North Texas Dentistry Volume 10 Issue 3 | Page 21

and the lack of opportunity for personal development or personal growth .
My own personal experience coaching healthcare professionals validates this concept . Those doctors that make time for personal development or growth appear to have developed an immunity to
Lack of leadership and culture development
Burnout is the result of stress , long working hours , and the lack of opportunity for personal development or personal growth .
fine these vital guidelines , and when left to their own , they will each act according to their own interpretation and essentially view the practice ’ s purpose and mission through their own internal operating system . Furthermore , without well defined , mutually accepted , practice values , there are no overarching principles that dictate how we interact amongst our team and with our patients . The negative consequences of this lack of clarity and guidance is significant . Dealing with these consequences daily is a major contributor to burnout in my opinion .
These are all leadership functions . Leaders build strong cultures and strong cultures are a major factor in our practice ’ s success . burnout . Developing new skills , reading , meditation and a host of other forms of development are the key .
It is worth noting that our staff experiences burnout for the very same reason . Providing staff with opportunities for personal or professional growth will help reduce turnover and increase staff engagement and commitment .
Doing too much by not prioritizing and delegating
Invariably , I find that doctors who are burned out and complain about poor work / life balance are putting in long hours needlessly . I find that they are hesitant to delegate tasks or they are not developing their staff to a point that the staff can handle a multitude of non-vital tasks . Consequently , they are overburdened with these non-essential tasks that can and should be handled by staff .
I wrote an article once about how anarchy can emerge in a dental practice . In the article I stated that unless we provide our staff with a sense of purpose and mission they will be left on their own to de-
In summary , burnout is serious and can have long-lasting negative consequences for our health and well-being . Pay close attention for signs of burnout and act quickly if you notice any telltale signs .
Drs . Joel Small and Edwin ( Mac ) McDonald have a total of over 75 years of dental practice experience . Both doctors are trained and certified Executive Leadership Coaches . They have joined forces to create Line of Sight Coaching , a business dedicated to helping their fellow dentists discover a better and more enjoyable way to create and lead a highly productive clinical dental practice . Through their work , clients experience a better work / life balance , find more joy in their work , and develop a strong practice culture and brand that positively impacts their bottom line . To receive their free eBook , 7 Surprising Steps to Grow Your Practice Through Leadership , go to www . lineofsightcoaching . com .
I believe that the doctor ’ s time should be put to its highest and best use . This requires the skills of prioritization and delegation , both of which are acquired skills and easily taught . The benefit to prioritizing and delegating is that we now have time for the personal development that prevents burnout and we have more time and energy for our families . www . northtexasdentistry . com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 21