Episode 60: Toolbox Tuesday - Stop Doing Non-Doctor Tasks

Welcome back to Toolbox Tuesday! We continue our candid series where Dr. Sten Ericson shares his unexpected findings after returning to full-time clinical practice this past summer.

Last week, we discussed doctor complaints about assistants. This week, we tackle the flip side: How doctors are actively enabling their teams to underperform and sabotaging their own efficiency.

Dr. Ericson and Jennifer Paxton dive deep into the specific non-doctor tasks (like Slacking X-rays or emailing patients) that are stealing critical production time from associate doctors and why they hold onto this unnecessary control. The issue isn't a lack of team ability; it's a lack of doctor delegation.

What We Discuss in This Episode:

• Why you should only be doing the tasks that require your license—and nothing else.
• How constantly taking over tasks (like sending lab cases or Slacking records) prevents your team from ever learning to do it properly.
• Why a doctor running late often correlates directly with the 20 minutes they spent doing non-clinical, administrative work.
• How rushing to do a non-doctor task at the end of the day (like post-processing a scan) actually lowers quality compared to a properly delegated task done by the team immediately.
• The "painful" reality of hearing doctors give excuses instead of simply letting go of control.
• Why the dental assistant should be the true "owner" of their op, and how doctors are just "invited guests" who need to be supported by their zone owner.

Key Takeaway: When you expect more from your team and yourself, they rise up. When you enable the team, you hurt your production, your schedule, and their career growth.

This is Part 2 of a 3-part conversation! Join us next week for the final part as we discuss the pitfalls of the "rugged individualist" doctor mentality.

Need Help Calibrating Your Team? If you're ready to stop making excuses and start building highly efficient systems, Pathway Dental Solutions can help you with leadership coaching, operational cheat sheets, and on-target tracking.

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