Why Does Your Why Still Matter?

05 Mar Why Does Your Why Still Matter?

It’s been 15 years since Simon Sinek famously started with his ‘WHY’. It was hardly a new idea then, but he explained something that most people instinctively understand better than anybody else ever had. The rest, as they say, is history.

Yet, it’s easy to forget or even ignore the significance of what he expertly explained, so why does ‘WHY’ matter?

It matters because it provides a shared understanding of how you and your team make decisions and identify priorities. Without that understanding, what do you or your team do with complicated choices where there is no easy answer?

What you may have thought of as your WHY is often just a description of what you do to get paid, including various descriptions of providing dental services. If you focus only on what you do to get paid, notice that it restricts thinking at every level. How will leadership teams notice opportunities and avoid risks, and how can you reduce the risk of people behaving independently of how you would have guided them had you been present?

So, what is the WHY of a dental practice? We must go beyond old cliches like ‘being on the same page’ or vague aspirational ideas about dentistry, such as ‘delivering life-changing smiles.’

The most successful dental practice owners think differently. They recognise our more significant challenges. You can also share your interest in tackling public antipathy, distrust, and the need to improve health and education with your team.

Many people need help explaining their business’s WHY. It is much easier to talk about real things that everybody can relate to. It will allow you to demonstrate how to prioritise and approach complicated decisions because of a shared understanding of why your dental practice exists.

Remember that leading often is about motivation, movement, and emotion. It’s not what you write down, present in fancy slides, or stick on the kitchen noticeboard, and that’s why your ‘WHY’ matters.

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