Put An End To Overwhelm

I was listening to this podcast about having a Super Brain and it mentioned how to read faster.  You simply use a pointer to follow the lines as you read. A pointer is something like a chopstick.  I used a highlighter. 

I read an entire book this weekend in 2 hours.   It's magical. But that's not my point of this Blog...

I read WHO NOT HOW.  Read that again and let it sink in.   WHO...NOT....HOW.  

Too often I think dentists, particularly women dental practice owners, are easily overwhelmed with ALL THE STUFF.   And from that overwhelm it is so easy to get into a place of decision fatigue which then makes it very difficult to focus on what's truly important.  It makes it difficult for you to even understand the things that must be done to actually move progress forward in a positive direction.  And instead we stay stuck in overwhelm and feel like we are spinning our wheels.  We live the same year over and over and soon enough we feel stuck.  

And yet we have people who we pay to help us make progress, get unstuck and generally take things off our plate!  So... What's the problem?

You don't know how to ask for help.  You don't know how to delegate. You don't know how to communicate what you want.  And it's very difficult to admit this to yourself... let alone others.  

So - how do we fix it and where do we begin?  

First of all asking for help means being vulnerable. When was the last time you admitted to your team how you were really feeling?  It's a big step, but every single time I've ever done it in my career it has had massive payoffs.   They need to know where you are in order to help you get to where you want to be. And trust me - your team wants to succeed and they want to see you succeed.  

Second - to get people to help you, to get them to move your business forward in a positive direction, to get them excited to do more, be more and have more, you have to very first and foremost know where you are going.  Why is this particular group of people coming together every day at your office?  And if the only answer you have is "for a job" - sadly you will feel a struggle your entire life.   Think outside the box.  Dentistry is life changing and impactful and we get to be a part of it. We get to change lives every day.  You have to believe that.  And then you have to get your team to believe that.   There has to be a bigger purpose of your team walking through the back doors of your office every day besides a job.  

However, what I've come to understand is that for most of us dreaming about an exciting, amazing, inspiring future is difficult!  But it's only difficult because our overthinking brains start to get focused on doing everything yourself.  When you dare to think big and start to get even remotely excited about a bigger future - the excitement quickly fades as your racing thoughts turn to the thoughts of how much work this is gonna be and where will you find the time and HOW is this gonna happen.  

So instead of over analyzing and getting lost in analysis paralysis, let yourself dream big.  In fact dream ridiculously big.  Dream so big you don't even believe it's possible.  Because only then can you finally start to realize that by 10X'ing your goals it is impossible to do it alone.  It will force you to ask the question of not "How will this get done" but "Who can help me get this done".  Simply by stating your vision, sharing your vision and deciding on a bigger future - you will start to attract the right who's to your team.   But sharing your dreams can be scary. I get it.  We fear being judged.  We fear what our teams will think. We fear - what if they don't like the direction I want to go?  I can tell you from experience that's normal...and staying in that thinking is only going to hold you back.  

Casey Neistat a famous You Tube personality said "What is the ultimate qualification of success?  For me, it's not how much time do you spend doing what you love.  it's how little time you spend doing what you hate." 

We went to school to be dentists.  And I hope most of you like it!!  And the reality is we make the most money when we are doing just that... practicing those specialized set of dental skills that only we can do.  We don't make money when we are paying bills, reconciling our credit card, doing ordering, placing an ad for hiring, calling the plumber, running reports, ordering lunch for the team, doing social media or buying birthday gifts.  Now I get it, some of this stuff listed you may LIKE to do, and that's fine.  But be honest... how much of your day is spent doing things that don't move your progress forward and that you actually don't like to do!  

Figure out what you love to do, 10X it and then get rid of everything else.  Attract the people into your life who are as excited about your future as you are, give them a destination, be crystal clear on the results you want to see happen and then let them go.  Because remember at the end of the day it's about results and not process.   Become a transformational leader for your team. 

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that focuses on inspiring and motivating followers to achieve their full potential and exceed their own expectations. This leadership approach goes beyond simply managing tasks  - which let's be honest (and I'm sadly guilty of this too!) dentists are the worst micromanagers!!  Instead, this style of leadership seeks to create positive and lasting change within your practice.

In essence the first WHO you need to attract and train is YOU!!

Wouldn't it be amazing to become a leader of your dental team that inspires vision. You must be able to articulate a compelling vision for the future.  From there you can begin to foster innovation and collaboration. Encourage creativity from your team - they will amaze you with their ideas when given the space and time to do so. Focus on building strong relationships. Be empathetic, understanding, and supportive, and strive to creating a positive and trusting work environment.  It's also important to encourage individual growth.  Begin to take the time to get invested in the personal and professional development of your team so that you can empower them to grow, learn, and take on new challenges, helping them reach their full potential. Which as a leader is exciting to watch and should be a part of your bigger WHY!   Lead by example, demonstrating high ethical standards and integrity - transformational leaders know the way, show the way and go the way.  They go first.  However I'd also urge you to encourage your team to question assumptions, explore new ideas, and challenge them to continuously improve their skills.  Provide support to your team when needed and make sure you recognize the wins and successes.  The best people focus on catching people doing RIGHT!  This helps build a positive and motivated work culture.  And do your best to create a sense of collective identity and purpose. Team members must feel a strong connection to your practice's mission and core values.  Core values are what create culture and tie your team to each other.  

Dream big and get excited about WHO is going to help get you there!