Contrary to what most people think, good decision-making has as much to do with how fast decisions are made as with how well they are made. That's because the vast majority of daily decisions are too minor to merit the dentist's time.
Learn which decisions really matter and focus on them. Should the practice institute a bonus system? Should a different disposable cup be used? When the answer will clearly have a profound influence on practice success (a bonus system), the dentist must make the ultimate decision. The remaining decisions (disposable cups) will not make a major difference to the practice either way yet will cut substantially into the dentist's production time.
Don't try to do it all by yourself. The minor decisions should either be made rapidly by the dentist or, better yet, delegated to team members. The dentist has responsibility for the significant decisions but can delegate preparatory research and analysis, bringing in outside experts to help make a difficult decision easier. Like any good CEO, the best practice owner knows when to get help, and where to get it.
