Most business owners would agree that you need to have a certain level of trust in your IT person. After all, he or she does have access to all of your company’s data and systems. But what if you were no longer satisfied with their services and were looking into replacing them? Could you be sure that he or she wouldn’t do something to jeopardize your computer network and ultimately your business? Ask yourself the following 6 questions:
1. Do you know all the passwords? Every machine and Internet related device on your network has (or should have) a password. If your current provider is the only one who knows what they are then you cannot view, change, or update the system settings. You should also know the passwords to your company’s database and accounting package so you can change them whenever there is a change in IT providers.
2. Do you know where your backup files are stored and if they are being stored properly?
If you are like most business owners, you’re too busy dealing with the “crisis of the day” to think about system backups and probably leave tasks to your internal expert. If your database gets fried and your tech is nowhere to be found, you might be in a lot of trouble.
3. Do you have all the product keys to your software? Product keys are long, alphanumeric codes, usually printed on the back of the software’s packing material, that are required to install the software. Once installed, you don’t need them again…UNLESS your system becomes unstable and you need to reinstall the program. Always make sure you have these stored in a secure location.
4. Do you know where all the software disks are stored? Taking a minute to organize and store your software disks in a secure place can save you a considerable chunk of money in the event that you need to restore a program on your computer. If you don’t have the disk, you might be forced to buy the software again.
5. Do you know what routine maintenance must be done to your network? I know that the very idea of learning about and keeping track of all the servers, workstations, and peripherals on your network probably gives you a major headache, but it is important information to maintain. If your expert leaves without providing you with this information, you may need to pay a new professional to take this work over.
6. Do you know how to protect yourself from an ugly security breach if your computer expert leaves? What happens if you let go of your IT expert and he or she still has access to your company’s network? As soon as humanly possible, you should disable his or her access, including remote access to your network.
If you answered “No” to any of these questions, you will want to get the answers soon. Any IT provider who is secure enough with the quality of their services should welcome the opportunity to provide you with the answers.
This post was submitted by Pedro Nunez. Pedro is one of our preferred providers and is director of IT services @ IT Management solutions-http://dentalcomputersupport.net/
Friday, December 18, 2009
URGENT WARNING TO ALL BUSINESS OWNERS: If You Can’t Answer “Yes” To These 6 Questions, Your Current IT Person Has Too Much Control
Friday, December 4, 2009
In Office Patient Seminars to Teach and to Grow Your Practice-How about Sjogrens Syndrome?
There are many interesting ways to grow your practice. The best way is doing what you do best: keep your patients’ mouth healthy. You can do this while attracting new patients, emphasizing loyalty and enjoying a closer relationship with your existing clientele.
One suggestion is to identify a common complaint and hold a series of in-office seminars to present the problem and explain how doctors, hygienists and patients can work together to keep them healthy.
Sjogrens Syndrome is a common complaint in my practice. I can see no better means of singing the praises of regular check ups than teaching a group about Sjogrens. A simple invitation for a one-hour gathering highlighting a few key symptoms such as dry mouth, sensitive teeth, frequent oral infections and a catchy title like Is your Mouth Like the Mojave Desert? It may be Sjogrens Syndrome; is a good start.
Invite the group to join you at the appointed time in the seating area of your office, but if you have a well-appointed staff/conference room, you can be sure that they will feel special, as if you had invited them into your inner sanctum. This creates an atmosphere of trust and invites loyalty from your existing patients. Feel free to have a few snacks and drinks, and have some common mouthwashes on hand as a good ice-breaker by asking those identified sufferers if they have tried mouthwash to alleviate the symptoms. It is a good idea to have one of your hygienist on hand, along with your appointment coordinator.
Plunge into the main causes for dry mouth, as occurring when the body mistakes the salivary glands for foreign intruders and attacks them. Use simple language reassuring them that occasionally, everyone's mouth feels dry like desert sand. Perhaps it was something they ate or a medication they took that caused saliva flow to diminish. However, this desert goes beyond occasional dryness. You can add statistical data by mentioning that there are four million Sjögren's Syndrome sufferers in the U.S. and that someone with Sjögren's Syndrome typically has the disease for six years before it is diagnosed because it mimics and co-exists with several other conditions.
Emphasizing the role of saliva as one of the most important fluids in the body because it acts as a protector from bacteria, yeasts and viruses, and presenting a simple chart listing how Sjogrens disguises as some of the most common conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and the difficulty in diagnosing it appropriately because no two people have the same signs or symptoms is very impressive.
Your chart may look something like this:
Concluding that unfortunately there is no cure for Sjögren's Syndrome but that a dentist can usually detect early stages of Sjögren's Syndrome before they are aware of dryness in the mouth through regular check ups. This way a dentist can monitor their dental health as well as offer recommendations for things they can do at home to ease the desert sand discomfort, such as prescription medications in severe cases and new over-the-counter oral care products that might provide relief.Your punch line that “the desert is an interesting place to visit, but that they probably don't want to live there”; is a good reminder that if they have Sjögren's Syndrome, early intervention is crucial. Your staff is happily ready to make an appointment right now!
Finally, create an incentive for your patients to bring in their friends, and you have a loyal patient and new ones on the way!
This entry was written by Gerry J. Casazza, DMD, F.A.G.D.
Gerry has recently joined the e-dds team as the clinical consultant and practice management specialist. He has been practicing dentistry for over 20 years and has a thriving practice with 2 locations north of Boston. Email Gerry@e-dds.com
One suggestion is to identify a common complaint and hold a series of in-office seminars to present the problem and explain how doctors, hygienists and patients can work together to keep them healthy.
Sjogrens Syndrome is a common complaint in my practice. I can see no better means of singing the praises of regular check ups than teaching a group about Sjogrens. A simple invitation for a one-hour gathering highlighting a few key symptoms such as dry mouth, sensitive teeth, frequent oral infections and a catchy title like Is your Mouth Like the Mojave Desert? It may be Sjogrens Syndrome; is a good start.
Invite the group to join you at the appointed time in the seating area of your office, but if you have a well-appointed staff/conference room, you can be sure that they will feel special, as if you had invited them into your inner sanctum. This creates an atmosphere of trust and invites loyalty from your existing patients. Feel free to have a few snacks and drinks, and have some common mouthwashes on hand as a good ice-breaker by asking those identified sufferers if they have tried mouthwash to alleviate the symptoms. It is a good idea to have one of your hygienist on hand, along with your appointment coordinator.
Plunge into the main causes for dry mouth, as occurring when the body mistakes the salivary glands for foreign intruders and attacks them. Use simple language reassuring them that occasionally, everyone's mouth feels dry like desert sand. Perhaps it was something they ate or a medication they took that caused saliva flow to diminish. However, this desert goes beyond occasional dryness. You can add statistical data by mentioning that there are four million Sjögren's Syndrome sufferers in the U.S. and that someone with Sjögren's Syndrome typically has the disease for six years before it is diagnosed because it mimics and co-exists with several other conditions.
Emphasizing the role of saliva as one of the most important fluids in the body because it acts as a protector from bacteria, yeasts and viruses, and presenting a simple chart listing how Sjogrens disguises as some of the most common conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and the difficulty in diagnosing it appropriately because no two people have the same signs or symptoms is very impressive.
