DR. LISA KNOWLES has practiced for 16 years. She founded IntentionalDental Consulting (IntentionalDental.com) to help dentists achieve greater peace in their practices. She blogs regularly at Beyond32Teeth.com.

DR. LISA KNOWLES has practiced for 16 years. She founded IntentionalDental
Consulting (IntentionalDental.com) to help dentists achieve greater peace in their practices. She blogs regularly at Beyond32Teeth.com.

As a solo practitioner, hasty thinking and poor planning are not your friends once you’ve decided to hire an associate, according to Intentional Dental’s Dr. Lisa Knowles. Knowing what an associate wants is crucial to the long-term success of the business relationship.

In her recent article in dental lifestyle magazine Incisal Edge, Dr. Knowles offers a few helpful tips for bringing an associate dentist on board — and importantly — trying to retain her or him.

* Avoid partnering a new associate with a new dental assistant. Better to train the new assistant yourself, then transition the assistant and associate together once they’re more comfortable with their skills.

* Keep the associate in the communication loop. Nothing erodes trust faster than withheld information.

Want more tips to help manage expectations regarding schedule, salary and mentoring needs? Read the full article at: https://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e0a097ef#/e0a097ef/32