Einstein Explains What Makes Great Dentists Great
Albert Einstein, who knew a thing or two about knowing things, had this to say about the nature of understanding: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
I’m always reminded of that line when I watch my partner, Dr. Frank Spear, in action delivering a presentation.
Ask anyone who has followed Frank for years to describe what keeps them coming back to his workshops and lectures and they will almost certainly mention how he has the ability to explain things in such a way that the complex becomes easily understood.
I know that’s true because I’m one of those people. When I sit in on parts of his presentations—in workshops that are about very high-level advanced dentistry—I notice that even I, as a non-dentist, can grasp the concepts (even if I don’t have the skills to implement them). That’s the mark of a master: being able to convey the object of your passion with such clarity that even a layperson can say, “Oh, I get it.”
And as Einstein’s words illustrate, there is really no trick to it. Yes, Frank does have certain natural gifts as a speaker, but the main reason he is able to communicate so clearly is simply because he understands his subject at a profoundly deep level. When you know something—really know it, backwards and forwards, inside and out—it’s easier to find ways to communicate that knowledge without resorting to complicated explanations and obscure jargon.
That’s something to keep in mind when you are presenting to patients. If you take the time to go deep with your own understanding of what you’re presenting, to the point where you internalize that knowledge and it becomes a part of you, it will be much easier to communicate that knowledge in a simple and compelling way. The whole purpose of the Spear Case Assistant is to help enhance your understanding and to better demonstrate this knowledge to your patients.
That’s important, because it spells the difference between a patient who is nodding along to what they hear as “blah, blah, blah” and a patient who is actively engaged, interested and who really “gets it.” The question is: Do you and your team get it?
“Make it simple as possible, but not any simplier!”
Great post!