Your chart may look something like this:
- enlarged saliva glands
- thick, sticky saliva
- decreased ability to taste foods and smell
- difficulty chewing, swallowing and talking
- burning sensation in the mouth
- dry cough, nose and skin
- sore or cracked tongue
- extreme fatigue
- joint pain
- increase in cavities
- teeth are sensitive to hot, cold and sweets
- requent oral infections, like yeast (thrush)digestion problems
- difficulty tolerating dentures
Concluding that unfortunately there is no cure for Sjögren's Syndrome but that a dentist can usually detect early stages of Sjögren's Syndrome before they are aware of dryness in the mouth through regular check ups. This way a dentist can monitor their dental health as well as offer recommendations for things they can do at home to ease the desert sand discomfort, such as prescription medications in severe cases and new over-the-counter oral care products that might provide relief.Your punch line that “the desert is an interesting place to visit, but that they probably don't want to live there”; is a good reminder that if they have Sjögren's Syndrome, early intervention is crucial. Your staff is happily ready to make an appointment right now!
Finally, create an incentive for your patients to bring in their friends, and you have a loyal patient and new ones on the way!
This entry was written by Gerry J. Casazza, DMD, F.A.G.D.
Gerry has recently joined the e-dds team as the clinical consultant and practice management specialist. He has been practicing dentistry for over 20 years and has a thriving practice with 2 locations north of Boston. Email Gerry@e-dds.com
Friday, November 13, 2009
My success is related to the quality of my entrance, my bed position or where is my office located? This is crazy!!!
I know it sounds funny. Yet what I am going to tell you sounds even funnier: There is a direct connection between the floor plan of your home and office and your body!
When we look at a floor plan, we can see where the rooms are located and what function each room may perform as well as what other activities may go on within it. Is it a bedroom? Storage? Kitchen? Home office? A floor plan and layout also speak volumes regarding the occupant’s chances of success, health, wealth, relationships, family, children, creativity, recognition and spirituality, because the home and the body are connected. In Feng Shui terminology, a floor plan is the holder of the “mystical being”. The mystical being is our inner persona. That is what guides us to select a particular environment to live and work given the course of our life path when we buy, rent or select the particular space even for work outside our homes. Each body part and organ has a direct correspondence or vibrational resonance with an architectural detail, a sector of the space and the crucial systems that bring in electricity, plumbing, sewage, and ventilation. The energetic vibration of these elements corresponds to every atom, particle and molecule of our living system. I will elaborate on this concept on the next entry. Today I want to explain the connection at the practical level.
To begin to grasp the enormity of what I am presenting today, if we were to lay face down with our head at the front door, and then, given the locations of the other spaces, we follow to where our “neck” is laying, where are the “shoulders”, the “legs” and so on; we can identify not only parts of our bodies that may be sensitive, but also aspects of our lives. For example, if the neck is laying in a very narrow and shortened entry hall with the body abruptly going up the stair case, it leaves arms and shoulders down below as the chest angles upward. Given this scenario, in life we may exhibit difficulties getting cooperation to move our projects forward, our intimate relationships maybe difficult and we may have digestive issues such as reflux. This is because the head, the neck and the shoulders energetically resonate with our ability to attract benefactors and to help others. It resonates with our ability to comprehend information as well. Thus we may have difficulties grasping ideas, and carry them out or enable us to properly plan our projects and research necessary information. These parts of our anatomy also "speak" of obtaining support from business, banking, managing banking investments and dealing with authorities in general. Specifically to the body, if this area were constricted, cluttered or unkempt, a dweller may also suffer constant headaches, exhibit neurosis and skin problems, lung and large intestine conditions, and/or stomach ailments in general. It should be noted that not everybody will exhibit the same symptoms or problems in a family dwelling or an office setting. But it will affect those with a weaker vibrational field. Stress, illness and other factors affect the degree to which an individual resonates with the difficult space design. In short, analyzing a space and observing how energy flows around the dwelling, into it and throughout the interior can tell a lot about how our lives are flowing. When the design problems are identified and correlated with life situations or health conditions, we are able to address each of them either separately or concurrently with the ultimate goal of learning our life lessons and moving on to the next stage of our human path in this lifetime. The space you picked, yes, you did, offers you pearls of wisdom about yourself. Embrace its message!!!
More in a few days...But if you are in a hurry, please contact lidia@e-dds.com
This entry was submitted by Lidia Scher the Office Design Expert for Virtual Dental Solutions.
Lidia has designed many beautiful and successful dental office environents throughout the country for the past 24 years. See portfolio and menu of virtual consultations available by clicking on the Office Design page.
When we look at a floor plan, we can see where the rooms are located and what function each room may perform as well as what other activities may go on within it. Is it a bedroom? Storage? Kitchen? Home office? A floor plan and layout also speak volumes regarding the occupant’s chances of success, health, wealth, relationships, family, children, creativity, recognition and spirituality, because the home and the body are connected. In Feng Shui terminology, a floor plan is the holder of the “mystical being”. The mystical being is our inner persona. That is what guides us to select a particular environment to live and work given the course of our life path when we buy, rent or select the particular space even for work outside our homes. Each body part and organ has a direct correspondence or vibrational resonance with an architectural detail, a sector of the space and the crucial systems that bring in electricity, plumbing, sewage, and ventilation. The energetic vibration of these elements corresponds to every atom, particle and molecule of our living system. I will elaborate on this concept on the next entry. Today I want to explain the connection at the practical level.
To begin to grasp the enormity of what I am presenting today, if we were to lay face down with our head at the front door, and then, given the locations of the other spaces, we follow to where our “neck” is laying, where are the “shoulders”, the “legs” and so on; we can identify not only parts of our bodies that may be sensitive, but also aspects of our lives. For example, if the neck is laying in a very narrow and shortened entry hall with the body abruptly going up the stair case, it leaves arms and shoulders down below as the chest angles upward. Given this scenario, in life we may exhibit difficulties getting cooperation to move our projects forward, our intimate relationships maybe difficult and we may have digestive issues such as reflux. This is because the head, the neck and the shoulders energetically resonate with our ability to attract benefactors and to help others. It resonates with our ability to comprehend information as well. Thus we may have difficulties grasping ideas, and carry them out or enable us to properly plan our projects and research necessary information. These parts of our anatomy also "speak" of obtaining support from business, banking, managing banking investments and dealing with authorities in general. Specifically to the body, if this area were constricted, cluttered or unkempt, a dweller may also suffer constant headaches, exhibit neurosis and skin problems, lung and large intestine conditions, and/or stomach ailments in general. It should be noted that not everybody will exhibit the same symptoms or problems in a family dwelling or an office setting. But it will affect those with a weaker vibrational field. Stress, illness and other factors affect the degree to which an individual resonates with the difficult space design. In short, analyzing a space and observing how energy flows around the dwelling, into it and throughout the interior can tell a lot about how our lives are flowing. When the design problems are identified and correlated with life situations or health conditions, we are able to address each of them either separately or concurrently with the ultimate goal of learning our life lessons and moving on to the next stage of our human path in this lifetime. The space you picked, yes, you did, offers you pearls of wisdom about yourself. Embrace its message!!!
More in a few days...But if you are in a hurry, please contact lidia@e-dds.com
This entry was submitted by Lidia Scher the Office Design Expert for Virtual Dental Solutions.
