What To Do When Your Boss Hires A Consultant

Last Updated on November 4, 2021 by Anna Baumann

So, your boss hired a Dental Consultant. He tells you that he just wants to ‘tweek’ a few things in the office; not sign on for a whole office makeover. But you know the truth. Consultants aren’t ‘tweekers’. Once they get their hands on an office, it’s all or nothing and literally everything will change.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for consultants. Especially the ones who actually spent time working in a dental office before they became consultants. There are a couple things I’m not a fan of though. Like, not every office needs a full overhaul. Most probably do need only some ‘tweeking’; a few new systems or some adjustments to what they’re already doing. And, every practice is different. I think the very worst consultants are the ones that come in with their cookie cutter templates and try to plug them in like a once-size-fits-all top. Dental offices come in all shapes and sizes. We require customization!

OK, I’m off of my soapbox now and will give you my best advice on what to do when your boss hires a consultant.

Remain calm.

Change is scary, but you won’t die. Give it some time. Sit through a few meetings and keep an open mind. As long as you’re not asked to do anything illegal, unethical or immoral, just breath and listen to what they have to say.

Keep your attitude in check.

Once a consultant is hired, the rumors will start, the gossips will be in their glory, and it will be the end of the world as they know it. Stay away from all of that! If you’re eating lunch and someone starts a sentence with, ‘Guess what they want us to do now…’ either completely change the subject or find a polite way to excuse yourself. You will never get through this if you don’t stay positive and make an earnest attempt at making it work.

Keep your pity party small and short.

You finally get to a place where you’re proud of the work you do, and then someone comes along and wants to change everything. So you start to think, “Obviously I’ve never had a clue and must really stink at this so why even bother!?” You know what, you have every right to feel that way. It’s no fun when someone comes in and starts telling you how to do your own job. And it takes a strong person to realize that even though they’re doing a great job, there’s no reason why they can’t do it even better. Dig deep and find that strength. None of us knows everything. I’ve been doing this since high school and I’m always learning something new. A good consultant will capitalize on your strengths and help you become better than even you knew you could be. Give them that chance. Maybe it won’t work, but you won’t know if you don’t give it a try.

Speak up.

If you’ve truly done your best to embrace all that’s been presented and you honestly cannot get on board with the new regime, have a heart to heart with your boss.  You might find out that things aren’t going well for anyone else either.  Maybe your input will help steer things in the direction of tossing out some of the less popular changes. Either that, or you’ll be told this is the way things are now, so either love it or lump it. If that’s the case, it might be time to look for a new job. Of course, that’s another change. But at least it’s one that you decided on for yourself. And, you’ll be able to take this experience with you to spot the things that you don’t want to find at your next job.

The bottom line on this is that there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. Hiring a consultant isn’t a decision that a dentist makes lightly. It’s something they’ve put a lot of thought and research into. And once they commit themselves financially, they’ll want everyone on board 100% to see that they’re getting their money’s worth. If you like your job and respect your boss, then stay positive, keep an open mind and do your best. It won’t be easy but it could be worth it.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” ~Socrates