21 Aug What makes a dentist?
At first glance the answer is obvious; an appropriately qualified person of course but just like passing your driving test was exactly that, a test of your competency, we know that once you have passed your test, that the real learning is gained through experiences, observing and learning from others.
And, just like your clinical training provides you with the skills to deal with the effect of your patient’s dental problems and issues, the more understanding and experience that you have, the greater your understanding of the cause and with this comes the increased likelihood that you can deal with the problem effectively.
Leading your dental business works in the same way. For example, dealing with the effect of having spaces in your book, inconsistencies in the behaviour of your team, increased legislation and financial problems might be solved through further research, study or qualification but is that necessarily enough? Would the solution be more effective if you had a deeper understanding of the causes and a bank of experiences to reflect upon? And what about those persistent business issues; is the same way of thinking over and over again really going to come up with a different solution until you have the necessary width of perspective and depth of experience?
So, where can you get broad perspectives and how can you fast track experience? Well, we can’t wind the clock forward but you can learn from the business experiences of others as much as you can learn from the clinical experiences of others, provided that you have the right environment. With the right environment, you can have your thinking tested through the experiences and perspective of others, you can have your assumptions challenged and come up with a business solution that is considered, educated and right for your business. Whether that is done informally or in a more structured way, the key is that you speak to somebody with the right experiences and with no vested interest other than to help. The former, an environment where you informally discuss your business challenges has probably always existed, whether that be with a colleague, associate or your nurse and the latter (often now referred to as a peer advisory group) has become rapidly recognised outside of dentistry as a valuable asset and resource for business owners.
Club Connect was set up in 2009 as a private advisory group for dental business owners or for those looking to set up their dental business. We will also provide you with regular and structured one to one coaching so that we maintain an ongoing conversation about your development as a leader and as a dental business owner. By taking time out to work on your business, Club Connect members have the opportunity to resolve issues, gain a deeper insight regarding strategic and operational challenges, and to thoroughly evaluate a range of opportunities. In short, no more thinking about the big issues in your precious time in-between patients and no more days spent worrying about what to do next. We are running two half day introductory workshops in October.
Each introductory Club Connect workshop will provide you with valuable insights into your role as a business leader and a template that you will be able to apply in your own business as well as a taste of what you can expect if and when you become a regular member. We will also provide you with a follow up one to one coaching session.
No Comments