The demands on your time and energy sometimes seem endless: your family, practice, friends, staff, personal and professional obligations, exercise, faith, finances -- the list goes on and on.

It may be a rich, full life, yet it's not uncommon for many of us to feel as though some one or something on the list is getting the short end of the stick. Without question, it's a common concern for many of the dentists we work with. I recently met with a young dentist. He had cancelled several meetings over the previous 18 months, explaining that he was having problems with the staff he inherited from the previous practice owner.

During our meeting he told me he felt his staff exhibited a lack of respect, a low willingness to make changes that suited him, and that, frankly, some of them intimidated him! He asked for my help in putting a human resource policies in place (he had invested in Bent Ericksen & Associates HR system but had not yet implemented it), and in looking at his systems and his communication skills.

He wanted, and needs, an ally.

Yet, as I write this, he has still not committed to getting help. What is he waiting for? My opinion is that he's a busy guy, and the devil he knows is safer than the one he doesn't. His wife is a professional, they have three young children, as well as other personal obligations and commitments. Intellectually he realizes that getting help will improve his practice, but he also views the time commitment it will take to make improvements -- and the possibility of rocking an already unsteady boat -- as a pain in the neck.

Between us, we have been consulting over 40 years. We've seen a lot. For the most part, when we worked with a dentist on a challenging situation 20 years ago they weren't necessarily jumping for joy about their problem, but leaving to go snowboarding, to a yoga class, or simply getting home to be with the family was not the reason we heard for keeping the issue on the back burner. Is there a problem with these responses?

Of course not. Exercising, relaxing and being with the family are healthy, important elements in all of our lives. We applaud the fact that today's dentists will not compromise when it comes to making time for what is important to them. But, there is a problem lying on the back burner and it's those things that keep nagging at you. Things like getting the payroll done, scheduling the appointment with the accountant, having a performance appraisal with your assistant, hiring a hygienist for the extra day, marketing, coordinating the office remodel -- another list that goes on and on.

So what happens when things outside the practice are more "seductive", or if your plate is just so darn full that you don't have much energy for doing more than dentistry and basic management? For some doctors and some practices (not all, of course) managing the demands of a practice today is simply too much to do on your own, for whatever your reason. As consultants in the trenches, we understand your struggle. We pay close attention to client behaviors and cultural shifts, and we have a solution that mean your business can operate as elegantly as your iPhone.

A solution that means even when you are the one who must drive your child to the tutor or get to your Book Club, you will leave the office knowing things are being well taken care of.

So ... what's the solution?

The solution is a Practice Administrator. No, this isn't your father's Office Manager. This is the right person in a position that makes sense for today's practice. The Practice Administrator may be a current staff member who, when given proper training and time away from current duties, can assume higher level responsibilities once held by the doctor. Examples of these responsibilities could be maintaining HR compliance, coordination and training of new employees, or implementation of marketing efforts.

They key phrase here which cannot be overlooked is "proper training". I had a conversation recently with a doctor who is interested in hiring a full time Practice Administrator for her group practice. We spoke about the characteristics, qualifications, job duties and training necessary for someone in this position. She said, "If I hire someone to do those things I would expect them to come to me with their ideas about how to do the job".

I agreed that confidence and a "go for it" work ethic is important, however even if a doctor hires an employee with experience or skills in administration, that doesn't mean training should be limited. Our advice will always be to hire the best person possible, and then provide solid, consistent training. This is an investment not only in the success of the Practice Administrator, but in your practice -- your asset -- as well. Job duties, what background and experience is right for your practice, compensation and training are some of the areas we will focus on in upcoming case studies.