This 9-step strategic planning process outlines how to develop a strategic plan for a dental practice: 1. Describe your vision for the ideal future practice. 2. Assess the current reality by seeking input from stakeholders. 3. Map out the steps needed to transform each area from current reality to the future vision. 4. Compile a list of all the journeys or processes that need to occur. 5. Select 1-3 year goals that will dramatically change the practice. 6. Choose 90-day objectives to work on achieving the goals. 7. Create action steps for each 90-day objective. 8. Document the vision, goals, objectives, and action steps to

1. 9Step Strategic Planning
1. Describe Vision
2. Describe Honest Reality
3. Reverse Engineer the Journey
4. Compile a List of All Journeys
5. Select Goals to Accomplish Within 1-3 Years
6. Pick 90-Day Milestones Designed to Move You Forward
7. Create Action Steps for 90-Day Milestones
8. Write Document Outlining Everything
9. Review Your 90-Day Plan Every Day
Adapted for dentistry from the teachings of Tommy Newberry

2. 1Describe Your Vision
Describe your dream practice in vivid
detail.
Present this vision to any equity partners you have.

3. 1Describe Your Vision
Questions to get you thinking:
Patients
What is the reputation?
How do your patients feel when they first
become part of the office?
What do the patients say about your office when
they talk to their friends, family and co-
workers?
What do the patients feel when they move away
from your office and must find another office?
What/who will they miss?

4. 1Describe Your Vision
Questions to get you thinking:
Business
How many people work there?
What services does it provide?
How much revenue does the practice generate?
What is the profit from that revenue?
Describe every revenue stream for the practice?
How much is the practice growing year over year?
What is the condition of the facility?
What instruments or technology is available, and how do
these technology help patients and generate

5. 1Describe Your Vision
Questions to get you thinking:
Clinical Dentistry
What services does the office provide?
What do you want to be known for?
What services will you be really good at when this
practice has arrived at this destination?
What instruments or technology is available?
In what ways will you ensure quality outcomes?

6. 1Describe Your Vision
Questions to get you thinking:
Personal
Describe the people you work with?
How much income does the practice provide you?
How much time do you (the owner doctor) spend in this
practice?
What is the allotment of your time?
What does this office provide you with other than
income?
What is your exit strategy?

7. 2Describe the Honest Reality
Self reflection is important and valuable,
but make sure to seek out input from
multiple sources:
Stakeholders
Patients
Clinical Employees
Area Businesses
Operations Employees

8. 3Reverse Engineer the Journey
Don’t worry
about a
timeline yet.
There will be many different
journeys that will have to be
traveled simultaneously.
Take each aspect of your
future practice that is
different than your reality
today and map out the
steps of the process
without considering time.

9. 4Compile A List Of All Journeys

10. 5Select five 1-3 year goals
Pick goals that will dramatically
transform your practice.
Most people over estimate
what they can accomplish in a single day
and significantly underestimate
what is possible in 30, 90, 180 days.
Think big. Get excited about your 1-3 year

11. 6Pick 90-Day Objectives
Start by picking one thing you will work
on in the next 90 days.
As you improve your skills at planning
and goal attainment you will be able to
add additional 90-day objectives.
As you train key leaders to do the same
they will be able to handle multiple 90-
day objectives as well.
Don’t try to do too much your first
quarter.

12. 7Create Action Steps
Work the 90-day objective through action
steps.
For each 90-day objective identify 3-5
action steps that you can and will
accomplish.
For example: If you want to establish a
solvency account for the business. You
might have to go to the bank and open a
dedicated savings account. You will want to
create a system of transferring a certain
amount of each daily deposit to this
account. You will want to decide who does
this and how often.

13. 7Create Action Steps
The tension between reality and
desired outcome is the fuel to
propel action.
Rock back to reflect on reality.
Lean forward to move into a new
reality.
Continue rocking back and forth
from reflection to action.

14. 8Write Document to Review Daily
Write out a document that you
can read every day.
Include:
Your vision for your office
(refer to step 1)
Your 1-3 year goals
Your 1-5 90-day objectives
Action steps for each90-day
objective

15. 9Review Your 90-day Plan Every day
Read or Listen to a recorded version of your 90-day plan
everyday.
This keeps the things that are important top of mind.

16. Enjoy the Journey