North Texas Dentistry Volume 7 Issue 4 NTD 2017 ISSUE 4 CONV DE | Page 27
The Know It All (KIA). We all know this
guy. This practitioner tends to bully
his/her staff and vendors because they
are always the smartest person in the
room. The funny thing is that they them-
selves create most of their own problems,
by not accepting other professionals’
ideas. This doctor typically hires staff to
fill various roles. But like the DIY-er,
they make all decisions within the prac-
tice because they can’t let go. They can’t
delegate any decision-making to their
staff. Some feel their staff is incompe-
tent, or they just don’t trust their judge-
ment. This is typically because they hire
incompetent employees because they are
cheaper. Eventually the staff gives up,
morale drops, and the practice suffers.
The Teacher who could be also labeled as
The Leader. This individual has grown
past both the DIY and KIA phases in life.
This person tends to have a happy, ful-
filling life and career. They train their
employees on procedures and decision
making, and hire people they have con-
fidence in. This allows them to mentor
staff, who in turn handle most small
decisions concerning daily tasks. This
philosophy allows the doctor to special-
ize in what he/she wants to do. It also
gives the doctor freedom to attend func-
tions and mingle with others in the com-
munity. This leads to more exposure and
a full patient base. Most successful prac-
titioners fall into this category.
In fact, many try and fail. Many are mis-
erable and stressed out, and some find
they could have done just as well with
one practice as they do with multiple.
This is because their personality limits
their ability to manage so many things at
once. We all have our limits, and recog-
nizing them is what will keep us success-
ful. It takes a special kind of personality
to accomplish this successfully, which is
why so many successful corporate dental
companies are run by business people.
In conclusion, I have always thought of
myself as an entrepreneur. I’ve opened
three successful businesses during my
career, but my first was an utter failure.
I too had to grow through each stage one
by one. For some of us, growth is natural,
others must work hard. Sadly, a few get
left behind to grind out their living. If
you are struggling, look at your practice
and identify the problem. If you can’t
identify it, seek help. But, be ready for
some hard truth. Chances are the prob-
lem can be found in the mirror. Find em-
ployees and vendors that you can trust.
They should be able to free you up, so
you can do what you should be doing.
Your best assets are you and your
dental skills. Don’t waste them fixing
your own equipment, ordering supplies
and/or scheduling your own patients.
If you can delegate, then focus on den-
tistry – you may find your Zen and be in
command of your office.
Duane Gallup is a
founder and manag-
ing partner of Vital
Technology Group,
LLC. He has been a
dental I.T. profes-
sional since 1997
when he started his
first I.T. company,
Arlington Comput-
ers, later sold in
2006. From there he consulted for Microsoft and
worked with Dallas’ State Courts. His current I.T.
company has limited their focus to dental technol-
ogy. Contact Duane Gallup at: [email protected].
The Entrepreneur. This is a fast-growing
part of dentistry today and is the
hardest to master. We all see it happen-
ing around us. Many call it Corporate
Dentistry. These guys have mastered the
Teacher stage and gone one step further,
allowing them to take a more global
view of the business. They have in fact
become a business professional. Den-
tistry is simply their industry of choice.
They are typically hiring dentists who
don’t yet have the skills to manage their
own practice.
It’s important to recognize that not all
corporate dental owners are truly quali-
fied to open or manage multiple offices.
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