WRITTEN BY Cathy Jameson, PhD, and John H. Jameson, DDS
“Giving back” is our most precious opportunity, not only as leaders and professionals, but also as individuals, a couple, founders of a company, parents, and grandparents. We believe in living each day with a philanthropic spirit, and we have surrounded ourselves with team members, clients, friends, and colleagues who do the same. This has created an inspiring world that we are honored to share with so many great people.
“The task of a leader is to get people from where they are to where they have not been,” said Henry Kissinger, the first foreign-born U.S. Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. By that definition, leadership and “giving back” go hand-in-hand. As you read this article, explore your own situation and figure out ways to give back in your own special way. Opportunities are there to be a giver and a leader.
In the practice and as community leaders
One of the first things we did when we opened the practice was let people know we were available for public awareness and public education services. Speaking at public programs was one of our first areas of civic service. We didn’t view being a dentist as being just in business. We saw it as meeting needs and spreading the word about oral health. What we quickly found was that as we became involved in our community, our name recognition grew and involvement quickly spiraled to greater levels.
For example, we went from speaking at lunch clubs to serving in leadership roles for several organizations in relatively short times. This was not our initial goal, and we kept our motives in check at all times. We were proud to make dentistry more visible and have better accountability when compared to our peers in other professions. People in our area became more aware of what dentists do and what the industry issues are; it isn’t just about the dentist being seen as a great guy or promoting the practice.
We worked through the school systems, which often required time during productive office hours. We found this to be worth every minute, though, as we conducted educational and screening programs that resulted in heightened community awareness and greater new-patient flow. These opportunities came about as part of Children’s Health Month or a spin-off of a local health fair, in which we also participated. But these are great opportunities with immeasurable benefits for everyone.
We also noticed a tremendous need for the elderly. In some cases their oral health-care needs are not addressed at all, so we accepted positions to monitor and maintain their oral health in nursing homes. The elderly often do not have family support to get them to a dental care setting. We successfully offered remedial or interceptive support in nursing homes. Our team went with us and found the experience quite enriching.
Giving back, team first
To keep energy up in a practice, successful dentists enrich the team and keep them in positive development. Philanthropic efforts keep you and your team focused on the important role your expertise has for your patients. It infuses enthusiasm and strong verbal skills into every business system.
Within the practice, we commit to academic support with unlimited continuing education, bringing in outside reading materials and audio and video educational courses. We take our team members to great places for CE, and hold regular lunch meetings where we go into the community together and enjoy each other socially. We genuinely care about our team as people, and believe that a team who cares together, stays together.
We’re with these people more waking hours than we are with our families, so why wouldn’t we want to know them and understand their lives? This allows our benefits to fit their true interests and needs. For example, we had a program through which we paid for books for all family members enrolled in higher education. This was a true benefit for team members with college-aged children.
At Jameson Management we have regular team training not only to refine our systems to make sure they’re working efficiently, but also to relish in our mission to help others. Just this fall we met for several days of intensive training and growth, and we also gathered one evening in our new Oklahoma City facility to pat each other’s backs and reminisce. Our feelings evolved from decades of true relationships and genuine philanthropic and entrepreneurial desire.
In that team training was a person who had served as our first administrative assistant and is now a successful analytical consultant, traveling around the world to spread the Jameson Method. There were bankers, babysitters, and industry friends. There were team members who have had key roles developing our organization, their predecessors/trainers/mentors, and new team members. Give back to your team and watch their greatness unfold!
Give, at any level
No matter how you define community, the important part is to just give! Whether you are the greatest philanthropist in your community, the greatest giving leader of your team, or the greatest overseas service provider, we believe you are great if you’re in pursuit of the philanthropic spirit. We challenge you not only to focus close to home with your team, but to think big.
Some of our clients are good examples. Dr. Jim Nichols practices in Lafayette, La., but commits to international mission trips to meet needs around the world. Dr. Mike Forth of Edmond, Okla., donates countless hours by soliciting friends and colleagues to support worthwhile causes such as Give Back A Smile, a dental-related program for the rehabilitation of battered women. Dr. Gary Pitts of Plains, Mont., is retired from Indian Public Health Service, but he still does extensive mission work with the Flathead Indian Tribe and overseas. Dr. Anthony Garcia of New Mexico found himself in a position in his professional life where he could give care to people who desperately need it. He has chosen to take advantage of his freedom and help others instead of indulging in more self-serving activities.
Sometimes opportunities are initiated from educational institutions. Creighton University has a dental clinic in the Dominican Republic where they provide care on an ongoing basis. At the clinic, dentists and students develop an indescribable sense of the philanthropic spirit to provide care for people in need. Many dentists return each year to Mexico, Africa, and Latin America to provide care and give back to the world. Dr. Lance Lincoln, a Creighton dental school graduate, went to West Africa with the Peace Corps. There was no clinic, so he rallied his graduating class to provide equipment and supplies to create a self-sufficient, local dental care facility.
Jameson Management made a donation to Feed the Children last year in the names of our industry friends, and sent them notice of this donation over the holidays. We’ve become known within our community as sports enthusiasts, Boy Scouts of America supporters, academic foundation founders, and more. We support our alma mater, giving not only money, but time. For example, John is an Oklahoma State University Distinguished Alumni, giving hours to the alumni programs and athletic associations. He also supports Creighton University in any way possible. Cathy is on the OSU Foundation Board of Governors, and recently attended the annual ceremony where a scholarship is given in her name to an OSU education student.
So, whether you are thinking big and overseas, or small and community-focused, just get started! Big and little things come together as you give back, and you will ultimately receive great feelings of reward and significance. Just give, and start today!