Would You Give Yourself a Passing Grade?
Remember when you were a child and report card time came around? It could be an anxious time, but also an exhilarating time. This is when you got an objective evaluation of your strengths and an honest assessment of areas where you needed to improve. Ultimately, if you satisfied the requirements you were promoted to the next grade, which was always exciting. It meant you were ready for a new level of challenges.
It’s a pattern that continues right through young adulthood. During each phase of dental school you learn new skills, your progress is reviewed, you’re tested, and then you move on to the next level, where the process starts again.
But what do you do when you are on your own in private practice? Who is there to give you an honest evaluation of where you stand in key areas of performance? Who guides you and stops you from falling into bad habits? Who is there to tell you it’s time to take it to the next level? Who tells you what that next level is?
The answer of course is that it is up to you to ensure that you keep growing. It’s very easy, when that external accountability is no longer there, to fall into a pattern where you just keep doing what you’re doing—to keep living what I call the Groundhog Year.
Committing to a life of excellence is all about resisting the path of least resistance. It’s about doing regular self-assessed “report cards” on your professional development and assigning yourself new goals to meet.
At this stage in life, it’s entirely up to you to decide if you make the grade.
Imitiaz– one of the most difficult things we do is to engage in self-change. People have always asked me what the difference is between Pankey, Spear, Dawson dentists and others. Many think it is the technical skill and the “hands” skills. I tell them it’s more about these dentist’s commitment to excellence and the process they go through over time. The breaking through the resistance of cynicism, blame, complacency and the self-monitoring that makes all the difference.
We at Gorczyca Orthodontics like the A+ better than passing! Thank you for maintaining excellence in everything that you do!
Well Said Imtiaz! and I like your comments as well Barry..
It’s ironic that you bring this up because it has been something I have been thinking about for the past few months. I even began writing a small blog about it that I never posted. I have cut and pasted most of it in the paragraphs following this one. For the past few years, rather than doing new years resolutions, I choose “one word” to focus on throughout the year and allow it to guide me and help me grow in all areas of life. It is something my pastor at church encouraged and he just release a book called, “MY ONE WORD”.
POTENTIAL is my one word for 2013. I think this is the very thing you and Barry are eluding to..
As I reflect on my year and the future, the word that resonates the most with me is potential. We are all born with certain gifts and talents, ultimately all the tools to become what we were made to be. Yet, many people, including dentists, fail to reach their full potential. I think the root cause of this is we simply loose focus and live a life of reaction rather than proaction. With all the distractions and problems we face each day, it’s really hard to escape this mindset and see a brighter future. I think your discussion about self awareness and grading ourselves proves to be one of the most important factors in driving growth.
If you have kids or have ever been a teacher, I think one of the biggest hopes you have is that your kids will put all their effort into reaching their full potential, whatever that may be. We expect the best for them and encourage them to be the best they can be. However, as adults, many people never think about their own potential. Or, if they do, it’s more in the context of regret. Why is it that so many folks accept this for themselves????
Reaching our potential in dentistry definitely requires us to grow each day. We have to be intentional about this and really make it a priority. We have to surround ourselves with peers who challenge us and encourage us. We need to realize that we will have failures and understand that it’s also a part of how we grow.
For this year. This is how I will use my one word, “potential”.
Spiritually: Am I using the gifts God gave me to the best of my ability? Am I making the right choices to allow myself to grow..
Family: Am I helping my kids reach their potential. Am I encouraging my wife to do the same. Am I making choices with my time to help encourage their growth. Am I setting a good example for growth. Believe it or not, my kids really talk about how I go to Scottsdale three or 4 times a year. They find it intriguing that a “grownup” is going to class. When I go, my wife always tells them that daddy has to keep learning too. I think they are seeing at a young age what it takes to improve ourselves.
Professionally: Am I making the right choices to encourage my own growth in dentistry. What path will help me reach my potential in dentistry
Team: Am I encouraging my team to reach their potential. Am I giving them the opportunity to grow,
learn, and make mistakes along the way. Am I setting a good example for growth?
Friends: I want to encourage my friends to also reach their potential so they can live happier more fulfilling lives. Yet, I also want to be open and willing to listen to them when they have something to share which can impact my growth. As adults, our colleagues and friends can have the same impact our parents had when we were young. They are usually the ones that hold us accountable to do what we say we are going to do…
Potential is a powerful word and one we can use each day to keep us focused. That’s why I love Spear Education. They are focused on helping dentists not only become excellent clinicians but more importantly on helping each one reach his or her potential in dentistry.
I like to start each day thinking about it and end each day thinking about it. It frames my day and provides some perspective on the choices I may have made. I’m excited about the direction this simple word has provided….
I could not agree more with Barry. The pursuit of excellence is what drives our practice and our work. Many months ago Frank blogged that his goal was to be the best at everything that he did for his patient; The best injection or the best carved amalgam.
What striving for excellence does is to force you to associate with other clinical dentists who believe what you believe and ignore the majority of mediocre clinicians. My best dental friend is Francisco Banchs, one of the finest endodontists in the world…
How much do I strive for an “A?”
I ask my assistant (of 30 years) EVERYDAY with the patient in the chair and still wearing the rubber dam: “Would you give me an “A” for these direct posterior restorations?” The response is NEVER in doubt.