a team that understands how their daily actions contribute to the bigger picture.
Download our Annual Goal Calculator Worksheet and start creating meaningful goals that can guide your practice throughout the year.
Most importantly, know that you don’t have to build the roadmap by yourself. At IgniteDDS Coaching, we help dentists transform uncertainty into confidence by creating systems, accountability, and achievable plans for growth. The most successful practice owners aren’t the ones who know all the answers; they’re the ones willing to ask for support and build a team around their success.
Schedule a Discovery Call and let’s start planning your Self-Determined Future together.
