Accelerate My Practice Blog

Habit 6 discusses very simplistically the imperative need for "group thinking, brainstorming, ...synergy."  Let's face it, two minds are better than one in your Dental Practice. The overall approach when teamwork and open-mindedness are encouraged is highly effective in every dynamic. Synergy will allow you and the team to uncover and invent ideas that might not otherwise be discovered alone. As the entire team begins to interact and brainstorm ideas regarding the practice, they will also allow the influence of your leadership and other team members to offer insight on strategic planning moving forward. It will be captivating to listen to the experiences and expertise being demonstrated throughout this time. It is a must to set aside appropriate time and planning for such Team Building Time.

Your Dental Practice must be as openminded as the leader that is driving the influence. Thus, if you want to expand, grow, or simply maintain a healthy practice; a synergistic approach is essential for accomplishing those goals! Hopefully, you and the team are really driven in providing the level of excellence necessary to foster the "value" in the relationships throughout your Dental Practice. The labels of each team member should be placed aside. Every Team Member within your Dental Practice should be valued as an important factor in the practice. Take a step back and truly evaluate the Team as a whole. Allow the differences and experiences to be valued and respected. Once the Team realizes the value that "a Synergistic" approach offers the practice, the strength as a Team is recognized. Suddenly, those differences become stepping stones for strength to build upon. The level of respect amongst each Team Member of your Dental Practice will become so high that if a disagreement arises, a genuine effort to minimize the effect will be sought. An effective suggestion would be to create a mission statement for your Dental Practice, encourage the team to live it in their hearts and in their minds!!!! If there is already a mission statement in place, have each Team Member verbalize it to you and other Team Members. This will allow each Team Member the opportunity to share it as they perceive it.

Maintaining the Win/Win Attitude within your Dental Practice

I teach this process to my dentists everyday. The infamous rule of thumb " You can teach any skill, you cannot teach Attitude." Therefore, the dynamics that form the Dental Team and entire practice create a challenge involving attitude. The challenge is that while the concept of "think win-win" seems simple, its location is the challenge. The concept lies in our mind in our unconscious paradigm, in the way we view the world. Therefore, a vast majority will not think win-win. While understanding the concept might challenge you or the Dental Team at times, the biggest challenge is living by it.

To keep this simple yet comprehensive, let's define the paradigms.
When relationships are paramount, Win/Win is the only viable alternative. If on the other hand relationship building is not as imperative, Win/Lose might be the appropriate attitude. There are five angles to see when understanding the Win/Win model: Character, Relationships, Agreements, Supportive Systems and Processes. I will describe it as detailed as possible.

Does Your Dental Team Listen To You?

When learning to Seek First to Understand, we reach an "AH HA" moment within ourselves. The moment of "I really wasn't listening." This Habit will require your undivided attention as we understand how to seek first to understand in all of our relationships. One of the most crucial Lifelines within your Dental Practice is COMMUNICATION. Fundamentally, it is the most pertinent skill in life. It comes in many forms yet the impact is crucial. We have spent most of our lives in the early stages learning to speak, read, and write. Very little attention to the imperative "listening skills" necessary for communication to be balanced. By listening, we develop a deeper understanding of the other persons views. In order for the entire Dental Team be effective in communication amongst one another or with patients they must learn to balance the communication.

Every Relationship within your dental office requires an Emotional Bank Account.  Once recognized, you will begin to understand the importance of carefully establishing accounts for every individual within your life.  This includes your dental team and dental patients.  Preparation for each account is imperative.  The giving of time and thoughtfulness will effectively enhance learning, build achievement, and allow healthy change to occur.  Once prepared, move forward by making deposits of trust, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to understand.  So that over time, when you make withdrawals, by asking someone to change something, you won't deplete the account too much.  It is important to make deposits first, build healthy relationships, etc… before allowing any withdrawals to occur.

Whether you are seeking to understand a Team Member in the Dental Practice, a Patient, or even someone very close to you; remove your egocentric viewpoint.  Our mind must understand their thought process and then take a walk in their shoes to fully comprehend their feelings.  Try to completely LISTEN to the other person.  When we gather our next thought; the tendency to fire off a response explodes.  You must learn to listen and genuinely concentrate on the conversation taking place. 

Put First Things First in Your Dental Office

In Habit 3, Covey demonstrates a parallel division of distinguishing leadership from management in that leadership is more of an art, referencing a right-brained activity consisting of asking the ultimate questions relating to life whereas management is implementing this perspective into action.  Effective management is implementing first things first, while leadership involves the decision of what the first things are.  This is where prioritization plays an important role.

It is imperative that in your Dental Practice a clear understanding is distinguished.  There are a few ways to assist in making more profound Leadership and Management decisions.  A couple of pertinent questions within your personal and professional life might include…