January 2006

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What Will Your 2006 Be Like?

Welcoming in the New Year offers a wonderful time for reflection and renewal; an opportunity to look at life and appreciate the blessings we have. It also offers new beginnings and a positive mindset of hope for the future.

As 2006 rolls in, stop and take inventory of your accomplishments over the last year. Have you moved closer to your dreams and goals? It can be so easy to fall into a rut, where we wish we could change things for the better, but if we keep doing things in the same way we’ve always done them, it’s ludicrous to expect improvement.

There are times when change is forced upon us, such as team members moving on, the continual introduction of new dental materials and equipment, government regulations, and turbulence in the economic environment. All of these ‘things’ can induce stress. The question is: how do you respond to a challenging situation? Do you let the trauma of the moment paralyze you, allowing the scenario to turn into a full fledged drama? Do you get angry at everything and everyone around you, trying to relieve your frustrations by making it someone else’s fault? Or do you do whatever it takes to turn things around and create a winning scenario for all… not just yourself?

What Impact Does Change Have on You?

We’ve all experienced the best of times and the worst of times. The way we choose to respond to challenging situations will determine the quality of our lives. In fact, the way an individual responds in crises is the strongest indicator of their leadership ability. The more we are able to turn challenges into opportunities the more success we will experience and the happier we will be. Feeling anxious won’t improve a situation, but assessing the situation, and then taking the appropriate action to improve things, will.

The best way to make strategic improvements is to assess what’s been happening. First notice what’s been working well for you. Why has it worked well? Can you make it even better? Next determine what things have not served you well; how can you either improve them or stop them all together?

Goals Worksheet

To help you answer the above questions click on this link for the document Review of 2005 and Goals for 2006. Answering the questions in this worksheet will help you define your goals and objectives in a structured, methodical manner. In addition, it will help you to identify where change is needed.

Treat your Goals Worksheet as a ‘living document’ that grows and changes with you. At least once each week review your top 3 personal and your top 3 professional goals to make sure you are on track for making them happen. At the end of each month, review and evaluate the progress you have made. As you evaluate the past month, make necessary adjustments to your strategy, and refine your goals and action plan for the upcoming month. When you take the time to effectively plan and implement, you are more likely to maximize your potential.

Strive for Clarity

The more clarity you have on how you want your practice to run the more your team members will be able to help you effectively achieve your goals. As the leader of your practice, it is your right, and your responsibility, to make decisions that benefit everybody. It is important to listen, and hear, what others tell you, and to act on that information as appropriate. But ultimately, you are the person in charge. Once you have made a decision, stick to it. Indecision doesn’t do anybody any favors, and can be very damaging, leaving everybody confused – unsure of what they are to do.

Make sure you are spending enough time working on your Practice … rather than all your time working in your Practice. Stephen Covey talks about how working with a worn-down saw makes it difficult to cut wood, but a sharp saw can quickly and efficiently make a cut. Likewise, if we take the time to renew ourselves and create clear personal and professional goals we will be able to enter the New Year refreshed, ready to make our goals reality.

As Mark Victor Hansen says, “now is the only time there is. Make your now wow, your minutes miracles, and your days pay. Your life will have been magnificently lived and invested, and when you die you will have made a difference.”

Points to Ponder:

• Your Practice is as good as the people who work for it. Make sure you have the team in place that can take you where you want to go.
  
  
• Put systems in place that ensure your team will flourish in your environment.
  
  
• Design your practice in such a way that it will make a difference not just for you, but for your team, for your patients, and for your community.
  
  
• Determine how you will take care of your social responsibility. Invite your team members to participate in the causes you elect to support.
  
  
• To be a great leader, it’s important to continually learn. The best way to learn is to have an inquisitive mind, to listen intently and to read thought provoking articles and books.
  
  
• Consider working with a consultant; the insight of an outsider can be invaluable.
  
  
• We write the story of our lives – does yours read the way you want it to?
  

Strategix offers facilitated Strategic Planning Sessions that promote the creative exchange of ideas, concerns, desires, and solutions in an interactive, constructive environment.  If you would like help to build a strong foundation for your practice to grow on, please contact us at info@strategix-ltd.com or phone 403.686.6136.

The best to you and yours in 2006!

About the Author

CoraMarie Clark, MBA BSDH is recognized as a highly effective dental practice strategist. She works with dentists that want to optimize their potential both personally and professionally. Her collaborative approach has helped teams develop dynamic competitive strategies and achieve high impact sustainable results.

If you would like to explore the possibility of having CoraMarie work with your Dental Practice or speak for your Association or Group, contact us today.

CoraMarie Clark
phone 403.686.6136
email coramarie@strategix-ltd.com
web strategix-ltd.com

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