Take Control Now
Hello Drs,
How are you going with the restart of your clinics?
Our ring around of doctors and laboratories has shown invaluable responses.
The laboratories are quickly picking up the pace of work coming in and most of this is apparently from cases that were planned pre COVID19. That is great news.
This information aligns with what doctors are saying as well, which is that patients are still focused on the past treatment plans that were put in place previously.
However a number of clinics are finding that a number of patients are putting off revisiting until their employment is secured. Which is to be expected and advise for handling this situation was covered in previous newsletters. (Please refer back to these newsletters for guidance)
This newsletter will cover:
1) Jon’s Update
2) Tactical Responses
3) Marketing Right Now
4) Summary
1) Jon’s Update
I’ve been spending my leisure time (of which I currently have heaps of), reading up on the Harvard Business Review and Australian Company Director papers.
As we all do when there is not much else to do.
This has been rewarding and thought provoking.
Let me share some of these thoughts that I have gleaned from these seriously ‘dry’ journals.
- Change is the new normal
The need to change has been motto throughout my career. I strongly believe that if you are not changing you are probably going backwards.
- What happens next
This has been a weekly proposition. I expect that will continue to occur for the rest of this year. We must be prepared for it.
- These are unprecedented circumstances
Your staff will be relying on you to be very focused and on top of your game. You are the ‘captain’ in the storm so, remain calm and on top of your game.
Calmness on the outside is required even if you are shaking within.
- After the storm
It will pass but we are not sure when
- Need for speed of change
- How do we regain momentum
- Our current climate is a combination of environmental, political, industrial and economic circumstances
We can not control any of this however we must appear to be control of our own environment – our dental clinic.
On a bigger picture over the past decade this is why dentistry has resulted in its position today.
- Breathing space
This is the period of time we have ahead of us until circumstances take the next turn. Which will coincide when rents return to normal; banks ask you to make full payments on your loans; job keeper comes to an end and the real level of unemployment hits home.
- Mental health in the workplace
This currently costs Australia up to $12.8 Billion a year in absenteeism, which is predicted to get a lot worse.
A positive work culture and good decision making and communication give people certainty in a complicated world.
Clear and stable leadership is paramount.
- Fighting the fallout
Global financial stress is around the corner. What will you do?
Drs, please focus on patients’ basic needs and instill lifetime plans for them. It is the patients’ treatment plan in their time frames which will be set by their individual financial circumstances. “Walk in their shoes”.
- Power of passion
Your leadership role is critical.
2) Tactical Responses
1. Don’t be complacent
2. Understand your changing market - place
3. Have multiple plans for multiple services
4. Team meetings must be regular – weekly or even daily is imperative
5. Step up to your new management role
6. Plan to move quickly when opportunity knocks and when change is anticipated
7. Act on the current information
3) Marketing Right Now - see separate article
4) Summary
We have found this reading to be incredibly helpful. It has assisted us to clear the ‘fog’ which has clouded our thinking as all of the rapid changes have been thrown at us. We hope that this is the same for you.
If you are also finding these changes daunting, please give us a call and we will add some clarity to moving forward in your clinic.
It costs you nothing to chat with us.
Kind regards Jon and Erica