By Larry and Marie Chatterley, CTC Associates
From the Fall 2022 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association
Over a period of 30+ years, we’ve had the opportunity to become acquainted with hundreds of dental practices. Many of them were remarkable, highly successful practices, but there is one practice that stands out above all others. This practice has developed a culture that is truly worthy of emulation. It is so busy, and its schedule of existing patients is so full that it turns away three-to-four new patient referrals each day. Both the operative and hygiene schedules are booked solid for six months. Patients are seen out-of-network or on a fee-for-service, cash basis. Moreover, there are about 50 competing practices within a five-mile radius.
What is this practice doing that makes it so attractive to patients? What is the “why” in their practice culture?
Simon Sinek, in his book, “Start With The Why,” said the following:
“When a company (practice) clearly communicates their WHY, what they believe, and we believe what they believe, then we will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to include those products or services in our lives. Without a clear WHY, people default to the WHAT. To build trust, you need authenticity. What does that mean in practice? It means that your HOW (actions) and WHAT (results) have to be consistent with your WHY (beliefs).”
To better understand the “WHY” of this particular practice, we asked questions about their beliefs and behaviors to learn more about how they created such extraordinary culture.
What emerged from this inquiry was a clear understanding of how the dentist and staff view the importance of their patients feeling safe and feeling valued, as well as showing kindness and gratitude to patients. The dentist said, “We’ve created a family friendly environment where everyone feels safe, and they truly care and support each other. Moreover, we show patients respect by doing what’s best for them and not our bottom line.”
The one virtue that stood out among all others was their deep sense of gratitude. They express genuine gratitude every day in their morning huddles. The Roman scholar and philosopher, Cicero, said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all of the others.” The daily practice of gratitude was one of their biggest “WHY’S.”
All the other values they esteem and exhibit in their lives and in the practice were built upon a deep sense of gratitude, and the practice of mindfully expressing it each day, both to each other and to patients.
How do you create this type of culture in your practice? Here is a process that can facilitate meaningful change both in your personal and business life. It’s the process of AEQ (Asking Effective Questions) and DNA (Decide, Notice and Acknowledge).
Questioning helps the brain to think in a different way that allows us to gain understanding and insight that empowers and energizes us to shift our way of thinking. These paradigm shifts are brought about by developing and asking effective questions.
By setting aside just four minutes a day to ask questions, we can see our own personal and professional challenges from an entirely new viewpoint. The more questions you ask, the greater the likelihood you will be “enlightened” with possible answers. After you have written down as many questions as you can think of, narrow them down to a few of the questions that “feel right” to you. Then start answering them. Writing is the major key to this process. The following process was developed by Hal Gregersen at www.4-24project.org. He wrote the book entitled “Questions Are The Answer.”
Directions:
- Articulate the issue. Write down in a few sentences the opportunity, challenge or problem.
- Brainstorm questions. Write down only questions! No answers at this point and no explanations about why you’re asking the question.
- Repeat emotion check. Are you more positive than when you started the process? Write down your response. If you are not feeling a bit more positive, try the process again.
- Review and revise your questions. Sort through the questions and look for the ones suggesting new pathways to better answers. Select a couple of questions that you care deeply enough about that you want to do something about them.
- Commit to pursuing that viewpoint as a truth-seeker on a regular basis.
“Good questions are often far more powerful than answers. Good questions challenge your thinking. They reframe and redefine the problem. They throw cold water on our most dearly held assumptions and force us out of our traditional thinking. They motivate us to learn and discover more. They remind us of what is most important in our lives.”
-Andrew Sobel
This process can significantly help you to define your “why,” as well as your what and how. Once you start seeing and understanding the answers you have come up with through AEQ, you can implement those changes via the “DNA” process as described in the book entitled, “Enlightened Leadership” by Ed Oakley and Doug Krug. They came up with the acronym “DNA” for getting more of what we want by fostering an attitude of intentionally looking for what’s right. D is for Discover. Discover what you want more of. (Establishing certain values and behaviors through asking effective questions.) N is for Notice. Notice each little indication of its presence. A is for Acknowledge. Acknowledge and appreciate each time you notice it. Here is the three-step process:
- Create a clear vision of your values through the AEQ process.
- Share these values with the people around you to give them a sense of direction and to inspire them.
- Continue to articulate these values (i.e., expressing gratitude) at every possible opportunity. Never fall prey to the fallacy that, “I’ve already told them what I believe.” Do you believe that you can tell your spouse and children that you love them once and then never need to mention it again? Find every way you can to illustrate the values that you esteem, and never stop.
True success in business comes from a culture developed by certain beliefs and behaviors. By focusing on improving beliefs and behaviors, professional life can become more enjoyable. However, these changes can only be made effective when made with the right intent and motives. An intent to develop genuine concern for the welfare of others will become success itself.
As the German philosopher, Goethe, once said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming.” When you treat people with gratitude and kindness, you begin to empower those around you to feel better about themselves. Feeling better about oneself promotes trust, and trust fosters performance.
What questions could you ask yourself that could help you see yourself and others differently and would help foster feelings of gratitude, kindness, and trust?