Lidia has designed many beautiful and successful dental office environents throughout the country for the past 24 years. See portfolio and menu of virtual consultations available by clicking on the Office Design page.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Few Ways You Can Measure Social Media-Part 3 of 3
5. Now, you've made sure you’re doing the right things by following the before-mentioned tips, but you don't have time to do all this newfangled stuff!!! You can get free advice from social media experts who are handing out information over the web. There are social media agencies out there who will also be happy to help you, if you don’t have the time or resources to do this in-house.
6. We offer help as well. Contact Angela@e-dds.com for a free consultation.
Tips were submitted by Lidia Scher, our in-house office designer, Lidia@e-dds.com
6. We offer help as well. Contact Angela@e-dds.com for a free consultation.
Tips were submitted by Lidia Scher, our in-house office designer, Lidia@e-dds.com
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tips on Dental Office Success
Would you agree that success is defined by whether or not you can,
1. Work smart, not hard,
2. Can attract opportunities that easily turn into positive
outcomes,
3. Enjoy harmonious relationships within your family, your friends and your business,
4. Feel satisfied with your career and business choice,
5. Can have a broad view of your life and work, yet can attend to the smallest details,
6. Invite the right clients and the right people into your life, and
7. you easily realize profits higher than you projected!
When I am not on track with these landmarks, I first look within my home environment and my office to see how energy flows within these two spaces and I check for the following tell tales that something is not going well:
1. Look at what is happening outside my buildings. New construction going on? Some movement of tenants? Change in management? Wheather related events such as trees down or power lines?
2. Check out the quality of my entry. Do I need to remove/change plantings? Do I need to add some seasonal items/greens? Repaint the door? Fix anything? How is my walkway? Does it seem to narrow as it goes out toward the street? Is it blocked by a tree/bush that is overgrown? Do I even have a walkway guiding to the door, or do I just have grass outside my front door?
3. Look at my bedroom, my bed and my desk at the office. Do they offer me a position of control in relation to the access door?
4. Check out the quality of my bed and my desk and chair. Do they need repairs? Do they say...temporary or solid and strong?
5. See if my bedroom or my office shares a wall with a room that is in conflict with the activities of my bedroom and my office. Is the kitchen or bathroom on the other side?
6. Do I have clutter in my bedroom and in my office?
7. Is my desk piled high with "stuff" that "I can always find" or is it so clean that "I can eat there"?
8. Check out the lighting in my bedroom and my business. Is there balanced lighting or there are dark spots or lots of glare?
Well, you may think that these two lists have nothing to do with each other, but they do.
Study the 2 lists and jot down your reactions to it. I'll elaborate on their correlation on next week's blog.
If you need answers in a hurry, you may contact Lidia Scher @ lidia@e-dds.com
1. Work smart, not hard,
2. Can attract opportunities that easily turn into positive
outcomes,
3. Enjoy harmonious relationships within your family, your friends and your business,
4. Feel satisfied with your career and business choice,
5. Can have a broad view of your life and work, yet can attend to the smallest details,
6. Invite the right clients and the right people into your life, and
7. you easily realize profits higher than you projected!
When I am not on track with these landmarks, I first look within my home environment and my office to see how energy flows within these two spaces and I check for the following tell tales that something is not going well:
1. Look at what is happening outside my buildings. New construction going on? Some movement of tenants? Change in management? Wheather related events such as trees down or power lines?
2. Check out the quality of my entry. Do I need to remove/change plantings? Do I need to add some seasonal items/greens? Repaint the door? Fix anything? How is my walkway? Does it seem to narrow as it goes out toward the street? Is it blocked by a tree/bush that is overgrown? Do I even have a walkway guiding to the door, or do I just have grass outside my front door?
3. Look at my bedroom, my bed and my desk at the office. Do they offer me a position of control in relation to the access door?
4. Check out the quality of my bed and my desk and chair. Do they need repairs? Do they say...temporary or solid and strong?
5. See if my bedroom or my office shares a wall with a room that is in conflict with the activities of my bedroom and my office. Is the kitchen or bathroom on the other side?
6. Do I have clutter in my bedroom and in my office?
7. Is my desk piled high with "stuff" that "I can always find" or is it so clean that "I can eat there"?
8. Check out the lighting in my bedroom and my business. Is there balanced lighting or there are dark spots or lots of glare?
Well, you may think that these two lists have nothing to do with each other, but they do.
Study the 2 lists and jot down your reactions to it. I'll elaborate on their correlation on next week's blog.
If you need answers in a hurry, you may contact Lidia Scher @ lidia@e-dds.com
A Few Ways You Can Measure Social Media-Part 2 of 3
3. Make a note of the less obvious benchmarks:
Research SEO rankings and referrals, customer satisfaction scores and other business data.
4. Make a note of ROI benchmarks:
How much are you paying to acquire customers via other marketing channels? How vast is that advertising budget, and how is it being split up? And what proportion is being directed into channels that you cannot accurately measure?
Submitted by Lidia Scher -Lidia@e-dds.com
Contact Angela@e-dds.com for a quick conversation on these important measures!
Research SEO rankings and referrals, customer satisfaction scores and other business data.
4. Make a note of ROI benchmarks:
How much are you paying to acquire customers via other marketing channels? How vast is that advertising budget, and how is it being split up? And what proportion is being directed into channels that you cannot accurately measure?
Submitted by Lidia Scher -Lidia@e-dds.com
Contact Angela@e-dds.com for a quick conversation on these important measures!
Friday, October 16, 2009
A FEW WAYS YOU CAN MEASURE SOCIAL MEDIA-Part 1 of 3.
We heard from you and today we are starting a 3 week series of suggestions on ways you can measure your social media efforts. This entry focuses on measuring the obvious numbers.
1. Measure Traffic: Check the number of Facebook fans, Twitter followers, Digg links, Delicious bookmarks, and referrals from social media sites, plus existing website traffic. Remember that quality of traffic is more important than quality of traffic.
2. Measure interaction: Patients who interact by leaving comments and reviews, participate through various channels, such as forums.
Post submitted by Lidia Scher, dental office designer, and written by Angela Rutzick, Marketing maven for e-dds.com
Lidia@e-dds.com
Angela@e-dds.com
1. Measure Traffic: Check the number of Facebook fans, Twitter followers, Digg links, Delicious bookmarks, and referrals from social media sites, plus existing website traffic. Remember that quality of traffic is more important than quality of traffic.
2. Measure interaction: Patients who interact by leaving comments and reviews, participate through various channels, such as forums.
Post submitted by Lidia Scher, dental office designer, and written by Angela Rutzick, Marketing maven for e-dds.com
Lidia@e-dds.com
Angela@e-dds.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Get your team on one page for harmony, efficiency and growth
You entered dentistry because you had a vision for helping people. Now you want your practice to fulfill that vision. Yet it is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day details of running an office that eventually leads to losing your focus.
To work on what is most important, start with a short business plan. Share it with your staff to get everyone on the same page.
Create harmony in your office
Make your office a harmonious work place. Have each member understand his or her role, how it fits into the bigger picture, and how the team works as a whole. Create a climate that acknowledges and celebrates success. Your patients will sense and experience the harmony in your office, as well.
By writing a One Page Business Plan R and sharing it with your staff, you can consistently communicate to them the vision, mission and measures of your practice. When everyone is aligned with the plan, harmony is one beneficial result.
