Sometimes, the saying “The simple things are important and the important things are simple” really is true. But what does that look like in a dental practice, exactly? It means paying attention to the little things on each individual patient visit and doing them every single time … conceptually “simple,” yet one of the most difficult things to do time after time. While we can always learn new skills and techniques to close the “knowledge gap,” it’s the “doing gap” that actually holds the secret to growth.
Outside of dentistry, there is a stunning array of products on the market to help us stay accountable to our life goals. Chances are many of us use them on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s as simple as a calorie counter app, or our appointment book. Sometimes it is a technological gadget that counts our steps, heart rate, stress levels and the number of times we blinked per minute. While the “method” is varied, the principle is the same: What you pay attention to, works.
An effective means of paying attention to what’s important in a dental practice is tracking. Tracking creates awareness. Awareness is the first step of accountability. Often, however, when you first introduce tracking and goal setting to teams, the initial thought is “Oh no! Big Brother is here!” or worse yet “Oh no! More busy work!” Neither reaction is going to help you bring your team together and grow.
When starting or re-energizing your tracking program, it’s important to keep it focused and easy. Don’t let it get over-complicated. What are the two or three things you are going to focus on for this month? How does that focus improve the patient experience? How does that focus improve the practice lifestyle for everyone in the practice? What are the expected results and in what timeline?
OnTrack is a fast and easy tracking tool to create awareness around what is important to you. It’s a means to close the “doing gap.” It’s a means to empower your team to implement real change. We are going to be having an online session on July 9 to talk more about the practical application of using OnTrack as a tool to bring out the best in your practice and I would like to invite you to join us. Why? Because in this case, the simple things really are important and the important things really are simple. The growth of your practice is important. Come see how simple it can be.
You do not have to be a current OnTrack subscriber to attend. This event is open to all. See you there!
