A recent study showed that if you open your email in the first hour of your day you lose approximately 30-percent productivity over a week. The reason is that you start your day responding to other people’s agendas instead of creating your own. Much of a dentist’s career is the same; doctors walk in each day responding to the schedule, to the patients, to their team members. Doctors end up spending their days responding to the agendas of others.
Reacting to the World Will Determine a Destiny, But You May Not Like It
Imagine sitting at a table and looking at a large brown box of puzzle pieces. You’re not sure what the end result will be, but you know that the goal is to put all the pieces together to come up with a final product. So you pour the pieces on the table, apply your critical thinking skills and attack the project.
You start by turning all the pieces right-side up so you can see the colors and patterns. Next, you look for the pieces with straight edges and corners and build the frame (this step is exciting because it gives you a sense of accomplishment and progress). Then you start sorting and grouping the pieces by color and pattern, etc. And finally, you start testing the pieces one at a time, working to find some that fit together. Given enough time and patience, through trial and error, you’d start to see patterns and the picture would come together. Frustrating and time consuming, but you’re making progress.
Now, about halfway through the project you realize that your puzzle is a picture of a bunch of cats playing with yarn, and you don’t even like cats (this is not a criticism or an attack on cats … relax). You would never have chosen to do this puzzle if you knew it was “cats.” But, you just keep on going, begrudgingly, because you already have time and money invested. Maybe the picture will change? Maybe you can swap out some pieces from another puzzle? Maybe …?
LOL!
The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create it
If you would have chosen the puzzle, the picture of the completed project in advance, you would’ve made the whole process that much simpler and more exciting. That’s what creating a mission/vision for your practice is all about.
I’m not talking about writing a heavy, dry business plan filled with market analysis, statistics and forecasts (some of that is valuable and necessary if you need money from the bank). But, I’m talking about capturing the “Why?” Of your practice; of your business. This mission/vision is a way to guide your thinking, a way to help you clearly articulate your value proposition to investors and patients and a way to better align your team. It’s all-encompassing.
Starbucks: Built on Vision and Passion
I know that Starbucks has been the center of books and studies for years, but real success stories are meant to be studied.
As the story goes, Howard Schultz went to Italy on holiday with his family. He spent time in coffee shops and noticed that the environment was different. Yes, people drank coffee, but the bistro was also a gathering place for friends and family to visit or talk with each other. Patrons played cards and chess, they read, and they rested. It was a place to be with others … a social experience. Schultz caught that vision and brought it back to the United States. He had a picture of what he wanted to create, and he enrolled others (a team) in building that vision.
That vision also helped their team make important business decisions in building the Starbucks empire. They built shops that embodied the culture and ambience of the coffee houses he visited in Italy, they developed training and coffee education programs for the Barista, they bought and developed specialized equipment to deliver consistent, quality coffee on a world-wide basis, etc. Decision making and growth became simpler because they knew where they were going.
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra
There was a terrific article in INC Magazine a few years ago entitled Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. I use this article with all new clients to help them to see the practice they want to build.
The author describes a restaurant in Michigan that wrote a four-paragraph story detailing what they wanted their business to be. They used descriptive language to help customers envision what it would be like to interface with their business.
Today that restaurant is featured regularly on Food Network programs including Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It’s not an accident. They decided in advance where they wanted to go and then they went there. Their reputation for excellent food, service and a family-friendly environment is legendary. That’s what they set out to create.
Where Will Your Vision and Passion Take You?
If you are looking for a new opportunity or just getting out of school into your first professional position, you may be tempted to take the first thing that comes. I recommend that you be a creator of your destiny and do this exercise first.
Following are some questions to consider when drafting your vision:
- Who do you want to serve? Do you have a heart for those in need and limited resources? Or those at higher socioeconomic levels?
- Where do you want to serve? Do you want to be in a small town and serve a local community? Or does your personal energy draw you to a bigger city (yes, there are more dentists, but there are more opportunities)?
- What kind of experience do you want to create for your patients? Describe the office environment. Define the procedures and services you will provide. Who will be your primary market? Families? Singles? Mature Couples?
- What kind of team do you want to build? Not just determining the number of hygienists, dental assistants and front-desk personnel to handle the day-to-day operations and dentistry. Will you keep a high standard in your office and only hire the best? People that authentically care about your patients, have a commitment to mastery of their profession and are all around “A” players?
The options for a dental professional to practice their passion and skill are many. If you choose the route of joining a corporate dental group or DSO (Dental Support Organization), then interview diligently and make sure that the values and vision of that organization align with yours.
However, if you’re going to go in to private practice, then it’s an opportunity for you, the owner-dentist, to paint a picture for your patients and team, the success of your office, and your financial future. Whatever path you choose, don’t go on the journey without a vision and a map.
Wes Jankowski is a business strategist and Founder/CEO of StraightLine Professional Development – providing business, leadership, and team-building skills training for dental practices. For more information about the company and services go to ceodentist.com