In our world that has rapidly changed over the past 18 months, we have had the choice to either evolve proactively, beyond all of the extreme changes, or we could become paralyzed, stuck and increasingly diminished by them. Today, confidence and focus are the most important human abilities. Without confidence and focus, embracing change and seizing new opportunities becomes extremely difficult.
The reality is that on the heels of a global pandemic and three waves of economic shutdowns, business as usual is no longer an available option in our beloved profession of dentistry. Even the most well-established practices that were coasting on autopilot, riding the wave of years of success, have now been forced to make dramatic changes that have jolted the fundamental ways in which they conduct their clinical, administrative and patient flow routines.
As a result of this sudden disruption, one thing has become increasingly clear, especially to the most adaptable growth minded offices: No matter how much or how fast things change around us, we have the ability to completely reinvent, evolve or implement anything new, better or different into our practice lives. I see this each day with our empowerment coaching clients. The best teams are only limited by their imaginations and solely differentiated by their willingness to embrace change in pursuit of exciting new opportunities.
Since the creation of the microchip, amazing new digital tools have flooded into our profession and redefined the dental marketplace. Being able to implement and integrate these new technologies has become an important core skill for practice success. Letting go of old habits to embrace new routines is not only a required mindset, but also a practical skill that must be culturally adopted and strategically practiced each day. It should be clear to all dental teams that we are never stuck and the status quo is never permanent. What we routinely achieve on a daily basis often holds small in relation to what we are truly capable of when pressed into change.
In fact, the most successful and happy practices don’t even need strong market disruptions to inspire them to want to evolve. Change has become their new normal. The ability to innovate and evolve is no longer just an exciting opportunity – it’s also a functional requirement for survival in our rapidly changing world.
When the world changes, those practices who evolve, innovate and pivot are the ones who will optimally thrive and succeed on the new playing field ahead of us. Has your practice set clear goals for a thriving shift into our new world? Are you taking advantage of the extraordinary opportunities ahead of you? Just like treatment planning, practice planning and goal setting are important steps. There are three types of practices in this world: those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that wonder what happened! Which one will you be in the next 12 months?
About the Author
Peter Barry is a highly sought-after speaker and Transformational Trainer. For more than 20 years, he has empowered practice owners, dental teams and Industry experts to achieve extraordinary growth, higher income, and exceptional quality of life. He is the founder of “Practice Mastery,” a team development company that serves the growth & development needs of your practice. He provides customized team and one-on-one “Executive Leadership & Success Coaching” to dental professionals and industry companies across N. America. He ignites the chemistry of your championship team by turning skilled groups into high performing teams. He can be reached at peter@practicemastery.com / 416-568-5456 / www.practicemastery.com / IG @peterbarrycoach