Create efficiency in your office
Running a dental practice is like running a small business. You need systems, methods and quality standards. You also need a way to track and measure performance. Yet you don’t want to get overly complicated. The strategy section of a One Page Business Plan is the place to capture the best practices and methods for an efficient practice.
Create growth for your practice
For a profitable practice, you should determine the key financial measurements for your practice. First, understand your breakeven point. This means understanding your variable and fixed costs and determining your pricing structure.
Next understand how to attract and retain patients. Create a marketing strategy to retain patients and gain referrals that your and your team can implement to keep your practice full.
When you have your team working together to maintain and improve skill level, patient satisfaction and efficiency, your business is poised to thrive and grow.
Capture your best thinking on a single page
Michael Gerber, author of the classic book, The e-Myth Revisited, cautions the entrepreneur to work on your business, not in your business. As a dentist, this means being the leader of your practice, creating clear, consistent practices that take the guess work out of daily activities. It also means that while you use your expertise in treating patients, you also spend time on the essential practice-building activities.
It’s easy to lead your staff when you can get everyone on the same page. They will be inspired when you share the vision and mission of your practice and how each person contributes. Use your plan to:
• Embrace best practices.
• Create systems and policies that are clear.
• Communicate consistently.
This minimizes confusion and frustration. Your team members will be on board and new staff members can get up to speed quickly.
You can write your plan on your own with the help of the book, The One Page Business Plan. or you might consider working with a One Page Business Plan Certified Consultant to speed up the process, get expert advice and an outside, objective perspective.
Amy Grossman, MBA, is founder of the business coaching and consulting practice, Broader Vision. Amy is a One Page Business Plan Certified Consultant and has served on the executive board of the International Coach Federation, New England Chapter. You can email her at amy@broadervision.com.
To work on what is most important, start with a short business plan. Share it with your staff to get everyone on the same page.
Create harmony in your office
Make your office a harmonious work place. Have each member understand his or her role, how it fits into the bigger picture, and how the team works as a whole. Create a climate that acknowledges and celebrates success. Your patients will sense and experience the harmony in your office, as well.
By writing a One Page Business Plan R and sharing it with your staff, you can consistently communicate to them the vision, mission and measures of your practice. When everyone is aligned with the plan, harmony is one beneficial result.
Create efficiency in your office
Running a dental practice is like running a small business. You need systems, methods and quality standards. You also need a way to track and measure performance. Yet you don’t want to get overly complicated. The strategy section of a One Page Business Plan is the place to capture the best practices and methods for an efficient practice.
Create growth for your practice
For a profitable practice, you should determine the key financial measurements for your practice. First, understand your breakeven point. This means understanding your variable and fixed costs and determining your pricing structure.
Next understand how to attract and retain patients. Create a marketing strategy to retain patients and gain referrals that your and your team can implement to keep your practice full.
When you have your team working together to maintain and improve skill level, patient satisfaction and efficiency, your business is poised to thrive and grow.
Capture your best thinking on a single page
Michael Gerber, author of the classic book, The e-Myth Revisited, cautions the entrepreneur to work on your business, not in your business. As a dentist, this means being the leader of your practice, creating clear, consistent practices that take the guess work out of daily activities. It also means that while you use your expertise in treating patients, you also spend time on the essential practice-building activities.
It’s easy to lead your staff when you can get everyone on the same page. They will be inspired when you share the vision and mission of your practice and how each person contributes. Use your plan to:
• Embrace best practices.
• Create systems and policies that are clear.
• Communicate consistently.
This minimizes confusion and frustration. Your team members will be on board and new staff members can get up to speed quickly.
You can write your plan on your own with the help of the book, The One Page Business Plan. or you might consider working with a One Page Business Plan Certified Consultant to speed up the process, get expert advice and an outside, objective perspective.
Amy Grossman, MBA, is founder of the business coaching and consulting practice, Broader Vision. Amy is a One Page Business Plan Certified Consultant and has served on the executive board of the International Coach Federation, New England Chapter. You can email her at amy@broadervision.com.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Keeping Your Cross In Balance
Let's face it…not may people love going to the dentist. They feel stressed. I can say from experience as an emergency room nurse-turned dentist that the level of stress, albeit different, is high in both environments. As a nurse, everyone was glad to see me, seek my help or care. As a dentist, most patients want good oral health and a pretty smile, but don't usually relish a trip to the dentist. In our practice, we have been able to change this attitude by going the extra mile to make our patients feel welcome. It all starts with a philosophy that is mindful of “the cross”.
In our office patients quickly note the beauty and flow of our Feng Shui designed office, the carefully selected art, the pretty "live" flowers and the nice warm smiles to greet them. Our staff is trained to pamper. We offer Bose headsets and MP3 players, warm fleecy blankets to snuggle under, a place for their shoes if desired, dark "safety" sunglasses and heated seat. Are we at a spa? NO! But when our patients can relax and feel pampered our job as dental professionals becomes easier.
How do you get to that place? You create a philosophy of care that suits your style. Ours is “pampered, warm and cozy”; and as a practice we follow the motto of “… keep(ing our) cross in balance", as outlined by L.D. Pankey.
To construct your own cross, write WORSHIP at the top.
Below and to the left, write WORK . To the right, write PLAY.
Write LOVE at the bottom.
Below and to the left, write WORK . To the right, write PLAY.
Write LOVE at the bottom.
When your life is weighted too far in one direction, the three other areas suffer. And then, something gives: divorce, staff leaves, kids feel neglected and get in trouble, you feel like you have to work all the time and can't enjoy your life, it seems meaningless…It goes on and on. Asking for help when you cannot manage was the choice I made.
With the help of The Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, Fla, I feel I have been able to keep my cross in balance. The expense of attending was returned 10 fold just in the week's following each course. I didn't become a "Pankey Office" I became Dr. Dianne B's office. My designer didn't design the "Feng Shui office" she designed a Feng Shui office personalized for my staff and I. This transformation and stability didn't happen overnight; we evolved over several years, and are still growing. In my case, The Pankey Institute offered a well-rounded course to help run my practice, be a better dentist and be financially sound, yet still have time to raise a busy family.
The combination of a well-designed office and the advice of a top of the line management consulting firm continues to reap its benefits. Recently, a favorite patient of mine met my husband on a Boy Scout camping trip. His new job requires commuting Sunday night through Friday night to another state, and thus had to transfer dentists. He told my husband he really didn't realize how special our office was until he was lying there in a cold unfriendly office, people too busy or grouchy to smile or show they cared about him, the quality of the cleaning was not a good etc. etc. That indirect feedback was music to my ears. You can make a difference in your patients’ lives. Not only doesn’t have to be that bad to go to the dentist. Gee…it might even feel like an hour of rest for weary soul. Have a great rest of the summer!
Dianne B. is a seasoned dentist practicing in Massachusetts.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Marketing Don't Checklist
Don’t send out copy with spelling or grammatical errors.
Always proofread and use your spell check
Don’t show off how many fonts you have when designing a project.
Select only 2 – 3 fonts at the most.
Don’t wait.
Always ask at the end of a project when a client is pleased with the outcome for a referral.
Don’t be the world’s best kept secret.
Network, join organizations, write articles, blog.
Don’t sell on price. You won’t win in the long run.
Sell on value. What is your value proposition?
“Don’t make enemies….
Cultivate opposites” (Thomas Watson, Jr., of IBM)
A good enemy forces you to improve your company. As was the case with Apple and IBM — it helped Apple succeed.
