Does your schedule feel like it runs you? If it does, you are not alone.
That was the focus of the webinar I recently did with Dr. Summer Kassmel. We talked about starting the year with a smarter strategy for balancing clinical time, CEO time, and your personal life.
You are running a practice. Leading a team. Seeing patients. Reviewing payroll. Responding to emails. Researching vendors. Fixing the marketing. Planning your kid’s doctor appointment. Trying to remember if you ordered the logo chapstick. All of it. And, somewhere in there you are supposed to be the leader of the office too.
When we discussed this, what became clear is how much of your week is getting eaten by tiny interruptions and low-level tasks. Not because you are bad at delegating. Not because you are lazy. But, because you are used to being capable: so, you just handle it.
It is faster if you do it yourself…the first time. But, what about the fiftieth time? If you tracked one normal week and wrote down every interruption, every “quick” task between patients, every little thing you squeeze in at lunch, you would probably find hours. Real hours. That do not require a dental degree.
This is where I am going to lovingly push you. Hiring a personal, administrative, or executive assistant is not a luxury move. It is not for celebrities. It is not dramatic. It’s not overkill. It is practical.
You do not need someone 40 hours a week. You might need someone five. You might need someone ten. You might just need someone who handles the things that keep you stuck in the weeds so you can finally think.
I see it over and over again. The minute a doctor gets the right support, everything changes. They breathe differently. They lead differently. They stop being their own bottleneck.
No, it does not happen perfectly on day one. You will have to train someone. You will have to let go a little. It might feel uncomfortable. So, does staying overwhelmed.
If you have been telling yourself, “I do not need an assistant yet,” I want you to pause and ask yourself if that is actually true. Or, if you have just gotten very good at carrying too much.
You did not build your practice to be buried in admin.
If something in you has been whispering that there has to be a better way to operate, listen to that. It is probably right.
Looking for more support in your day? Set up a consultation call with our team and let us show you all of the resources Dental Success Network has to offer.
Ready to hire an assistant? Check out GSD Queen and set up a call with me directly about how I can support you.
Until next time,
Ashlee Hirschfeld
Chief Operations Officer Dental Success Network
CEO GSD Queen
