There is a stage in the lifecycle of a dental practice that I think far more practice owners are sitting in than they realise.

The practice isn’t failing.

It may actually be doing quite well.

The diary is busy. The team turn up. Patients are being treated. The systems are there. Revenue may still look healthy.

But something feels different.

The energy has changed.

The team aren’t quite as motivated as they once were. Standards haven’t necessarily collapsed, but people aren’t going above and beyond anymore. There is less enthusiasm for improvement. Less ownership. Less drive.

And increasingly, everyone is just trying to get through the day without a headache.

Welcome to what I call the midlife evaluation stage of the business lifecycle.

When entropy begins

Entropy sounds dramatic, but in business it can start incredibly quietly.

It doesn’t begin with everything falling apart.

It begins when a previously motivated, striving team gradually starts doing what is expected of them — and little more.

The systems are still in place, but perhaps they aren’t being followed as consistently.

A problem occurs and instead of asking:

“What failed in the system?”

the conversation becomes:

“Who did this?”

That’s an important shift.

The blame culture starts creeping in.

Someone didn’t follow up the patient.

Reception didn’t book it correctly.

The nurse didn’t do this.

The TCO forgot that.

The dentist didn’t communicate it.

The manager should have noticed.

Everyone starts looking for the person responsible instead of stepping back and asking whether the system is still fit for purpose.

And this is where practice owners need to pay attention.

Because entropy has begun.

When entropy is in full effect

If nothing changes during midlife evaluation, the practice can move into what the business lifecycle describes as ageing.

This feels very different.

The team will still do what absolutely has to be done.

They’re not suddenly going to stop following decontamination procedures.

Patients will still be seen.

The doors will still open.

The practice will still function.

But people begin working in the way that suits them.

Systems get adapted.

Shortcuts appear.

Different people start doing the same process differently.

Longstanding team members can become territorial about “their” way of doing things.

And rather than striving to make the practice better, the goal becomes much simpler:

Get through today without a headache.

That is a very dangerous place for a business to stay.

Not because you suddenly have a terrible team.

Not because everyone needs replacing.

And certainly not because the answer is to march into Monday morning and start blaming people for not being motivated enough.

Quite the opposite.

Your team may not be the problem

One of the biggest mistakes I see practices make is blaming people for problems created by systems, leadership or a lack of direction.

You may have brilliant people who have simply been doing the same thing for a very long time.

Some of your longest-standing team members may have been with you through huge periods of growth and change. They helped you build the practice. They gave you enormous amounts of energy along the way.

But businesses change.

People change.

Roles change.

Patients change.

The dentistry changes.

Yet the systems, expectations, training and development around the team don’t always change with them.

You cannot expect people to remain highly motivated indefinitely if the business around them has stopped developing.

This is why I don’t see midlife evaluation as a disaster.

I see it as an opportunity.

The practice needs rejuvenating

Midlife evaluation is the point at which we need to look again at the business.

What are we doing?

Why are we doing it?

What has become inconsistent?

Which systems are no longer working?

Where have standards slipped?

Where are patients falling through gaps?

Where have we accepted “that’s just how we do it”?

What training does the team now need?

And critically:

Who are the key players who can help take this practice into its next stage?

Because they are often already sitting inside your business.

They may simply need direction, development, responsibility and something to strive towards again.

This is where Perform comes in

This is one of the reasons I created Perform.

It isn’t about throwing another training day at a team, creating excitement for 48 hours and then watching everyone return to exactly what they were doing before.

It is about bringing the practice back into a period of development.

We review the systems.

We look at the patient journey.

We find the gaps.

We develop the team.

We create accountability.

We strengthen the key players.

And, most importantly, we implement.

A motivated, striving team doesn’t happen just because you tell everyone at a team meeting that they need to “be more motivated”.

People need clarity.

They need great systems.

They need training.

They need accountability.

They need leadership.

And they need to understand what they are collectively working towards.

Your practice may not need more people.

It may not need more patients.

It may not need another shiny piece of technology.

It might simply be time to rejuvenate what you already have.

If you’re reading this thinking, this sounds like us, don’t ignore it.

A midlife evaluation is an opportunity to make changes before entropy takes over.

Bring the systems back into focus.

Bring the standards back.

Bring your key players forward.

And give your team something worth striving for again.

Laura