I had the opportunity recently to share my trademark pending presentation, ETC. Encourage, Teach, Challenge with a great group of dentists in the Portsmouth/Suffolk, Virginia area. There were some very thoughtful discussions afterwards that I wanted to share with you.
Among the discussions, one was around the demands on dentists, that sometimes are so consuming, it is hard to see the forest for the trees. After many years of coaching basketball and dental practices across the country, it all starts with the vision/goals of the coach. I enjoy sharing how coaching a team is very similar between basketball and dental teams. Think of it this way, the demands that are placed on them are very numerous. They run a business with everything that entails, they are the clinical provider of services and must keep up on continuing education and all the changes and improvements that take place in dentistry. Not to mention the subject of leadership and management. These are areas that were not covered in dental school. It is trial by fire for most dentists that own their own practice. The comments that were shared with me after my presentation confirmed my experiences with some of my clients.
Also, it was nice to see few aha moments during the presentation. It was easier for some attendees to understand the similarities of coaching a sports team and coaching a dental team. The first step is having a team working for you and not employees. To be successful, you must start with a strong foundation and a team. Another moment was understanding the importance of having the correct mindset. When I discuss mindset, I am describing your outlook on things. We all have a choice to make if you view things from a positive or negative standpoint. Choosing a positive standpoint as a business owner will really help you make better decisions.
The last topic that was shared with me was understanding you do not need to feel like you are alone with these struggles. No one wants to feel like they are the only ones going through a rough time. Many dentists took advantage of signing up for my complementary 30-minute consultation so we could discuss things further. If the pressures of running your practice is overwhelming to you or if you have an area of your business you need help with, please reach out to me so we can schedule some time to discuss those issues.
I hope you and your families have a wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations. Looking forward to a fantastic 2017!