NEVER the ones who wind up purchasing the item.
“Paralysis by Analysis!”
Paralysis by Analysis (or PBA as we will call it) is the inability to make a decision due to overthinking an issue, and it runs rampant in dentistry, especially among practice owners or those who are thinking about becoming practice owners. But here are two things to remember about PBA.
1. PBA is caused because you are afraid to make a decision, but by not making a decision you actually ARE making a decision; a decision not to move ahead with something.
2. The first four letters in analysis are “anal.”
I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken to dentists who are afraid to add a hygienist (or even a hygiene day), raise their fees, fire a belligerent staff member, get proper team training, take steps towards practice improvement, and much more, due to a major case of PBA.
This is really noticable when we talk to dentists about coaching. Some dentists know that they could use some help, feel that they are a good fit with The Madow Center, and say let’s do it! Then, a few months later they are getting a positive return on investment, have a happy cohesive team, love going to office more than ever, and are simply earning more money!
But just like the people who contact me about a guitar on eBay, the dentists who have to “talk to their spouse,” “run it by their accountant,” “think about it,” talk to twenty references, get a new office manager first, say “I’ll do it as soon as ___________”, and many more PBA excuses, never wind up doing anything! And then sure as you’re reading this, a year goes by, and then another, and then another, and nothing has changed – or it’s gotten worse. And the irony is,
they HAVE made a decision – usually the wrong one.
