This week, during Thanksgiving in the U.S., what will your people be saying around the dinner table as they hang out with family and talk about ‘work’.
You know, they all ask “how’s work”, “what’s new”, “so are you still at Dr. so and so’s?”
There’s truth that’s revealed in those kind of conversations. Real truth. Just how loyal and dedicated your team might be, just how appreciated and valued do they feel?
Because the degree of which your Team is individually excited about your practice, happy, grateful even to be there, the more that energy and gratitude will be transferred over to your patients.
I have to say this again and again and I will keep saying it – if you treat them like employees, they will act like employees – if you treat them like people they will do magical things as they become empowered and inspired to work to their greatest potential. They will own what they do and who they are.
This is the same problem we have with patients. Even the title “patients” invokes the concept of doing as little as they can and pay as less as they can get away with. That’s what you want in your customers’ minds? Do you want them thinking like insurance pays their bills? Or, do you want them thinking they are indebted to you for your service, that they are coming somewhere special and becoming a partner, a client, a customer in a reciprocal relationship.
You really have two sets of customers, clients, people to serve and actually it doesn’t stop there.
You have the people you do the dentistry on and the people who make the dentistry happen.
Every week is a great week to be thankful. Just look at you… wow … you have worked so hard for this, you deserve this, but don’t take this for granted and do not take the people who make it possible for granted.
Try doing everything they do without them around.
The bottom line is this: if you want to know why you are getting great results right now or why you are getting stagnate, stalled out, stalemated progress – just be a little bird on the shoulder of your team members when they go home and talk about you, their co workers, the patients and your practice this Thanksgiving.
Warm feelings, positive energy, an environment of gratitude and a culture of appreciation goes in all directions and it’s what stimulates momentum for every goal, ambition and objective you have.
Here’s your huddle activity for this week…
Have a thanksgiving lunch with your team, carry in, potluck, favorite restaurant, or whatever… and sit down, go around the room and have everyone share about the things they are thankful for, in life but also right there in your office.
Listen to what they say. You see, if you want more good things to happen, focus on more good things, reward good behavior, and do activities that bring out the best in each other.
If you are fortunate and smart enough to be one of our private practice transformation clients, then you had the most amazing thanksgiving activity ever created. You have to stop getting so caught up in what you do that you forget what really matters… all those people around you.
I don’t like ‘specific’ holidays because I think they condition us to focus and reflect on something once a year that really should be a daily habit and practice.
Let’s use this week to set the tone, to hone the focus, to really cherish everything we have to be thankful and the people who make it all possible.
And, that goes for you…
On behalf of the entire Dental Success Today Team and myself we wish the happiest of Thanksgivings and the most bountiful reasons to be grateful. We are so thankful for you. You give us purpose, you inspire us everyday, you change the world and the lives of those who live in it one patient at a time. We are honored, grateful, just so fortunate to be apart of your lives and what you do. Without you…well, it just wouldn’t be any fun at all and it darn sure wouldn’t be making an impact, a difference, or anything else.
You make magic happen every day and you give people reasons to be thankful in their own lives. You are very special and important. What you do – it matters – more than you’ll ever know and certainly more than you give yourself credit for.
I appreciate you showing up here every week, caring enough to pay attention to what I have to say; and not stopping there but going out and doing something with it…it means the world to me that I get to work with and be in the greatest profession on earth with you.
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving.
