By: Debra Quarles
Salt DPM Consultant
Part 2 of 2
Moving beyond fear:
In order to achieve
your goal, you must get past your fear.
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the
little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit
it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the
inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only
I will remain."
--- Frank Herbert, Dune
Fear of losing patients
is the number one reason that change is not made and . . . patients are lost.
You can't fear
change. In fact, all of us must dance faster to keep up with the technology
that is coming, it seems daily. The only way past fear is to walk through it. So,
how long do you want to suffer? Then perhaps you'd better get moving.
The people problem:
Sometimes it is a
people problem and change should be made, but many more times the right people
are in the right spot but they have been given a system that doesn't allow for
their success.
I still enter
practices where they have a computer that is used for scheduling as well as a
paper book. Is it any wonder there are mistakes and surprise patients? I also
find practices where charts are written in and computer charting is done.
Computers are to increase our efficiency and effectiveness - to allow our teams
to accomplish more in less time. Make sure your systems encourage that, not
create more work and increase errors.
Make sure you allow
for safe feedback from your team. Too many times they know the answer, but are
afraid to speak up.
Surviving
It takes 28 working
days to form a new habit. Almost two months for most offices. How many times do
we forget "the change" and fall back on our old habits well before that?
I called an office,
"Hello, this is . . . I
can help you." I told her who I was. She was so very pleased she'd
answered the telephone with the appropriate new dialog. One week later,
"Hello, this is . . . How can I help you?"
I'm not saying
change is easy, I'm just saying it's necessary.
Debra Quarles is a
coach/consultant with Salt Dental Practice Management. Savor success and learn
more at www.saltdpm.com or contact her at info@saltdpm.com.
Article originally published by: Tri-County Dental Association
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