Urgent Vs. Important Part 2 of 2

URGENT AND IMPORTANT
Part 2 of 2

Urgent and important deals with significant results that require immediate action.

 We react to urgent matters. The activities in this area would be considered a  
crisis or problem

By:Robert Kraft

             Results – stress, burnout, crisis management, always putting out fires.

If your focus is always on crisis management, it’s like a pounding surf.  A big wave comes and knocks you down and slams you to the ground and you’re wiped out.  You stand back up to face another one that knocks you down.

The Plain Truth

Some people are literally beaten up by problems all day long.

URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT

A lot of people spend time on urgent but not important  They spend most of their time reacting to things that are urgent, but not important.  Put plans in place that help you be proactive when Crisis happen.  Work as a team to implement and support in order to fix problems quickly and without derailing other important matters in the office.   

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Urgent Matters

Fire By: Robert Kraft

Part 1 of 2

 

 Urgent are those things that must be done or taken care of right now.  It is something we cannot put off.   Items that are Urgent act on us.  Urgent matters are usually visible and require action in the here and now.  They may be a patient, an insurance claim or a leaking sink.  But the issue needs your immediate attention. 

A ringing phone or a patient who has a cracked tooth and is in pain

                                              

        Most people can’t stand a ringing phone:

         Stood in line at a department store?

         You were in a hurry

         Waited in line

         It’s finally your turn – the phone rings

         The clerk answers the phone – doesn’t acknowledge you

         How do you feel?

There aren’t many people you call who say – “I’ll get back to you in 15 minutes, just hold.”

         So a ringing phone is urgent.

Although, an urgent item cannot be put off it does not mean that we need to let the urgent items in your practice take over everything else.  If you spend all of your time on urgent matters you may burnout.   

       

            

 Urgent matters can begin to control everyday of your life.  You get back up, deal with a matter only to turn around and be knocked down again.  Urgent matters must be dealt with, however, they must not control every moment of everyday.

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Teamwork

 Team Member Handbook for Teamwork

        By: Lenora Milligan Salt DPM 

                        Part 2 of 2

 Help new teammates make entry.

            People come, people go.  Turnover can be hard on teamwork.  It makes sense to help people succeed, to take pains to keep them.  You and your teammates play a key role in this process.  Too often, when a newcomer fails to make it in the team, it’s because the team failed the person.

Play down yourself and build up others.

            You’ll never build the team by acting like a big shot-you do it by building your teammates.  Play the game in such a way that your presence make the others perform at a high level.  Be a cheerleader.  Offer encouragement.  Tell them what a good job they’re doing.  Point out their strengths.  Catch them doing things right.

Spend time with your teammates.

            If your group get together only now and then – say for an hour or so – it doesn’t have crying chance of becoming a close knit unit.  It take togetherness for the group to gel as a team.  Even though you work side by side with someone, it doesn’t mean you will develop “team integrity.”

Help drive discipline into the group.

            In high performance teams, the players police themselves.  The people don’t relay on somebody else – for instance, the boss or whoever is in charge – the crack the whip.  Team members show superb self-discipline.  Individuals hold themselves, and each other, accountable for topnotch results.

Make sure you make a difference.

            Just having your name on the roster doesn’t mean you’re earning your keep.  Making a difference take more than just showing up, doing only enough to by or merely going through the motions.  Staying busy is no big deal either.  You need to do what counts.  Often the top performer isn’t the most talented person on the team, but the person who puts our the most effort.

Give attention to group process.

            Things are always going wrong when people work together in groups.  And even when things are going right, a sharp eye can often find ways for them to go a lot better.  Pay attention to what’s going on inside your group, and you’ll see problems there that need fixing.

Help create a climate of trust.

            The “growing season” for trust is when people are being tested – in matter big or small.  Only then do you get a chance to really prove anything.  Will you keep your work?  Do you honor your commitments?  Are you consistent?  Dow you play fair?  Can others count on you to “be there”-hanging tough under fire, helping out when the need you, putting yourself at risk for the sake of the team?

Strengthen the leader through good follower-ship.

