We are a group of Dental Consultants who offer, improved practice morale; a happier, more profitable patient base;and improved home life; increased collections. (And yes, our average is 35% in year one.)

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Your failures


I am constantly trying to learn from my mistakes. They are the thing that drives me to be better. It is the action I take after I fail that makes me a stronger person. 

I live for these failures because I know I will come out a better person when I have figured out what I have done wrong and how I am going to fix the mistake so it doesn't happen again. 

I do not allow my mistakes to define me, but I live to the saying that my failures only drive me forward. 

What mistakes are you going to make today, that create a better future?

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Monday, August 26, 2013

What does a leader look like?


Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Taking time to breath

This week during stressful times take the time to breath. This will not only calm your body but it will calm your mind and give you the ability to approach what situation you are failing with a level head.

Follow this simple procedure:

1. Close your eyes
2. Breath in for five seconds 
3. Let it out for five seconds 
4. Complete this process until you feel the tension slip from your body and your mind becomes clear

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.



Monday, August 19, 2013

A Large Crowd, A Lesson Learned




A few weeks ago, Salt Dental Practice Management consultant Debra Quarles spoke in Calgary, Canada at the IACA Conference.  The night before her presentation she turns on her computer to review some notes. Her presentation was created online utilizing Prezi. In the midst of her reviewing, the blue screen of death pops up and her computer shuts down.  She hits the button but nothing happens. She waits a few minutes and tries to turn on the computer again. Nothing.

She has two decisions. One, she can freak out and attempt to find a computer repair store late at night. If she makes this choice, she may have a long, sleepless night and even if she does fix it she resolves this may not be good because then will not get enough sleep. Or two, breath, get a good night sleep and wake up in the morning to try and take care of it before her presentation tomorrow. 

Debra decides on option two. She does her deep breathing exercises. This calms her body and her mind. Next, she turns on her sleep application, which tracks her night’s sleep. Debra hopes that maybe in the morning her computer will fix itself and she closes her eyes. The next morning after a fantastic sleep she wakes up, turns on her computer. No luck. So, she heads out to find the individual in charge of technology for the convention to see if she can borrow a computer from someone. As her computer did not get fixed by, "computer fairies" during the night.

In the elevator, she meets an individual who asks how her day is going. She states great. I’m going to find the technology person to see if I can borrow a computer. The gentleman says, “Wow, I would be freaking out.” Debra explains, I did some deep breathing and freaking out isn’t going to fix my computer. So, I’m good. She is able to locate the technology information guy. And he states, “wow, you’re really calm.” Debra once again explains, that there is no reason to get upset. She knows her presentation inside and out so, if she is able to borrow a computer great. And if not then that’s okay too.

They head in the direction to see if someone that is talking before her is able to let her borrow their computer. She locates a computer, she get’s her presentation up and running and when she looks out over the crowd there is a packed house waiting to hear what she has to deliver.

And in that moment she changes the beginning of her speech and begins her moment by talking about the importance of breathing because calm will always win out above a freak out.




Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Your Future

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.


Monday, August 12, 2013

The Uncommon Man



“Who is the uncommon man?” Coach Bill Courtney asks his Manassas football team in the documentary, “Undefeated.” The uncommon man is someone who could have let his anger defeat him. He is a team player who has made mistakes. But he is the player that came back from it and changed who he was on and off the field. Uncommon people, who stand against the odds and makes things extraordinary, build strong teams.  

A team is built on the character and determination of the people. It takes heart to win, and it takes even more character to loose and come back from it. What we carry with us everyday determines not only who we are but also, what we will accomplish.

The Manassas high school football team takes hard learned lessons and implements them. Their team had lost for years but with a group of dedicated volunteer coaches and hard working students they brought this team back to a fantastic season. They didn’t win the final game however; several of the players went on to college and learned more about being the uncommon somebody instead of today’s cliché. Football didn’t make these men, dedication and heart gave them the ability to put their differences, their anger and their frustrations aside and become something more then themselves.

It doesn’t matter how many times your team has failed. It doesn’t matter how many arguments you have been in or how many patients walk through your door if your team doesn’t put the team above themselves your team will destroy their own success.  

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.





                                                      

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

"Go Big or Go Home,"


Communication Part 2:



Communication is multiple processes and skills. We all have different communication styles. For example, you send an email to the office manager. This email is communication and you are counting on the receiver of the information to effectively read and follow through with the email. Next, you head in to see a patient and the hygienist catches you outside and delivers a verbal message. Now, you are relying on the hygienist to hear the patient correctly and relay the appropriate message to you. You also communicate by reading messages in chart notes and then communicating your thoughts on those ideas to your dental assistant. All of these interactions require different types of communication and multiple points of possible communication breakdowns.


Here are five ways to increase the effectiveness of your communication.