Don’t try and do it all yourself.
Hire people who excel at what you don’t
Don’t forget to track what you do.
Important to find out which of your efforts generate the highest returns and capitalize on your successes
Don’t wait for the media to find you
Write a letter or article to the local paper.
Don’t ignore your customers
Write a bi-monthly newsletter or hot tips. Clip articles that may be of interest to them.
Submitted by marketing maven Angela Rutzick who can be reached @ Angela@e-dds.com
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Improve Office Dynamics
Your business is your source of income, creativity and job satisfaction. Your goal is to make sure your office looks inviting, has the best equipment and supplies, and your staff is experienced and knowledgeable.
You want to communicate to your clients that your firm provides the best products and services available.
Thus, you’ve attended to your business’s needs with the utmost diligence: spent money in advertising, attended educational lectures and classes, and implemented the latest technology in your profession.
Yet, something is not quite right but you cannot put your finger on it. Your clients are happy – but you’re not attracting “quality” ones.
Maybe you are not attracting the “right ones.” Your staff seems content (for the moment) but internal workings are not flowing easily. You look around and wonder, what’s missing?
What is often missing is an understanding of how the environment – the decor, the architectural elements, the scents, the noise and the particular energy of these elements – affect the day-to-day operations of the office.
You can undertake a renovation, move or add more space. This is a great way to look fresh and updated. Nonetheless, analyzing the inherent energy of the space and its people according to ancient Feng Shui principles may make the difference between an effective office and a pretty space.
The latter temporarily masks the original problems. The design that incorporates Feng Shui principles yields an effective and beautiful space. Additionally, because the space becomes well balanced, it produces an environment that continuously promotes healing and harmony.
Feng Shui is a 6,000-year-old Oriental art and science geared to balancing people and the environment through the use of ancient principles of energy. Particular energies are present in every aspect of the business, including people. Feng Shui recognizes these energies as five elements represented by wood, fire, earth, metal and water that, when manipulated to produce the correct relationships, create harmony.
Thus, a Feng Shui analysis will yield an understanding of how the environment influences work flow and interpersonal relationships within the office, as well as the health and general feeling of the business. It will help uncover “what is missing.”
In reading the energies of the people who work in your office, one may inherently carry wood energy; the other may be an earth kind. These two individuals will have difficulty working together. Adding fire elements (purples, reds or diamonds) will introduce the bridge energy and help both workers coexist in harmony.
Similarly, a staff carrying wood energy will feel overworked, stressed and inefficient in an environment abounding with metal energy – whites, grays and round elements. They will tend to create clutter or feel that the space is crowded, even if it is not. Painting the walls in lavender tones and adding water features or soothing sounds, wavy elements and greenery will provide the nourishment they need to feel supported and productive.
It is well documented that living and working spaces have a profound effect on physical and mental health. An environment created to support the specific energies of its users can make a positive impact in all aspects of your business. Your clients will feel it and want to be a part of it.
The combination of excellent interior design, grounded in Feng Shui principles and the use of non-toxic and sustainable materials, creates a total healing environment.
Lidia Scher is an award-winning interior designer, an accomplished visual artist and Feng Shui master. She has been at the helm of L.A.S. Associates, an interior and architectural design firm based in Arlington, MA for the past 23 years. Her specialty is dental and medical environments where occupants love to be in work in and return to day after day. She is also a partner in Virtual dental Solutions, a web-based consulting company to the dental community.
You want to communicate to your clients that your firm provides the best products and services available.
Thus, you’ve attended to your business’s needs with the utmost diligence: spent money in advertising, attended educational lectures and classes, and implemented the latest technology in your profession.
Yet, something is not quite right but you cannot put your finger on it. Your clients are happy – but you’re not attracting “quality” ones.
Maybe you are not attracting the “right ones.” Your staff seems content (for the moment) but internal workings are not flowing easily. You look around and wonder, what’s missing?
What is often missing is an understanding of how the environment – the decor, the architectural elements, the scents, the noise and the particular energy of these elements – affect the day-to-day operations of the office.
You can undertake a renovation, move or add more space. This is a great way to look fresh and updated. Nonetheless, analyzing the inherent energy of the space and its people according to ancient Feng Shui principles may make the difference between an effective office and a pretty space.
The latter temporarily masks the original problems. The design that incorporates Feng Shui principles yields an effective and beautiful space. Additionally, because the space becomes well balanced, it produces an environment that continuously promotes healing and harmony.
Feng Shui is a 6,000-year-old Oriental art and science geared to balancing people and the environment through the use of ancient principles of energy. Particular energies are present in every aspect of the business, including people. Feng Shui recognizes these energies as five elements represented by wood, fire, earth, metal and water that, when manipulated to produce the correct relationships, create harmony.
Thus, a Feng Shui analysis will yield an understanding of how the environment influences work flow and interpersonal relationships within the office, as well as the health and general feeling of the business. It will help uncover “what is missing.”
In reading the energies of the people who work in your office, one may inherently carry wood energy; the other may be an earth kind. These two individuals will have difficulty working together. Adding fire elements (purples, reds or diamonds) will introduce the bridge energy and help both workers coexist in harmony.
Similarly, a staff carrying wood energy will feel overworked, stressed and inefficient in an environment abounding with metal energy – whites, grays and round elements. They will tend to create clutter or feel that the space is crowded, even if it is not. Painting the walls in lavender tones and adding water features or soothing sounds, wavy elements and greenery will provide the nourishment they need to feel supported and productive.
It is well documented that living and working spaces have a profound effect on physical and mental health. An environment created to support the specific energies of its users can make a positive impact in all aspects of your business. Your clients will feel it and want to be a part of it.
The combination of excellent interior design, grounded in Feng Shui principles and the use of non-toxic and sustainable materials, creates a total healing environment.
Lidia Scher is an award-winning interior designer, an accomplished visual artist and Feng Shui master. She has been at the helm of L.A.S. Associates, an interior and architectural design firm based in Arlington, MA for the past 23 years. Her specialty is dental and medical environments where occupants love to be in work in and return to day after day. She is also a partner in Virtual dental Solutions, a web-based consulting company to the dental community.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Power of Integrating Feng Shui Principles
The art & science of Feng Shui is a practical way to arrange a home and office that will enhance relationships, work flow, health and prosperity. The advantages of incorporating these ancient principles when considering a renovation, remodeling, repainting, and/or even prior to buying and selling property can greatly enhance the design/build team and give owners and their property a new lease on life. This is because a layout of a home or office provides hidden cues to the success of the business and of people’s life and career.
When we select a space to live and/or work in it, we do so based on our current thinking and feeling patterns. These patterns are a combination of our passion, attitude, goals and beliefs. You may have discovered that in order to succeed you need to come up with smarter goals and you are eager to implement them. Yet if your office or home environment has been arranged based on your former thinking patterns, your chances of succeeding are greatly dimished. Understanding how to tweak the space to support your new thinking may yield amazing results. Don’t under estimate the impact that your environment has on your life. There are no management systems, marketing efforts, or client-centered practices that can be sustained without a supportive environment. That is the power of using sound design practices that integrate Feng Shui principles!
