Doing it all (the art of delegation)

Doing it all (the art of delegation)

8th November 2023

[The Probe October 2023]

“Lots of things can’t be delegated and you have to learn how to do them yourself. To know the difference is an important part of personal growth.”

My previous article focused on the joys of having a portfolio career within dentistry – for me specifically, endodontics. Enjoying the challenges and different environments of a diverse work week is energising and satisfying. However it does mean you need a strong set of skills for each of your chosen paths. This inevitably leads to lots of personal development and continuous training in a number of areas – so you can navigate your way through your work life as successfully as possible.

Lots of things can’t be delegated and you have to learn how to do them yourself. To know the difference is an important part of personal growth. 

• For example, to be a good trainer it’s vital to learn good communication and presentation skills. To know your stuff but to deliver it in an uninspiring, unengaging way is not going to work.  

• As we know, to practise dentistry, at absolutely every level, requires the knowledge, confidence and experience to do it well. No one else can do this for you.

• To mentor and educate students it’s important to know how to listen so you can absorb the information, explore any options and advise accordingly. How could you delegate that?

These are just a few examples where I won’t or can’t delegate.

However I am only just realising that delegation can be a good thing. For my training and presenting work I don’t need to know absolutely everything about video production and aspire to have the Powerpoint skills of a seasoned software developer. It’s really good to know what’s possible but I don’t need to know how to do it all myself. The art of delegation boils down to an appreciation of time management and priorities. 

Secretly I really want to be good at producing all my own training slides. It interests me. I know I could have a good attempt at it but in reality I have to allow these to be done by someone else. I can put together the basic premise of each one, tell the story I want to, but for the creativity I have to stand back and leave it to someone who has more skills, time and proficiency. 

This example extends to many areas of dentistry especially if you have your own practice. Knowing how your practice operates is absolutely essential, Operating it is not. Employing an organised, methodical and efficient practice manager makes the most sense. 

There are lots of examples of considered, intelligent decisions to delegate. Looking at my workload on a regular basis motivates me to make those decisions. A bit like a conductor of an orchestra – I know how it should sound but I don’t need to play all the instruments.