Team can help you achieve your goals

June 1, 2005
This month marks the end of the second quarter, so half of the year is gone.

This month marks the end of the second quarter, so half of the year is gone. How did you do? Were your numbers over or under your goals?

Either way, you need to do some adjusting for the last half of the year. If you are over your goals, perhaps you need to raise your goals. If you are under-producing and collecting, perhaps you need to see how you can step up your production or set more realistic goals. I have found this time of the year is often a wake-up call for those who are struggling to make their goals. When I have been in the same circumstances, I have turned to my team members and asked for their help in solving the problem. What could we do differently that would impact our production and our collections?

You would be surprised at how often team members will come up with great ideas and ways to implement them immediately. Since they have had a hand in coming up with the solutions, they have a vested interest in seeing that they succeed. So often, we try to solve problems by ourselves or by asking for help from outside the office. The best answers are often in the minds of those who work with you every day. In my own case, I have a wonderful personal secretary who handles my seminars and my travel. I have only to ask, and Genna (pronounced Gina) comes up with great solutions that I would never have thought of. Learn to trust your staff members. When I visit a successful dental practice, I always find an enthusiastic, confident, trusted team of loyal and dedicated people.

I am writing this column at the end of April. I just finished a terrific hands-on veneer workshop in Baltimore, Md. The group of dentists who attended was one of the best that I have had the pleasure of meeting. They were sharp, inquisitive, committed, open-minded, and enthusiastic. They certainly kept me on my toes.

The seminar was held in Owings Mill at the Levin Institute at the invitation of my good friend, Dr. Roger Levin. This was a wonderful venue for the course. The Institute is a beautiful facility with all the amenities for a comfortable experience. The people at the Institute could not have been nicer to the dentists attending my course. They went above and beyond to be sure that everyone was well-served.

Dr. Al Ousborne helped teach the course and directed us to the best seafood restaurants so we could dine on crabs. Thanks, Al, for a great job. I will be presenting another course at the Levin Institute this fall, so watch for the dates or call Genna at (866) 274-4500 for more information.

I will be teaching this course at the Center for Advanced Dental Education at St. Louis University on June 24th and 25th. (By the way, the Cardinals are in town against Pittsburgh - here is your chance to get a last look at Busch Stadium!) This is a wonderful teaching center featured in the May issue of Dental Economics®. The two-day, hands-on veneer course will be taught in St. Louis again on September 23rd and 24th. I hope to meet you in St. Louie for one of these fine courses. Genna will be happy to talk to you about these meetings.

PennWell is pleased to announce its series of Webcasts (www.dentaleconomics.com), dedicated to your educational growth. In this one-hour interactive presentation, find out why Invisalign® certification courses are selling out across the country. You will learn from the course creator, Dr. Lou Shuman.

This month’s magazine is chock full of great articles and timely tips to improve your practice and your life. Enjoy reading every page!

Follow ( Dr. Lou Shuman on Google+, on Twitter (@LouShuman) or subscribe to Lou Shuman's posts on Facebook"

Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor - email: [email protected]
Toll-free phone number: (866) 274-4500

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