It is very interesting how the biggest challenges once we get into orthodontic practice are often not related to treating orthodontic cases. Sure, we may see some very difficult and unusual cases during our careers that are head-scratchers. But these are not the challenges that keep you at work for extended periods or stress you out regularly. The three T’s that create a challenge for almost all orthodontists today are Time, Talent, and Technology.
Time
Time is our most valuable resource. It is a non-renewable supply, and many different competing interests are working to consume it. We struggle to manage time and maximize our effectiveness at work. Our personal, business and family responsibilities compete, while many distractions aim to consume the time we want to spend with what is important. Since we spend so much of our days in our offices, it is critical to review our organization’s productive power to enable our team’s best performance. Most businesses lack systems and tools to allow doctors and teams to maximize their efficiency. Poorly managed meetings and organizational clutter reduce productivity quite often as teams grow, and we regularly spend time keeping busy but not always delegating and training appropriately.
Talent
Hiring, training, and organizing effective teams is another challenge that requires a unique set of skills. By far, the greatest skill is effective leadership. Creating a healthy work culture and growing the capabilities of the human capital in an orthodontic practice takes continual effort. In any business, we aim to bring A-level talent and develop our teams. We need to inspire team members on our mission and vision for the direction of our practices. Practices that meet the talent challenge have found ways to find difference-making talent and instill tremendous leadership across the organization.
Technology
Our world evolves, and technology is becoming ever more important in what we do every day. Our IT infrastructure, software applications, and digital equipment have become critical resources for our orthodontic practices. Many tools we depend on leverage technology to drive our performance. When we buy into digital tools for patient care, managing technology becomes a significant area of investment. Training, maintaining, and properly using technology adds another challenge to businesses keeping up with a continual tech upgrade.
