Page 24 - MS Perspectives 2014 YIR

their plan. Eventually we added group coverage which grew as well. We developed
Quality Assurance Programs and protocols designed to protect the quality of care
received by our members, including physical audits of the dental offices and patient
records and also had a grievance committee of practicing dentists who would
perform peer review if a patient had a grievance and make a determination about a
resolution.

Like most entrepreneurs, we thought we could learn and do anything. We felt "All
Knowing" and were quite pleased with ourselves for discovering this niche market
that was doing so well.

What challenges were you facing when you engaged Management Systems
to work with you?

Indeed we learned a lot and became quite skilled at what we did and the company
prospered. But at a certain point, the company began to outgrow us.
I was a dentist, and my partner was a lab tech. We could grow a company to a
certain point because we were clever enough but, at a certain level, being clever is
just not enough. We did not know it at the time, but our company was showing the
classic Growing Pains of a small entrepreneurial company that was trying to
graduate to a professionally managed organization.

We were aware of problems developing within the operations of the company, and
were aware that "something" was holding us back from getting to the next level.
However, we were not experienced enough at the time to realize that what was
holding us back was, in fact, us! We had the ability, but not the knowledge and
experience.

I learned about a seminar at the UCLA Anderson School of Management called
"Growing Pains" by Dr. Eric Flamholtz and Dr. Yvonne Randle. I read the brochure;
it outlined the tell-tale signs of "growing pains" a young company needs to
recognize and resolve in order to progress to the next level. I realized our company
had all the symptoms. I attended the course, read the Growing Pains book, and was
convinced that Eric and Yvonne understood what it meant to be an entrepreneur.
They knew the problems a growing company faces when it reaches critical mass,
and what to do to grow the management team into professionals that can take the
company to the next level.

I convinced my partner to let me bring Management Systems into the company.
After some discussion he thankfully agreed to retain them, though I don't think he
saw the need as clearly as I did at that time. We had many challenges we were
facing when we brought Management Systems in.

For example, we had the following issues:

1. My partner and I were young and inexperienced at that time and were really
entrepreneurs, not professional managers.

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