1.  Repeat what people are saying to you in your head as they are saying it, instead of thinking about the point you want to make when they finish. Many times we listen just long enough to believe we know what they are going to say and then tune out to what is really said. This technique is not only important for better communication it also helps improve overall listening. You can truly communicate and fix the problem when you actually know what is being said. However, an extra benefit of this skill is that now you can stop, take a step back and analyze a persons non-verbal communication.

2.  Control your emotions in order to control what you say. It is easy to be in the heat of the moment and say something you dont mean. Take the time to cool down and think about what you want to say.  That way when you have that important conversation you can do so with a level head.  What you say matters, and you need to make sure no matter what is said that you follow through with it. If you are mad or frustrated you may make empty threats.  Or you may have to follow through with something you really dont want to. Once something is said you cannot take it back and the damage is done.

3. Be honest and clear in your expectations. It doesnt do any good if you are skirting around the issue without really saying what it is that you want to have happen. It is really important when you are communicating with others that they know what it is you are expecting.  The point of a conversation is to convey desires, wishes or expectations. If you do not set honest expectations then you lose the point of the conversation and you wind up exactly where you were before. You walk away frustrated because you intended for your message to say one thing, but you end up sending a completely different message. 

4. Align your nonverbal communication with your verbal communication. Non-verbal communication encompasses everything from how you stand, to the emotions you let show on your face.  If you are going to have a serious conversation then your body language needs to convey the same message. You want to have clear expectations when you are speaking and your non-verbal communication can confuse the person you are speaking to if your body language says one thing and your mouth says something completely different.  Dont send mixed messages. Instead, align verbal and non-verbal communication by asking the receiver of the message what they heard.

5. Make sure you understand the message you are receiving from your team members. Ask for clarification when you are unsure what they said or meant. Re-say what they have said in order to make sure you comprehend what they told you. It is easy to misinterpret the message when you are tired, frustrated or busy. However, if you stop and take the time to communicate efficiently you will save yourself from big trouble later on.

It is important to create respectful, open and safe lines of communication.  If you set the tone of the office so all individuals when they speak to each other, no matter the issue, will do so in a courteous manner, then they will. As the leader, you set the tone in the work place and its important for you to model the communication you believe is acceptable.

Communication is something that everyone does often. You send quick emails, receive a text or ask someone where your instruments are. No matter whether you are under pressure or have all the time in the world, it is important to lay the groundwork for good quality communication between yourself and your team.

When conflict and discourse happen often it creates unnecessary problems in your office. This same disrespect can then translate to your patients and eventually to your bottom line. It takes work to create positive communication skills and this is something you may need to work on. For example, practice what you are going to say before you have that difficult conversation with an employee. Look in the mirror and make sure your facial expressions and body language match your tone. Watch for their nonverbal communication so you can read the situation and adjust, as you need to.

Practice makes things go smoother. Take the time with your team to work together to have strong communication skills. Use role-play before anyone speaks with a difficult patient. Work on aligning your body with your words. Make eye contact and nod at appropriate times, do deep breathing exercises to calm your emotions when an angry patient is yelling. And work on listening to pull out the true problem the patient is having.

Its time to think big and communicate big. Dont wait for a miscommunication to increase the drama in your office. Work now to create successful communication exchanges tomorrow.

Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build quality communication and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.

Austine Etcheverry is a positive, dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in the dental field. Austine has a keen eye for designing websites and blogs. She has experience in social media and search engine optimization.

Monday, August 5, 2013

"Go Big or Go Home, Communication"




Go Big or Go Home
Communicate

Our last article focused on thinking big to take your practice to the next level. This time we will talk about how important it is to refine and maximize your communication to decrease miscommunication. 



Lets say you wake up in the morning; you state to your significant other, Have a nice day. They ask, What do you mean by that? You shake your head, walk out the door and enter your dental office. There your receptionist greets you. You ask, How does the schedule look? Fine, she says as she turns away and mumbles something under her breath. What has gone wrong? Why is everyone reacting so strangely? It may be a few things, your tone of voice, your nonverbal communication or it could be the way theyre hearing the message you are delivering. You cant change what they hear, but you can change how you say it.   You cannot be a great leader without great communication skills.



It doesnt take long for a conversation between two individuals to go sideways.  Youre saying something that seems completely clear to you, but the other person is answering a completely different question and now you are going in circles. It is important to develop strong communication skills in order for successful situations to occur. It doesnt mean you always have to agree, it simply means you must speak effectively in order to make sure your message is heard correctly.  Increasing your ability to communicate does not mean increasing the amount of words that come out of your mouth either. Instead it might mean learning how to read verbal and nonverbal communication, improving your listening skills, and speaking in a clear and concise matter.



Effective communication creates strong teams. It is when everyone is talking, but no one is communicating that things tend to fall apart.  When clear lines of communication are established everyone knows what their responsibilities and duties are. Individuals in the office may ask for help, work to quickly resolve issues and a level of respect is established. 


Great teams take effort. Take time to work on your practice regularly to build teamwork and strengthen your results. For more information and to read other articles, please visit us at www.saltdpm.com.