Lidia Scher is an award-winning interior designer, an accomplished visual artist and Feng Shui master. She has been at the helm of L.A.S. Associates, an interior and architectural design firm based in
email: lidia@e-dds.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Chicken or the Egg of Dental Practice Management
We've all heard the age old question "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" Well... what does this mean when it comes to running your dental practice?
In dentistry you might say, "What came first, the dentist or the dental practice?" When we put things in this perspective, it becomes clear when looking at it from the practice management perspective, that we must start at the beginning - with the dentist - before we try to more effectively manage the dental practice.
What would this look like for practice management? Let's take a practice that is not meeting expectation or goals in any particular area whether in production, revenues, expenses, recare, new patients, etc. The first question to ask and answer is "What have I done as the leader here that has helped create these conditions?" Another perspective is "What have I NOT done that has allowed this to occur?" Often we find that just as with professional sports, when things are not correct, we must go back to fundamentals.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Social Networking Netiquette
Invite friends, co-workers, and other professionals — and friends of friends, co-workers and professionals to join your network. Don’t invite anyone and everyone. Be selective.
You can say, “no, thank you.” No one can force you to join a network. If you can’t say no (maybe because it’s a client), you can always accept the invitation and then go back to the network a day or two later and remove yourself.
Consider their answer to be “No, thank you.” If you invite someone and they ignore your invitation, consider their answer to be no, thank you.
Build it and they will come. Don’t be pushy and try to sell your goods. Establish relationships first.
SOCIAL NETWORKING TIPS:
Do your Homework. Don’t accept every offer to join a social networking group. Do some research. Find out which one is best for you.
Understand the Site Culture and Rules. Each site has them. So be sure to adhere.
Use Caution. Make sure your profile doesn’t include anything you wouldn’t want a prospective client or boss to see. Be careful as to what information you give out.
Toot your own Horn. It’s important to keep your profile updated, along with what you are working on and the successes you are having. Also, it isn’t mandatory to include your photo.
Your Reputation is “On the Line”. Keep your promises. Do what you say you will do. If you say that you will make a make recommendation or introduction, do it.
Prepare to Meet Face-to-Face. Online relationships don’t have to stay there. If you think that a face-to-face meeting will be beneficial, you should plan one. Be courteous with someone’s time and know beforehand what you want from the meeting
FAVORITE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES:
www.youtube.com
www.myspace.com (the largest membership of any social networking site on the Internet)
www.digg.com (discover and share content, by submitting links and stories. Vote and comment on submitted links and stories)
www.facebook.com (initially intended for college students – has now branched out to everyone including corporate America)
Meetup.com (a great way to find out about offline group meetings around the world)
www.justin.tv (live streaming video)
www.flickr.com (not only a great storage place for photos, but it is a social network)
www.linkedin.com (powerful business networking tool based on 6 degrees of separation)
www.twitter.com (microblogging. You choose who is allowed to follow you and who you follow. Up-to-date information)
wwwactiverain.com (one of the most popular real estate networks)
Marketing maven Angela Rutzick was one of Boston's 2008 top ten Marketing Agencies by Boston Women's Business Journal and received a Quest Excellence Award for community involvement in 2009. She has over 20 years making her business to understand your business. You can reach her @ Angela@e-dds.com
Monday, May 4, 2009
Renovating or Building is a Matter of ROI - Assembling the Right Team
Can you picture a work environment where you feel very productive, energized, and creative? Is it possible that you can also get up every morning and look forward to going to work, because you really feel at your best, because you enjoy working with your co-workers, look forward to meeting your patients and feel a general sense of well-being just by using the space? Can you believe that patients look forward to a root canal in your office, that clients really trust your recommendations and that your action plans seem to move in a smoother fashion? And can you believe that this could happen after a construction or renovation project?
The need for renovating an office environment to refurbish, add more space, or move and build is anxiety ridden. The myriad of decisions required to carry out the project to conclusion is daunting. How business owners manage this process will determine if in the end, the office feels renovated or devastated. The best way to ensure a great project is to assign the best qualified people to manage it. This will in turn spawn not only financial, but emotional savings as well. If we look at the four most important steps involved in a construction project and its intended outcome at each level, we can identify who are the optimal individuals or groups best suited to help the business owner reach an informed decision. It is a question of ROI.
Step 1. Readiness
The root of the problem may be the need for additional space, outdated décor, staffing issues, or legal compliance. It may simply be a gut feeling originating from the doctor or staff. All these reasons have value, because they all reflect a need. How this need is fulfilled depends on the business’ readiness factor.
Readiness is based on a clear business vision and a coherent and fully articulated growth plan. It is the business owner who articulates the problem and the desired outcome, then engages and directs the appropriate staff to move through the project.
Step 2. Ownership
Ownership of the project establishes trust and cooperation and it is a crucial step in its overall success. It is important to acknowledge the need and reward staff members originating the concern by inviting staff representatives to become involved in the decision-making steps. If the business owner originates the need, the entire staff must be engaged through sharing the doctor’s readiness level and selecting a staff representative to participate in the renovation team. This is part of step 3, the human investment factor.
Step 3. Investments-Financial & Human
All space design projects must be considered investments, and as already discussed, they must be planned according to clear and realistic growth goals.
The accountant/financial consultant provide financial investment parameters. Attempts to renovate a space without a clear financial picture spell trouble. Whether the need for renovation is motivated by legal compliances or lack of space, knowing the financial limits is a must. Nobody can invest without knowing how long it will take to pay it and begin to collect dividends. A financial advisor must be part of the team.
Depending on the scope of the project, the business owner often initially considers whether to manage it within the office, or hire professionals. If a doctor and staff don’t have a clear understanding of what their target market wants, how to retain and attract the right employees and what makes an optimal office environment that will support those needs, they must seek expert advice. The initial team must be able to effectively answer these questions, because these factors affect the human investment.
Managing the project with existing personnel—the doctor or the office manager, may imply costs savings. Hiring professionals may imply access to innovative ideas, but increased costs. Yet, like a dentist is uniquely qualified to recommend whether a patient needs a root canal, a tooth removal or an implant, qualified experts ensure that both financial and human factors are effectively and efficiently addressed. In fact, the cost of not hiring qualified personnel begins to escalate even before the project starts. The in-house design renovation route does not really reflect the actual costs, because they are not disbursed as tangible expenses. There is no dollar sign allocated to a hygienist-turned untrained marketing researcher. No value identified in creating a floor plan by a doctor-turned part-time interior designer. Yet if quantified, these expenses may actually be higher as a return on the investment (ROI) than anticipated, not only in financial terms, but in human terms as well.
Step 4. Assembling the Right Team
A marketing consultant will assist in obtaining a clear understanding of the target market needs and wants; assess the value of existing marketing tools and suggest high powered substitutes.
A specialized interior designer will look at the best possibilities given the existing layout, review conditions and recommend an action plan, which may mean adding team members such as architects, engineers, real estate agents and dental equipment specialists to arrive at the best solution that can then be presented for bids to contractors. The right individual is an invaluable team member who collects all information gathered through the previous steps and assists the team in successfully creating an optimal office environment. A smart business owner will add a marketing consultant and a specialized interior designer to the team.
Assembling the right team will provide a high ROI. The doctor and the designated staff representative, furnished with accurate financial information are the initial quality “seeds” for the project. Marketing and design experts provide the best nourishing for the original seeds so that the “plant” will grow healthy and beautiful. Once the right people are in place, it is important to trust their recommendations. Their decisions are based on their area of expertise.
