Most of us are too busy to think about our purpose and why we exist as a business. We are usually pre-occupied taking care of our patients and handling whatever issues come up in our day to day activities.

We get home exhausted ready to “shut down” so that we can ( hopefully) recharge our batteries for the next day’s activities.

A lot of us may have forgotten why we do what we do! It has become a way for us to pay for our kids’ schooling, our family’s expenses and our life style, which is OK, of course, but there has to be more.

Discovering or rediscovering our purpose can be a way for us to start gaining control over your business and sanity.

So, Why are we here? What is this all about? Is it just the money? Is it the “prestige”? Is it so that we have a place to spend eight or more hours on week-days, and sometimes on the weekends?

What is the purpose?

Figuring out the purpose is essential. That process could take a couple of days or a whole year ( like it did with me.) But once we figure it out, our purpose should be clear and concise.  It will be the “North Star” that guides our actions and movement as a business and organization.

We should turn to our purpose to make decisions or create policies, and our purpose statement can be used to ensure any changes we make in the practice or our services align with our initial purpose.

Also, the purpose statement can be used to ensure any changes we make in the practice or the services we provide align with our initial purpose.

So, how do we do it?

• Start considering why you started the practice. Ultimately, a business purpose is a statement defining why you are in business. Take a few minutes to consider why you formed the business in the first place. What were the goals?
• Then, consider how will the practice operate. Think of the specific steps you can take to achieve the reason for forming the practice and how that may impact the patients/customers.
• Write your statement in a way that is concise and clear. Because a business purpose should only be a sentence or two, it is important to write it in a way that is concise, yet clear.

Tips:

• Think about your daily responsibilities. By considering the tasks that you complete each day, you can narrow down the practice’s purpose. Write a list of tasks the practice needs to complete each day, then find a way to combine these tasks with a brief statement.
• Keep it short. Because a purpose should be concise and to the point, aim for one to two sentences. This also allows you to add to the practice’s purpose if it expands later.
• Use the mission statement for inspiration. It can also be helpful to revisit previously drafted statements, like the mission or value statement, to remind yourself of the goals and intent of the business.
• Enlist the help of staff. By having staff members review the purpose statement, you can get another view. This ensures that your statement is clear and accurately describes what you do.

So, what is your purpose? How clear are you on what is it that you do?

In our case at Dental Care Team Group, we concluded that we are in the business of improving and maintaining people’s health. How do we accomplish that? By providing the best dentistry available. So, what is our purpose?

“We Improve and Maintain People’s Health by Providing the Best Dentistry Available”

The clearer you are, the more in control you will be. When things aren’t going the way you want, remembering your purpose or revisiting it will center you and keep you in control.

I.F. Jarjoura D.D.S., M.S.

Founder, Dental Care Team Group

Founder, Control “Freaks”- A Group for Dentists WhoWant to Smile More