Training Your Dental Office to Have the ‘Courage to Try’

"You’re so smart."

“You’re really good at that.”

According to a parenting theory that is widely held by experts in the field, these are exactly the kinds of things you should NOT say to a child if you want to encourage self-esteem and development.

That’s because repeatedly hearing this kind of reinforcement creates in them a sense of expectation that they feel they must live up to, so they actually become less inclined to want to try new things that could help them grow. Their fear of failure encourages them to want to stay in a “safe” zone where they can be assured of only doing what they know they are good at.

The better approach is to give the child your most vocal support when they are demonstrating a willingness to go outside their comfort zone, and to acknowledge the effort they make at getting better (“You’ve really worked hard at that ...”). In other words, instead of praising them for traits they may possess, you praise them for having the courage to engage with new ideas, to be adventurous and persistent, and to overcome obstacles. That’s how you train young minds to explore their possibilities.

I think the same philosophy applies to adult minds. Call it having a growth mindset or call it possibilities thinking — whatever you call it, that way of thinking that makes people want to always explore new horizons is, in my view, the foremost indicator of someone who will enjoy ongoing success. It’s a way of thinking that transcends talent.

There are lots of very talented people who never rise above average, because they are too worried to put their talent to the test and challenge themselves in situations where they are outside of their comfort zones. At the same time, there are people of fairly modest natural ability who achieve great things, for the simple reason that they are never afraid to try.

How do you train your dental office to have the “courage to try”?  You start by giving your team the freedom to fail. That is, you reward them for trying new ideas and reaching for greater heights, even if the results sometimes fall short at first. Take your cue from that parenting philosophy: Don’t praise talent, don’t praise ability — praise process. Make it clear that your dental office is a place where passion is prized most highly, where there is always an emphasis on the process of ongoing learning and training.

Then back it up. Take your team to workshops or training seminars. Commit to a schedule of taking online lessons together. In fact, you can find information on Spear online courses by click here. You don’t have to be a dynamic speaker or a subject-matter expert yourself — you just need to be a dedicated facilitator. Put your people in a situation where they are surrounded by learners and they get a new sense of what’s possible, then provide the kind of practice environment where they can build on that momentum. Ignite the passion, then give them the framework to sustain it.

This is how you overcome the numbing effects of routine and inertia. This is how you populate your practice with growth–oriented thinkers.

(To read more from Imtiaz Manji, click here.)