We’ve all got them. We all make them. And if you think about it, life is one continual exercise in choice making.
Of course, we all have a choice tomorrow. Democracy and freedom are the basis of so many of these great choices we get to experience.
In life, you make daily choices by yourself without a consensus from anyone. Perhaps some involve the input or influence of others. Most certainly, your choices have implications on all of those around you. Still, no one dictates or restricts your choices other than you.
You are the decision maker in your life.
That’s a powerful concept that carries such great responsibility. Furthermore, every choice has a ripple effect on all of the future ones that will follow. This is why it’s important to think about not just the choices of the moment but having the foresight to know how they impact the future.
By the way, that is one of the greatest differences I see between the Teams that thrive and the Teams that struggle… their ability to make smart, positive choices on a daily basis.
It begins with the attitude and the focus of the Doctor coupled with the overall culture of the practice, but it ends with every single team member making a daily choice about their attitude, where their focus is going to be placed, where their energy is going to be spent, and whether their teamwork will be selfless and collaborative.
Beyond just the daily focus, there are broader, more overarching choices that every Practice must make around philosophy of care and the principles of health that they operate by.
In fact, with every single visit, your deliberate intention and attention with your patients – is a choice.
The best Teams have a habit of making the best choices… not to succumb to insurance, not to breakdown treatment, not to shortcut diagnosis, not to get in a hurry, not to waste any opportunity to help your patients get healthy.
And with every choice ‘not to’ you make a choice ‘to’ carry out your mission and put your patients first.
The most successful Teams, as a result of an empowering culture and strong leadership, choose to take initiative and responsibility for their goals by owning the outcomes every single day.
Success is no accident – it requires consistency and discipline; it expects a desire to do well; it demands constant and never-ending improvement; and it rewards those who make an unrelenting decision to win.
The bottom line is: success is your most important choice.
And choices lead you to proactive actions that lead to profitable progress.
Here’s a great example… the Monday Morning Huddle you are reading right now, no Teams have ‘these’ type of conversations. By you being smart enough and making the choice to be here – you are choosing to be above average, you are choosing success, and you are choosing to engage your team on a deeper level (which, bluntly, is far more meaningful than just showing up for another day of dentistry).
Good for you because you made the choice. I can’t force you to get these, let alone read them. You have chosen success by going above and beyond by working on the things – and people – that really matter.
With just that in mind, I know you are the exception, you are a leader, and you are a difference maker. You refuse to accept the status quo and I challenge you to never stop.
Still, don’t stop at reading it, put it into action, discuss it, share, open up feedback, and help each other become stronger.
We believe that the most important principle to practice growth is: to grow your practice, you must first focus on growing the people inside.
Now don’t stop here, choose to keep growing, expand your mind, remove your limits, push your potential, raise your expectations, and elevate your goals. You will always know that your greatest success is yet ahead because every new day you still have that most important choice to make.