            No leader is good enough to take a team to high performance if the team members are lousy followers.  What’s involved in follower-ship?  Initiative.  Know what to do without being told, and do it.  Think for yourself.  Good followers are people who lead themselves.  It requires that you align your efforts with the rest of the group.  Commit yourself to the team’s common goals.  Don’t drift off in another direction and splinter the group.  It also requires that you work to strengthen the leader.  Show your support and empower that person.

Be a good sport.

            Have a sense of fair play.  Show respect for others, rather than putting them down, finding fault, or promoting yourself at their expense.  Humility fits into the picture too.  Don’t brag or get a big head when you do well.  Be big enough to ask for help when you need it, admit your mistakes, and say “I’m sorry” when appropriate.  Learn to take criticism without taking it personally.

                                 (The team member handbook for teamwork by Price Pritchett)

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Teamwork

 Team Member Handbook for Teamwork

        By: Lenora Milligan Salt DPM 

                        Part 1 of 2

    

High quality communication 

 It’s not enough for the right hand to know what the left is doing.  The right hand needs to know what the left intends to do.  People need a keen sense of what’s planned if they are to execute with precision.  There is no hope of orchestrating a coordinated team effort unless good communication precedes action.

Bring talent to the team.

            Teams need talent.  The more of it you bring to the group, the more you can contribute.  Build your skills and in a very real sense, you are building the team.  You can’t have a high-powered team with low-talent people.

Play your position

            Dig up all the details on your assignment.  Nail every bit of it down so you will remember it.  The, play your position.  It’s tough to achieve a coordinated team effort when people leave their stations…stray into someone else’s area…or just get sloppy and let thing slip through the cracks.  Sometimes you need to cover for teammates, of course, since everyone needs a little help now and then. 

Turn diversity to the team’s advantage.

            Don’t sideline the person that is different, whether that person happens to be you, or somebody else.  All too often people pull themselves out of play.  Maybe because they feel like they don’t fit in.  Or maybe because the look, think, or act different from the rest of the bunch.  Do your part to help the team identify, and benefit from, diversity.

Back up others who need help.

            The best way to put a safety net under the team’s performance is to back each other up.  Anybody can make a mistake, get overloaded, or just need a helping hand.  The question is will you be in a position to cover for you teammates?

Practice.

            It’s one thing to show up for work every day and do your job.  But it’s another thing to show up for practice.  To drill.  To rehearse.  To run through everything time after time, watching the people perform as a team pushing for better performance.

Be prepared to sacrifice for the team.

            The struggle of “me versus we’ is not stranger to team members.  You can expect occasional conflict between your selfish interests and what’s best for the team.  Personal sacrifice is part of the price you pay for membership in the group…for team support when you need it…and, most importantly, for the trust of your teammates.

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A Lesson Learned, "Nathan's Hot Dogs" How pricing affects your bottomline

Photo by: Nathan's Hot Dogs

Photo from: http://nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/getpage.php?pgid=39

You might be asking what can we learn in the dental field from a story about a man who sold hot dogs? Well a lot actually.

A History on "Nathan's Hot Dogs

 

"It started in 1916 as a small hot dog stand on Coney Island.  Nathan wanted to undercut the competition and so he sold his hot dogs for 5 cents.  However, according to an excerpt from Sway, by brothers Ori and Rom Brafman, no one bought them because they didn't believe in the quality of the product.  "People believed there must be something wrong with them if he was willing to sell them so cheap."

How does this affect you in the dental office?  Finding the right balance when pricing your product can be tricky, because we aren't talking about a tangible product that people can feel and taste.  We are talking about experience and education, dental supplies, time, and relationships.   

You don't want to have your business prices too low, because you may wind up with no one to sell to, however, if your prices are too high patients may not be able to afford your product.  How much are your services worth? How much you should charge? Does the market always determine your worth?

Nathan's products did so well because he was serving a quality product.  In a world where hundreds of dentists exist and people could go anywhere it is important each interaction and every procedure with your patients is truly a quality product with nothing but the best inside.  His product was a unique recipe and he believed in this product so much it did not deter him from his pricing choices.

