How To Work Less and Grow More

Most dentists I know didn’t start their practice to run a business. You got into this to help people. But somewhere along the way, the business side took over. Longer hours. More stress. Less freedom.

That’s not how it’s supposed to be.

In this week’s episode of Practice Growth HQ, I sat down with Dr Ruth Mannschreck. Ruth used to be a full-time dentist. Then her newborn daughter spent six weeks in ICU. Everything changed. She had no choice but to cut her clinical hours. But here’s the kicker. Her practice actually grew. Revenue went up. Stress went down.

Now Ruth teaches other practice owners how to do the same.

Here are the five steps she used to create a practice that fits your life instead of one that takes it over.

Step 1: Get Your Systems Right

If your business falls over when you’re not there, then you don’t own a business. You own a job.

Ruth looked at every part of her practice and asked one question. Does this need my handpiece or my licence? If the answer was no, someone else did it. That was the turning point.

She mapped out everything. How patients book. How they move through the practice. How follow-ups happen. That’s the patient journey. Then she built systems around it. Not fancy documents. Just short training videos her team could watch anytime.

There’s even a tool called Scribe that turns your clicks into step-by-step instructions. That’s how simple it can be.

Step 2: Make Communication Part of the System

Good communication doesn’t happen by accident. You’ve got to build it in.

Ruth’s team had standing huddles every morning. Five minutes. No fluff. Just what’s happening today and what’s coming up tomorrow. They also built communication steps into every system so nothing got missed.

Are we ready for today? Any gaps? Who’s new? That five-minute chat can be the difference between a smooth day and total chaos.

Step 3: Build A Team That Actually Performs

Here’s the deal. You can’t grow with B-grade people.

Ruth’s advice? Hire champions. If you can’t find an expert, find someone who’s hungry to learn. Then get out of their way. She stayed in her zone of genius and built a team to cover the rest.

This is what Henry Ford did. He wasn’t the smartest guy in the room. But he found people who were and let them run. Do the same.

Step 4: Create A Culture People Want to Be Part Of

Most practice owners think their team only cares about money. It’s not true.

Young people want to be part of something bigger. They want purpose. They want to feel proud of where they work. That starts with values. Not fluffy posters on the wall. Real values you can see in action.

In Ruth’s practice, they caught each other doing the right thing and celebrated it. Little prizes. A bit of fun. Big impact.

And every week, they checked in on how they were living the values. Not just once a year at a staff meeting. Every single week.

Step 5: Step Up as a Leader (Or Pay Someone Who Can)

Leadership used to be about having all the answers. Not anymore.

These days, leadership is about painting a clear picture of the outcome. Then letting your team figure out how to get there. Ask questions. Listen more. Trust your team.

But here’s the truth. Some practice owners don’t want to lead. That’s OK. You’ve got two choices. Step up and lead. Or bring in someone brilliant who can do it for you. What you can’t do is leave a vacuum. If you don’t lead, someone else will. And often they’re driven by what’s easiest for them, not what’s best for the practice.