Next time we will discuss who qualifies for the title of specialized interior designer and how to create the optimal office environment where everyone feels productive, energized and creative, all look forward to working there day after day and patients love to come, trust treatment plans and are happy to pay for the services provided.
Lidia Scher is an interior designer, Feng Shui master and visual artist with 23 years of experience in designing successful office environments.
email - lidia@e-dds.com
The need for renovating an office environment to refurbish, add more space, or move and build is anxiety ridden. The myriad of decisions required to carry out the project to conclusion is daunting. How business owners manage this process will determine if in the end, the office feels renovated or devastated. The best way to ensure a great project is to assign the best qualified people to manage it. This will in turn spawn not only financial, but emotional savings as well. If we look at the four most important steps involved in a construction project and its intended outcome at each level, we can identify who are the optimal individuals or groups best suited to help the business owner reach an informed decision. It is a question of ROI.
Step 1. Readiness
The root of the problem may be the need for additional space, outdated décor, staffing issues, or legal compliance. It may simply be a gut feeling originating from the doctor or staff. All these reasons have value, because they all reflect a need. How this need is fulfilled depends on the business’ readiness factor.
Readiness is based on a clear business vision and a coherent and fully articulated growth plan. It is the business owner who articulates the problem and the desired outcome, then engages and directs the appropriate staff to move through the project.
Step 2. Ownership
Ownership of the project establishes trust and cooperation and it is a crucial step in its overall success. It is important to acknowledge the need and reward staff members originating the concern by inviting staff representatives to become involved in the decision-making steps. If the business owner originates the need, the entire staff must be engaged through sharing the doctor’s readiness level and selecting a staff representative to participate in the renovation team. This is part of step 3, the human investment factor.
Step 3. Investments-Financial & Human
All space design projects must be considered investments, and as already discussed, they must be planned according to clear and realistic growth goals.
The accountant/financial consultant provide financial investment parameters. Attempts to renovate a space without a clear financial picture spell trouble. Whether the need for renovation is motivated by legal compliances or lack of space, knowing the financial limits is a must. Nobody can invest without knowing how long it will take to pay it and begin to collect dividends. A financial advisor must be part of the team.
Depending on the scope of the project, the business owner often initially considers whether to manage it within the office, or hire professionals. If a doctor and staff don’t have a clear understanding of what their target market wants, how to retain and attract the right employees and what makes an optimal office environment that will support those needs, they must seek expert advice. The initial team must be able to effectively answer these questions, because these factors affect the human investment.
Managing the project with existing personnel—the doctor or the office manager, may imply costs savings. Hiring professionals may imply access to innovative ideas, but increased costs. Yet, like a dentist is uniquely qualified to recommend whether a patient needs a root canal, a tooth removal or an implant, qualified experts ensure that both financial and human factors are effectively and efficiently addressed. In fact, the cost of not hiring qualified personnel begins to escalate even before the project starts. The in-house design renovation route does not really reflect the actual costs, because they are not disbursed as tangible expenses. There is no dollar sign allocated to a hygienist-turned untrained marketing researcher. No value identified in creating a floor plan by a doctor-turned part-time interior designer. Yet if quantified, these expenses may actually be higher as a return on the investment (ROI) than anticipated, not only in financial terms, but in human terms as well.
Step 4. Assembling the Right Team
A marketing consultant will assist in obtaining a clear understanding of the target market needs and wants; assess the value of existing marketing tools and suggest high powered substitutes.
A specialized interior designer will look at the best possibilities given the existing layout, review conditions and recommend an action plan, which may mean adding team members such as architects, engineers, real estate agents and dental equipment specialists to arrive at the best solution that can then be presented for bids to contractors. The right individual is an invaluable team member who collects all information gathered through the previous steps and assists the team in successfully creating an optimal office environment. A smart business owner will add a marketing consultant and a specialized interior designer to the team.
Assembling the right team will provide a high ROI. The doctor and the designated staff representative, furnished with accurate financial information are the initial quality “seeds” for the project. Marketing and design experts provide the best nourishing for the original seeds so that the “plant” will grow healthy and beautiful. Once the right people are in place, it is important to trust their recommendations. Their decisions are based on their area of expertise.
Next time we will discuss who qualifies for the title of specialized interior designer and how to create the optimal office environment where everyone feels productive, energized and creative, all look forward to working there day after day and patients love to come, trust treatment plans and are happy to pay for the services provided.
Lidia Scher is an interior designer, Feng Shui master and visual artist with 23 years of experience in designing successful office environments.
email - lidia@e-dds.com
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Leadership - 'Affect or Infect'
by Liz Lord CEO Virtual Dental Solutions
After a particularly challenging meeting with a client that I have been trying to help focus on their leadership style and its effect on the outcome of the business, a friend sent me a thought that is appropriate for the entire leadership discussion; ‘every day we either affect others or we infect them. ‘
We all have heard and read many authorities speak of leadership but how do we begin the journey toward becoming good leaders and affecting the change we wish to see in our organizations? Also, if many of us do read and study leadership at varying degrees, why then do so many of us go into auto-pilot when we return to our leadership roles in our organizations?
First, what does it mean to be a good leader? Though the answers to this question are numerous, I think that being a good leader is like being a good coach. If we think of organized teams we may have participated in, our children participate in, or those we love to watch (let me just put out my disclaimer that I am a huge New England Patriots fan) what separates the consistently winning teams from the struggling teams is usually NOT the talent of their players. Coaching is the deciding factor. Coaching is the process of challenging, encouraging, and correcting your team and most importantly trusting them enough to let them take independent action and even to fail. Coaching is the process of letting your people know that what they do matters to you according to The Practical Coach by Media Partners Corporation. What I love about well organized teams (business and athletic) is that when high levels of trust are in place, coaching comes from every part of the team, not just the officially titled leaders – in fact, the job of the leader becomes much easier the more they choose to entrust others to coach. Bottom line…Coaching is trusting.
Trust? How do we get from Leadership to Trust? How can trust grow our businesses and our bottom lines? Well, where does trust start? Within ourselves. As a business coach, I’ve had situations where owners would work out an issue with a team member but before they made a final decision, they would instruct the staff person to check with me first. Why wasn’t the owner willing to make the decision without my final ok? What’s the worst that would happen if they made the wrong decision? It may seem small but if a leader is regularly second guessing their ability to make decisions, their team will never become empowered to act independently because for that to happen, the leader has to trust that he/she can handle any mistake. If the team cannot act independently, they are always looking to the leader for answers because they don’t trust that it is safe to make mistakes. When the leader has to make all the decisions, much bigger and costlier mistakes will happen. Let’s take the football team as an example. A coach must train his players to make split second decisions independently in the heat of the game. Imagine if the quarterback drops back to throw a pass and as he’s reading the field he observes that his first, second, and third strategized plays are not possible. That quarterback then has to make a leadership decision in a split second to possibly run himself, throw the ball away, try to squeeze in a different pass option, or possibly another play. If the quarterback were to look to the coach on the sidelines and say “what should I do, we don’t have a plan for this” or “is it okay if I try this play instead”, two things would happen. First, he would likely be sacked for a loss of yards, and second he would be benched and watch someone else take his place on the field. Additionally, if the coach trained him to check with him before making decisions by regularly questioning or criticizing independent decisions the quarterback made, he would be fired. Why – because performance like that costs the entire organization. It costs the ability to achieve their outcome – winning games. Lost games cause fans to go away, which causes loss of revenues to the ball club which causes more firings and the downward spiral begins. The coach must notice and acknowledge good work, positively and privately correct poor performance, and keep everybody’s eye on the desired outcome by making clear observations and asking for solutions.
