Just Two Minutes: Why Your Best Idea Might Actually Be Your Worst

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

You ever get a brilliant idea and immediately think:
“We’re doing this. Starting Monday.”
And then tell your whole team like it’s the second coming of sliced bread?

Yeah. Same.

The problem is: mistakes love fast decisions.
They thrive on excitement, urgency, and that little dopamine hit of “changing things up.”

I’ve been guilty of this more times than I’d like to admit.

Like the time I created new and improved routing slips for every team member.
They were color-coded. Clear. Detailed.
I passed them out like Oprah giving away cars.
And then… nothing.
They got used for maybe a day and disappeared into the void of “things we never actually committed to.”

Was it a bad idea? Not really.
But it didn’t stick - because I didn’t build the system around it.

Or the time I decided every doctor should call new patients the night before to introduce themselves.
The intentions were great.
The execution? Chaos.
It became one more thing to remember, one more thing to track, one more thing that made the team roll their eyes when it didn’t happen.

What I’ve learned the hard way is this:
There’s a difference between a good idea… and a good idea that actually works.

If you roll out new systems too fast, without thinking through the friction points, they die before they have a chance.

And if you do this enough times, your team stops listening.
You become the leader who’s always chasing shiny objects.
And the fifth time you introduce some “great new thing”… they know to just wait it out.

Because chances are, it’ll be gone next week.

That’s why I’ve started holding my ideas hostage.

Now, when I have a new system or decision to make - I don’t say it out loud.
I write it down.
I sketch it out.
I ask:

• Where could this break?

• Who needs to own it?

• What would make this impossible to ignore?

Then I let it sit. For weeks.
And more often than not, I end up thinking…
“Yeah… this wasn’t actually that great.”

Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re indecisive.
It means you’re being a better leader.

So if you’ve ever introduced a big change to your team, only to walk it back two weeks later - you’re not alone.
Just don’t confuse a good idea with a good process.
One gets applause. The other gets results.

And sometimes?
The best decision is not to decide… yet.

-Dr. Alex

P.S. There’s a fine line between being an innovator and just confusing your team. Keep the shiny new idea on ice until it’s actually ready to roll out.