By Shelly Short & Cathy Jameson
While coaching several U.K. dental teams this past January, I kept thinking about a promotional piece in one of the London health clubs. The slogan is “Start with an Intention to Continue!” This phrase resonated with me during my time abroad and continues to hover in the back of my thoughts. I guess we can deduce that the marketing is effective - at least for me anyway.
There are times when I am preparing to go for a run, packing my gym bag before heading to the health club, or thinking about setting my clock 40 minutes earlier to get some exercise before the demands of the day compete with what is most important - my health and well-being. Anyway, intention moves me in the direction of fitness, but just intention doesn’t take us anywhere, does it? We have to start with the intention to continue. Preparing, packing, and thinking are crucial steps, however, doing and finishing leads us to desired results.
As a coach for Jameson Management Inc., I often see doctors and team members wanting to move forward with our JMI business and clinical systems or healthy lifestyle habits. Our goal is to help clients become more organized in the business aspect so they can have time for life after dentistry, themselves, and wellness. Creating a productive, profitable business goes hand-in-hand with practicing a lifestyle of health and wellness. These aspects interact and support one another when both are addressed with the intention to continue.
When a dental team signs up for individual coaching, I often wonder how committed the group is to the continuation of a great program.Are they starting with the intention to continue? Why do some teams continue to excel while others flounder? Why do some people reap the rewards of a lifestyle program that improves their overall health and quality of life and others do not?
Then I ask myself, “What can I do to help them set goals, accomplish those goals, and stay on a continued path of reaping the rewards of their empowered team’s motivation, determination, and perseverance?”
Great talent needs a great coach. During the Super Bowl there was, without question, an abundance of skill, experience, and athletic ability. Nevertheless, all the players needed outstanding coaches to push them. They got there, in part, because of coaching. That’s how individuals and groups get better.
Recently, I coached an Illinois dental group. This particular team is good - really good. The question at the forefront of my effort stemmed from Dr. Jim Collins’ phrasing: Are they ready to go from good to great? We talked about the Super Bowl, and I asked the team, do you think that the Steelers and the Seahawks got there by having light coaching sessions and practices? Of course not; they worked harder and trained harder with the intention to continue. If teams want to win championships, practices must be more demanding, and a greater commitment from each player must be expected.
All of the players must have trained their bodies and made use of proper hydration and fuel for great performances. They must have focused on developing and maintaining bodies fully capable and equipped for what it takes to be the best.
For dental teams to reach peak performances, each person must be fully committed to taking care of herself or himself, being rested, eating well, and focusing on preventing illness and injury. A team cannot function at its best when one member does not arrive on time, does not take care of himself or herself, or does not put in extra effort to lead the team to success.
There is other talent outside the arena, stadium, office, practice, and treatment area just waiting to step in and play the game. Sometimes we forget that others want to be on a winning team, and we allow current team members to stay even though they hold the entire group back from championships.
I challenge you and your star players to evaluate the needs of a high-performing team. Ask yourselves, “Do we have people playing in the right positions? Are they taking care of themselves? Are they committed to continued endurance training and coaching?”
Doctors, ask yourselves: “Am I in this game with the intention to continue? Am I ready to coach, mentor, and lead by example? As the coach of my team, do I know how all positions are played in my practice?”
Do outstanding coaches only know how certain positions are played? Of course not, they must be able to demonstrate all aspects of the game and, in essence, use any equipment necessary to lead their teams. Remember, example is not the main thing in influencing others; it is the only thing.
Decide what is most important in life, and eliminate the rest. Are you fit enough to lead? When you want to take your team to the championship, what do you need to get there? There is a saying, “It is lonely on the last mile.” So, start with the intention to continue.
Shelly Short
Short is a senior consultant with JMI. She has 25 years in the industry and is a registered dental hygienist pursuing her doctorate in holistic nutrition. She is a former faculty member at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. E-mail her at shelly@ jamesonmanagement.com.
Cathy Jameson
Jameson is founder, president, and CEO of Jameson Management Inc., an international dental lecture and consulting firm. The Jameson Method of Management helps dentists increase productivity and profitability, and control stress. Reach her at cathy@ jamesonmanagement.com.
