Smile Potential Dental Practice Coaching
E-Newsletter #45 – February 2015
Dear Clients, Colleagues and Friends,
It is interesting how we can derive our inspirations from varied sources. When
the topic of Practice Management is discussed it would seem highly unlikely
that we could become enlightened from either a game of Football or from the
experience of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. In defiance of the obvious, I
share with you this month’s main article, “Deflated Balls” and the thought for
the month, “Nice Book”. Enjoy this edition and please write back with some of
your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Katz
DEFLATED BALLS
In the days leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, earlier this month, there was a
tremendous amount of speculation that the New England Patriots had won
their 7th AFC Championship by cheating and playing with underinflated game
balls. Regardless of the results of the Super Bowl, which was won by the
Patriots, and my personal preference as the former Team Dentist for the
Patriots’ rival New York Jets, the Patriots success has nothing to do with the
pressurization of their game balls. Quite simply, the Patriots have a superior
system to any other team in the NFL and this is punctuated by the fact that
they have been the most successful team in the NFL for the past 15 years.
Their player selection is based on superior criteria, that is the product of their
system and they practice differently than every team that they face. They also
have a brilliant coach and a great, experienced team leader in Tom Brady.
When Bill Bellichik, the stone-faced coach of the Patriots, conducts practices,
he does so under adverse conditions that exceed what the team will face in
their games. The Patriots practice in some of the worst weather conditions in
the country. This gives them an advantage on their home turf and also an
advantage when they compete in other teams’ stadiums under less adverse
conditions. Patriots practices are conducted on slippery, flooded, muddy fields
with wind machines and rain machines brought in to simulate monsoon
conditions. Balls are coated with mud, Vaseline and who knows what else to
help the players learn improved ball control and security. It helps the players
develop superior coping skills to avoid disastrous turnovers.
What does all of this have to do with dentistry? As Kelly and I have visited
hundreds of dental practices in the past few years, we have often heard all of
the excuses for disappointing levels of success, “the economy”, “insurance
companies”, “unmotivated staff”, “drama and gossip”, “location”, “lack of cash”
and “unappreciative patients”. I’m surprised that no one has blamed,
“Underinflated game balls”.
Not a single one of these factors should have the capability to bring a practice
down. The lack of success in a dental practice is due to deflated motivation,
deflated initiative, deflated morale, deflated culture, under-inflated systems,
underinflated communication skills and inadequate preparation.
In order to have a successful “season” in your practice, you must first establish
a vision of what you want to accomplish. The Patriots vision was that they “win
the Super Bowl”. Your vision should include concepts such as providing the
highest quality care, providing outstanding service, showing how much you
care about every patient, differentiating yourself from other practices,
improving communication skills with patients, inspiring patients to accept more
comprehensive and cosmetic care and practicing in a way that is profitable for
you and your team, both emotionally and financially.
The next step is surrounding yourself with a team totally in tune with your
vision. They must leave their personal “baggage” outside the office, be eager
to learn and grow, avoid gossip and drama, and be cognizant of expectations,
both of themselves and the other members of their team. The Patriots
expectations of one another is that they will all give more than 100%. When
the brunt of the speculation for “Inflategate” fell on Tom Brady, no one threw
him under the bus. They all declared incredible confidence in their field leader.
Everything that is done in your office must be systematized. Just as the
system is the key to the success of the Patriots, it is also the key to the
success of your dental practices. Each team members’ responsibilities must
be listed and described in detail…in writing. This creates independence from
individuals and personalities and insures predictability in everything that is
done.
Each doctor, or a member of each team, must step up to become a leader.
The responsibility of the leader is to believe in the vision and to exhibit
confidence to the rest of the team. This individual must lead by example and
look for every opportunity to give recognition and praise to the other members
of the team. Equally important is to distribute credit for success, accept
responsibility for shortcomings and to offer constant encouragement to the
others to create a feeling of motivation.
Lastly, the Patriots have great players such as Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski
and Julian Edelman. As professionals, they do not need someone to tell them
how to throw a pass, how to run with the ball, how to catch the ball or how to
block. They do need someone to help coordinate their efforts, to help them
develop a strategy and to guide their coordination. They need someone to
help them take advantage of opportunities that come up during the course of a
game which are not seen during the heat of battle and advice on mid-course
corrections as they are needed. This is the role of a coach. Every great team
has a coach. This is a role that Kelly and I have embraced with much success
in recent years with a multitude of practices in our area. It is a role we would
welcome the opportunity to assume in any of your practices, where you might
need help in patient motivation, organization, strategy, verbal skills, scripting,
scheduling, case acceptance or team development. If necessary, we will also
be glad to bring along a pump to alleviate any under-inflation issues, should
they exist.
For more information about coaching can help your practice,
please call 516-599-0214 or send an email to [email protected].
Also, consider ordering the book
“They Didn’t Teach Us THAT In Dental School”,
using the order form below.
909 words
Thought for the Month of February:
NICE BOOK !
Throughout my adult life I have read many self-help books dealing with
confidence, success, motivation and business prowess. Twenty years ago,
after a false alarm diagnosis of colon cancer, I read a book, “Don’t Sweat the
Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson, that so affected me, I sent 1,000 copies to
each family in my practice. Other books which affected me greatly were “The
One-Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, “Raving Fans”
by Ken Blanchard, and recently, “It Starts with Why” by Simon Sinek.
Most recently I have felt my life change from reading a book by Mark
Sharenbroich, entitled “Nice Bike”. I will admit that it is a strange title, but after
reading the book it made perfect sense. “Nice Bike” is about the importance of
making a strong connection to others. The ability to connect helps us be
engaged members of our families, vibrant members of our communities and
contributing team members in our practices.
“It’s going out of your way to let people know that they matter. It’s treating
people with dignity and respect, instead of treating them like a number. It’s
saying something positive to someone instead of just thinking about it. It’s
noticing others contributions. It’s listening. It’s taking action. It’s connecting
genuinely with those around you. This translates to ‘I see you, I hear you, I
appreciate you. This family, this community this organization is a better place
because you’re in it.’”
The premise of “Nice Bike” is built on three distinct actions, “Acknowledge,
Honor and Connect”. Whenever I read books like this I immediately try to
relate it to dental practices. In your practices, doctors, what are your team
members’ roles in relation to yours? Do you value the importance of your
team? Do you realize that your success is very much dependent on your
team? Do you realize that a dysfunctional team could “sink your ship” before
you even knew you had a hole in the hull?
Do you appreciate your patients? Do you look forward to the opportunity to
care for them because it will benefit them or you? Is your purpose for
practicing to benefit them or yourself? Whose benefit is more important?
When you Acknowledge, Honor and Connect it transforms you and your dental
team into a positive, productive and cohesive unit with heightened awareness
of others. It enables you to recognize what is important to others. When you
connect in this way it enables you to truly make more of a difference in
someone else’s life. This is a book that will help you to become more
successful, happy and prosperous in every area of your life.
441words
Steven M. Katz, DMD, MAGD
Smile Potential Dental Practice Coaching
116 Broadway - Malverne, NY 11565
516-599-0883
www.SmilePotential.com