When a leader demonstrates that he trusts his people to make good decisions, he asks questions to identify challenges, decision making processes, and solutions. The leader listens thoughtfully and asks clarifying questions to understand better and gain insights – nothing is assumed. The leader is open to wherever the conversation may go and has no attachments to a particular outcome or decision. The leader’s job is to facilitate the conversation to its natural outcome, not to lead everybody to a pre-determined destination. A leader can guide though asking questions but must remain open to differing perspectives and not judge another, not defend an idea, and not justify decisions. Unattachment is key to perspective. When these skills are exercised, the staff feels safe to be open and honest and not threatened by where the conversation may lead. When the same football coach studies video of the games, he is looking for training opportunities for his team. If he observes an action that needs correction, he will show the player the video and ask for his insights. A good coach will not simply point out “you did this, and this and that and you should have done this and that” because that is simply judgmental – it does not teach it criticizes. By opening a discussion based upon observation with the desired outcome on our radar screen, the player is able to correct the behavior and learn from the experience and use that knowledge in the future to perform at a higher level and even possibly coach others.
1. Use ‘Open-ended’ questions to gain insights instead of ‘Closed’ or yes/no questions.
a. “What do you think of that…” instead of “Do you understand that?”
2. Begin questions with ‘How’ instead of ‘Why’ because how is a process and why is a reason (that needs defending).
a. “How did you make that decision” instead of “Why did you make that decision”
3. Use phrases like “Help me understand your process…” instead of “What were you thinking…”
4. Focus on the future instead of living in the past.
a. “What can you do to get (the desired outcome)” instead of “You keep doing (behavior that needs correction)….”
If you want to grow your business, begin with your leadership first. When leaders coach, trust grows. Where there is trust, people grow and performance follows. Results show up and organizations consistently perform regardless of economic conditions, who the individual players are, or even if they have the highest individual skill level. Through leadership, systems and staff all achieve higher levels of results. Without leadership, you will only infect your business and your team with the very flaws you see and wish to cure.
After a particularly challenging meeting with a client that I have been trying to help focus on their leadership style and its effect on the outcome of the business, a friend sent me a thought that is appropriate for the entire leadership discussion; ‘every day we either affect others or we infect them. ‘
We all have heard and read many authorities speak of leadership but how do we begin the journey toward becoming good leaders and affecting the change we wish to see in our organizations? Also, if many of us do read and study leadership at varying degrees, why then do so many of us go into auto-pilot when we return to our leadership roles in our organizations?
First, what does it mean to be a good leader? Though the answers to this question are numerous, I think that being a good leader is like being a good coach. If we think of organized teams we may have participated in, our children participate in, or those we love to watch (let me just put out my disclaimer that I am a huge New England Patriots fan) what separates the consistently winning teams from the struggling teams is usually NOT the talent of their players. Coaching is the deciding factor. Coaching is the process of challenging, encouraging, and correcting your team and most importantly trusting them enough to let them take independent action and even to fail. Coaching is the process of letting your people know that what they do matters to you according to The Practical Coach by Media Partners Corporation. What I love about well organized teams (business and athletic) is that when high levels of trust are in place, coaching comes from every part of the team, not just the officially titled leaders – in fact, the job of the leader becomes much easier the more they choose to entrust others to coach. Bottom line…Coaching is trusting.
Trust? How do we get from Leadership to Trust? How can trust grow our businesses and our bottom lines? Well, where does trust start? Within ourselves. As a business coach, I’ve had situations where owners would work out an issue with a team member but before they made a final decision, they would instruct the staff person to check with me first. Why wasn’t the owner willing to make the decision without my final ok? What’s the worst that would happen if they made the wrong decision? It may seem small but if a leader is regularly second guessing their ability to make decisions, their team will never become empowered to act independently because for that to happen, the leader has to trust that he/she can handle any mistake. If the team cannot act independently, they are always looking to the leader for answers because they don’t trust that it is safe to make mistakes. When the leader has to make all the decisions, much bigger and costlier mistakes will happen. Let’s take the football team as an example. A coach must train his players to make split second decisions independently in the heat of the game. Imagine if the quarterback drops back to throw a pass and as he’s reading the field he observes that his first, second, and third strategized plays are not possible. That quarterback then has to make a leadership decision in a split second to possibly run himself, throw the ball away, try to squeeze in a different pass option, or possibly another play. If the quarterback were to look to the coach on the sidelines and say “what should I do, we don’t have a plan for this” or “is it okay if I try this play instead”, two things would happen. First, he would likely be sacked for a loss of yards, and second he would be benched and watch someone else take his place on the field. Additionally, if the coach trained him to check with him before making decisions by regularly questioning or criticizing independent decisions the quarterback made, he would be fired. Why – because performance like that costs the entire organization. It costs the ability to achieve their outcome – winning games. Lost games cause fans to go away, which causes loss of revenues to the ball club which causes more firings and the downward spiral begins. The coach must notice and acknowledge good work, positively and privately correct poor performance, and keep everybody’s eye on the desired outcome by making clear observations and asking for solutions.
When a leader demonstrates that he trusts his people to make good decisions, he asks questions to identify challenges, decision making processes, and solutions. The leader listens thoughtfully and asks clarifying questions to understand better and gain insights – nothing is assumed. The leader is open to wherever the conversation may go and has no attachments to a particular outcome or decision. The leader’s job is to facilitate the conversation to its natural outcome, not to lead everybody to a pre-determined destination. A leader can guide though asking questions but must remain open to differing perspectives and not judge another, not defend an idea, and not justify decisions. Unattachment is key to perspective. When these skills are exercised, the staff feels safe to be open and honest and not threatened by where the conversation may lead. When the same football coach studies video of the games, he is looking for training opportunities for his team. If he observes an action that needs correction, he will show the player the video and ask for his insights. A good coach will not simply point out “you did this, and this and that and you should have done this and that” because that is simply judgmental – it does not teach it criticizes. By opening a discussion based upon observation with the desired outcome on our radar screen, the player is able to correct the behavior and learn from the experience and use that knowledge in the future to perform at a higher level and even possibly coach others.
1. Use ‘Open-ended’ questions to gain insights instead of ‘Closed’ or yes/no questions.
a. “What do you think of that…” instead of “Do you understand that?”
2. Begin questions with ‘How’ instead of ‘Why’ because how is a process and why is a reason (that needs defending).
a. “How did you make that decision” instead of “Why did you make that decision”
3. Use phrases like “Help me understand your process…” instead of “What were you thinking…”
4. Focus on the future instead of living in the past.
a. “What can you do to get (the desired outcome)” instead of “You keep doing (behavior that needs correction)….”
If you want to grow your business, begin with your leadership first. When leaders coach, trust grows. Where there is trust, people grow and performance follows. Results show up and organizations consistently perform regardless of economic conditions, who the individual players are, or even if they have the highest individual skill level. Through leadership, systems and staff all achieve higher levels of results. Without leadership, you will only infect your business and your team with the very flaws you see and wish to cure.
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