Operating a successful dental organization is like building a 3-legged stool. Without any one of the 3 legs, the stool doesn’t work. And all 3 legs are equally important when measuring the success of your dental service organization (DSO).
These 3 legs are easy to understand, but not always easy to execute.
You can also call these legs the Dimensions of Success. Results, People and Processes make up the 3 legs of the stool and each represent a crucial piece of the formula for success.
#1: Results
Results are simply that, the accomplishment of the goal or task and the ending result. Results may be measured in collections, compensation, profit, number of practices, etc.
As dental entrepreneurs, you may frequently be focused on the results of your practice(s), which are very important for the longevity of any DSO, but results alone would simply be a one legged-stool. It would fall over very quickly.
Results aren’t enough for a successful organization.
#2: People
The second leg of the stool is people. This leg represents the relationships and the rapport between team members, between patient and provider, etc.
It’s often said that business is about building and maintaining relationships. Dentistry is no different. Relationships built on mutual trust and respect, with a foundation of integrity will reign superior in the end.
#3: Processes
Last, but certainly not least, are processes. The process leg includes all of the systems, methods and defined approaches for driving results. Processes should always be known, repeatable, and proven to drive the results you’re expecting.
Putting The 3 Parts Together
While everyone is capable of mastering all 3 legs of the success stool, we each have a natural tendency toward one.
Ask yourself about the natural tendencies of yourself and your team members – do you have a team full of people-oriented individuals that aren’t quite as apt at driving the results? You may need a results-driven individual to balance out the team.
Alternatively, do you have an entirely results-driven team that may feel like a high-stress, fast-paced environment and could be off-putting to patients and team members? You may need a people-oriented person to align the team.
To truly measure your success, ask yourself if you're receiving the results you’re striving for.
Do you know the processes that have gotten you to those results? Are they able to be replicated? And lastly, can you honestly say that the relationships are intact and there have been no relationship casualties?
If any one of these 3 legs is missing or weaker than the others, the stool won’t stand. So, it’s vital to keep a balance within your organization in order to reach your goals.
