Why Managers in dentistry can enjoy a bigger future by learning from other sectors

Three 2nd interviews yesterday (via Zoom) with candidates for the role of Practice Manager at a busy independent orthodontic practice.

Two candidates with good secondary education, a long CV of dental jobs, from reception to nursing to practice management, and both of whom ended as dual-location managers for two different dental corporates.

A third candidate with a degree in Business & Management, and a long history of working in the retail and hospitality sector, from managing food stores, to triple-site management of a hotel chain (along the way, a short spell as a dual-site manager for a dental corporate).

On the basis that you can recruit on attitude and train on skill, it was my third candidate who shone much brighter than the others - they were all good, but her attitude, demeanour, engagement - everything about her was inspiring.

I gave my "verdict" to my client who replied that she (the Principal) was relieved that we had made the same choice.

Now I'll be looking forward to working with her new recruit.

It had me reflecting that dentistry is a hospitality business, which offers its products and services to a very high professional standard.

We can learn a lot from the hospitality sector (apart from rubbish wages), when they get it right.

That may well account for the number of new business managers I'm seeing in dentistry who have crossed over from retail and hospitality.

It has been a great experience for me to assist with onboarding them into the dental world, whilst bringing their skills along as well.

There is an opportunity to then reverse engineer those skills into the existing dental workforce.

All that's needed is an open-mind and an appetite to learn.

Those who resist change are doomed IMHO.

Those who embrace change have a bigger future to look forward to.