Stop choosing confusion

 

Do you have a decision that you are finding difficult to make?

 

Examples of decisions dentists find difficult to make,

•   Reprimanding or dismissing a staff member
•   Leaving a toxic practice
•   Attending non-clinical training over clinical training
•   Focusing on private over NHS

I have worked with many dentists who bring to the coaching call decisions that they are finding difficult to make, they want the certainty they are making the right decision.

 

They have done the research, collected facts and figures, canvassed opinions, discussed options in many meetings and yet still are unable to make the decision they know they must make.

In every case the dentist instinctively knows the decision and action they must make, yet they procrastinate, and choosing confusion rather than clarity.

Once the decision has been made everyone reports how much lighter they feel and how much clearer their head is. Decision making is liberating.

 Rather than making things easier, avoiding making decisions creates burdens, people carry around baggage of unmade decisions which weigh you down until they become over-bearing and you crack.

When you do make difficult decisions you grow as a leader, your team respects you more, not least because they are desperate for you to take the difficult decision, more often than not, they agree with your instinctive, unspoken, unmade decision.

Tips to make decision making easier

•   Define your vision and culture, evaluate your options through the lens of your values and culture.
•   Work with a trusted coach who gives you time to time and keeps your thinking focused as you bounce ideas.
•   Acknowledge you are making the best decision you can right now.
•   Practice making decisions
•   Follow up a decision with an irreversible action.

Reasons why people, like you, avoid making decisions and choose to be confused.

•   People pleasing. You are never going to please 100% of people 100% of the time, and you do need to make decisions for the benefit of the practice, team, patients. and yourself.
•   Worried what stranger will say. Other people’s ,especially stranger’s, opinions don’t matter. Those who are close to you love and respect you will support you when you make tough decisions.
•   Fear of making the wrong decision. Acknowledge you are making the best decision that you can right now with the information you have available. Situations may change and with hindsight there may have been other options, that at the time aren’t available now. You may handle the conversation less than perfectly, you can learn and move on.

Not making a decision is actually making a decision; the question is does this serve you or sabotage you?

Make your decisions conscious and make ones that serve you

Make decisions frequently, collect only enough data and trust your instinct.

•   If you think a staff member needs remanding or dismissing, do it, lawfully
•   If you think you need to leave toxic practice, leave, find, or create a healthy one.
•   If you think you need to develop the non-clinical skill of dentistry, join a course
•   If you want to focus on private over NHS, up-skill your communication, customer service and clinical skills and do it

What is the decision that you have been putting off and must make?

What decision can you take before the end of the day?

 

If you would like to discuss anything that has been raised in this article, please contact Jane

Jane@IODB.co.uk