I recently returned from the St. Regis Hotel and Resort at Monarch Beach in Southern California. I spent a week at the St. Regis attending the 50th anniversary meeting of the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration (AADPA). I was the president this year, and this was my meeting for this special occasion. I had a great program chair in Dr. Marc Herman from New York. From all reports, everyone attending the meeting had a really great time.
After two days of chairing the AADPA Board of Directors meeting and making many decisions for the good of the Academy, I was ready to relax and enjoy my meeting. Marc had assembled the largest group of speakers we have ever had. There were lots of choices for the attendees.
As president, I had sent a lot of special invitations to this meeting because the program was a great one. I was disappointed that only a few people attended. Those that didn’t attend missed one of our best meetings ever. It was not only the program that made it great. There was a feeling of camaraderie as the members reached out to guests and tried to make them feel welcome. I tried to greet everyone I saw every day in an effort to say “Hi” to all the members and their guests.
All of us attend too many meetings that don’t generate enthusiasm ,and where we feel tired at the end of the day. At the AADPA meetings, participants are energized at the end of each day.
The program was simply outstanding. We opened on Wednesday night with a motivational comedian, Tim Gard, who taught us how to make bad situations better with humor. This was the beginning of the group coming together. Tim left us on a high note with lessons that we all enjoyed.
The keynote speaker opened the meeting on Thursday morning. If you have never heard Nido Qubein, you owe it to yourself to listen to his message. Here are some of the quotes that I wrote down:
“Change brings opportunity. Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all your energies on a limited set of targets. Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people. Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”
This was great information for all dentists. The rest of the day was filled with a number of terrific speakers.
Friday morning kicked off with Dr. Robert Cialdini’s presentation on influencing people. I first bought his book in 1984, and have been using his weapons of influence ever since. Dr. Cialdini had his audience spellbound as he worked through his six principles of influence. He even had dental examples for this dental audience. The room where he spoke was packed with people sitting in the aisles and standing in the doorway. Everyone walked away with wonderful new ways to persuade people. You can read his latest book and get all the information. The book is titled “Influence: Science and Practice, 4th Edition.”
One of my favorite speakers, Karen Reisman, spoke in a morning session about “Did You Hear What I Said?” and then gave a stirring, heartfelt luncheon presentation on “Letters from Einstein.” Karen is a wonderful speaker who is well worth hearing. Look for her at your next dental meeting. She also is a great speech coach for up-and-coming dental speakers.
The meeting ended with an all-day program by Dr. John Kois on clinical dentistry.
Be sure to join us next year at the Hyatt Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz., during the first week in March. I know you will enjoy the ambience of this meeting. Go to www.aadpa.org for more information.
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor - e-mail: [email protected]
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