Everyone has a product to sell and they must believe in themselves, their office, and the job they are doing.  However, a quality product must be delivered every time for patients to believe in your services.  Nathan didn't need to sell his hot dogs for only five cents, because others were selling theirs for ten cents, but his quality product trumped the believe that his hot dog's weren't as good as the competitions'.

Today, Nathan's is famous and many individuals such as, "Al Capone, Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante, and Cary Grant ate his hot dogs.Last year there were over 360 million Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs sold! Today,Nathan’s is sold and enjoyed in all 50 States and sold at over 20,000 foodservice and retail outlets."   

Although, you may never have anyone famous come into your office and buy your services, the product you produce each day matters to the patients you have now.

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Original Lesson By: Lenora Milligan Salt DPM President and Consultant

You can learn more about Nathan's Hot Dogs at http://nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/getpage.php?pgid=39

A little help during the busy times

Quick food idea by Salt DPM Consultant 

Debra Quarles

 

CHICKEN SOUP

            Team members are always pressed for time at home with their families. Here is a quick meal tip for chicken soup!

            Keep canned chicken, broth, mushrooms, and corn on hand as well as some yellow onions, carrots and Bisquick. Place the chicken, mushrooms, chopped onions, carrots and corn in the broth and bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper, chopped celery, or celery salt. If you like dumplings, use the Bisquick recipe, but leave covered for the whole 20 minutes and do not peek!

            If you like noodles mix some flour and salted eggs together to a dough. Roll out on a sheet and cut strips with a pizza cutter. If you like your noodles short, cut them. Make them the width you like. Just place them into the boiling broth for about 15 minutes.

            Chicken soup has been shown to keep you healthy. It also will keep a smile on your family’s face!

P.S. It seems like the low fat Bisquick makes fluffier dumplings!

          

TIPS FOR TEETH

            When cementing crowns with resin cements, be sure to keep a constant pressure on the crown during the curing process. If the crown is allowed to move during the curing, it will pull the weakened cement bond away from the tooth. This will lead to “micro-leaking” which will allow bacteria to get under the resin cement. This will cause a “black” line under the edge of an all porcelain crown or onlay.

"The Inevitable"

By

Debra Quarles

Summer can mean new goals, new opportunities and new ideas. All of which translates to change. Why is it when we hear the word change our heart starts to beat a little faster? Our palms get sweaty? We begin to panic a little?

According to philosopher Heraclites, “There is nothing permanent except change.” In our lives we’ve seen this. We see seasons change, yet change still has the power to unsettle us.  As a coach and consultant I implement and initiate change. So one of the first things I do is ask, who likes change? Invariably there will be one or two who raise their hands—but the majority will tell me they are creatures of habit. I’ve found even those who tell me they like change are only referring to changing their living room furniture, the car they drive, or their hair color. When it comes to change at work, doing the things we do every day, change is difficult.

So why change at all? The results you currently see at work are a reflection of your current behaviors. In other words, your current patients, your current stress level, your current salary, your current value are all based upon what you currently are achieving as an individual and a team. If you want different results, you will have to learn to do things differently.

          

  Here are some tips for handling change:

·      Understand why the change is necessary. We are much more accepting of change when we can understand how it will work to ease our day, increase our production or result in a better quality product.

·      Accept change willingly. You cannot prevent change from happening. In fact the act of resistance actually makes change worse. If you were to sit down in a straight-backed chair and have someone push against your outstretched hands, you would find that by resisting you actually give them the power to tip or turn you. Instead relax your arms. I know this is hard, it is easier to resist, but by relaxing you will find you can’t be so easily tipped over. Fighting change actually makes it worse. Remember, welcome change.

·      Get started making the change immediately. Support and remind each other of the change daily. Keep in mind change creates heroes and heroines. Can you become the hero of the office by implementing a change that saves time, energy or money?

·      Learn to love your mistakes, they will occur, remind yourself again why the change is important and move on. Don’t tell yourself stories about how it was so good before the change; instead focus on the future.

Change is what propels us toward a more rewarding future.

Debra Quarles is a coach consultant with Salt Dental Practice Management. 

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Original Article published by

Tri-County Dental Society