Emotions and Practice

I had a post yesterday in the Orthopreneurs Facebook group that involved a local GP who wanted to convert one of the referred new patients I sent to him into a veneer case and never even discussed it with me. It sparked a lot of emotion on our Facebook page. Answers varied from “I’d never refer to that doctor again” to “no more lunches” and other responses that showed how upset those on the thread were about what happened.

The responses illustrate how easy it is to get upset when someone does something you don’t like. But, it’s super important to keep in mind that the best business leaders don’t allow emotion to get in the way of their decisions. As a society, we value those who “have it under control”. The brash, emotionally driven CEO typically doesn’t last very long because it’s generally recognized that emotionally driven responses are generally not correct.

When things don’t go right, it’s a good idea to write down what you want to do, then email it to yourself so that you can read it when you’re calmer. I’ve had a history of making stupid choices when I’ve been angry, and I’ve learned that I need to temper my need for an urgent response (which is my nature) by taking deliberate steps to slow the process down.

When the dentist did something that really upset me, sure, I could cut him out completely, but aside from listening to my “I’ll show you” inner voice, what else would it accomplish? I just cut out a potential referrer, I also have a GP office that will never ever refer to me again and you MUST ask yourself:  “What did I just gain?”

If the goal of business, is well, business, every decision needs to support your growth and welfare. Now, if the dentist in question insulted you or a team member, it’s a different story, but even then I would have taken some time to de-escalate the situation and evaluate my options, picking the one that allows my business the opportunity for success.

Sure, there are toxic people and practices that you need to stay away from to reduce your stress in life, but when things happen that upset you, figure out if that is genuinely the one that requires cutting off a potential practice revenue stream. If so, rethink it. If you still think you must, then do so, but never burn bridges. You never know when it can come back to haunt you and it never helps.

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