If you are joining us for the first time, we have started a journey on taking key statements I have used when coaching and growing my own practices and those we’ve had the pleasure of coaching. The term “Michaelisms” comes from a client we helped reinvent their practice and sell it when it came time for an exit strategy. He called these statements Michaelisms. As I look back at presentations and correspondence with clients, for the first time I really see the consistency of advice that was used for over forty years. I am hoping that over the next few months, these Michaelisms and an expanded explanation of most of them, spur you to action and application in order to rewrite your future success. A few articles back (you can catch up by going to www.summitpracticesolutions.com/blog and use the search tool to read these articles) we first went over “Michaelisms that form the cornerstone of understanding Dental Practices”, and “Michaelisms that Create a Competitive Edge”. Today, I want to give you three cornerstone statements that every practice needs to understand and, once you grasp their importance, apply them to your own practice. In a sense, we are jelling down these longer articles into three basic statements. I hope you find them worth embracing. NOTE: if you are new to these articles, each Michaelism will be in bold font.
Number One: There is no way to get better at giving patients what they don’t want. If you are not growing (15% to 20% per year), you are not meeting your patients needs. Certainly, any practice that is not growing falls short of giving patients what they really want. Far too often, we dash off in a direction clinically or business wise that does not inspire people to follow us. Not to be degrading of any dentist’s choice in where and how they practice, but if you consistently fall short or can only obtain the level of average, and struggle with stress and finances in a dental practice, you are definitely not giving patients what they want. I see this when doctors are burned out and gravitate towards niche areas of dentistry only to find that few clients really want or need this area of expertise. Take the time to assess your location and demographics and determine exactly what your patients want. In this exercise, you should realize what it would take to be “remarkable” in the eyes of your potential patients. One last statement and another Michaelism that always rings true and goes hand and hand with this topic. One of the biggest mistakes that dentists make is thinking that patients want what you have to sell. Yep, this statement should cement that idea that the patient (the consumer) is the only person that gets a vote on where and with whom they buy products and services from. If you feel like people are voting you off the island, you’re trying to get better at giving them something they don’t want.
Number Two: Your systems are precisely designed to give you the results you are getting. In life, you get what you deserve, not what you want. Reread this number 2 again until you realize that you are responsible for your results: the team you assembled, systems you use, hours you work, how you treat patients, the culture you have, your location, etc. Everything was created by you. By omission or commission, you created the circumstances that created your results. If you want a different result, you must start doing things completely differently. Let’s add one more Michaelism under the subject of accountability: Accountability means answering for your actions and results regardless of noise that might surround your performance. Bottom line is that accountability is letting your actions rise above your excuses. Making excuses is one of the worst habits anyone can use to step away from accountability. If you lose your excuses, you will begin to find your results. This is a rule of the universe. You cannot live a life of excuses and expect to ever rise above mediocrity.
Number Three: Inspired leadership demands that you must precede your practice to the next level of excellence and productivity. This next level means a higher level of commitment. Of the three, this one takes you to a higher level of engagement. It requires that you tip the mirror up and take a long hard look at yourself. No excuses, no procrastination, no finger pointing at others, just a serious look at the stairway you have to climb in commitment to reach that next level of practice. This is the one that drives those who excel into leaving excuses, entitlement, and instant gratification behind and just do it. It is a “rubber meets the road “acknowledgement that if it is ever going to happen, it is up to you. You must make it happen!
In a way, these three Michaelisms are like two-a-days for a new football season. Before the first game is played, each player must compete with others, and then with themselves. It has to be worth it to endure the heat, workouts, pain, injuries, and losses. While you play with a team, you understand the plays and what each team member will need to do to have a winning season.
Now is the time. It’s “Friday night lights”, its game day, and excuses are overrated. Time to put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
Michael Abernathy DDS
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