The Olympics are coming up, and if there’s one thing that I love, it’s when a plan comes together. It’s the amazing sense of flow these athletes show when the cameras are on them.
It’s when the runner passes the baton perfectly to the next runner in a 4 x 400m race. It’s when the synchronized swimmers all perform the exact same movements with such precision you wonder if they are robots. It’s when LeBron passes the ball to Kevin Durant within 12 inches of the rim and the ball gets dunked. It’s like there’s a connection between two athletes in such perfect harmony that it almost looks like it was generated by artificial intelligence.
In reality, while it looks like magic, it’s more down-to-earth than it might appear. The book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell states that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. However, we know that these Olympians have probably spent two to three times more effort and energy to achieve world-class status. So, while it looks like magic, it’s just practice and repetition.
In the same way, you might have a newer dental assistant, and it just feels unnatural to pass instruments. Heck, they might even pass you the wrong instrument or mix up glass ionomer with crown cement. It happens!
To avoid this, we need to get deep into the weeds on training and come up with a system where the assistants truly understand what it looks like to master their craft. This is why Chris Green and I put together the Complete Dental Assisting Manual. This book is all about training assistants to a level where you can achieve flow with your team.
However, it shouldn’t stop with assistants. You should aim to achieve flow with all of your systems. Anticipate the next conversation, nail the handoff to the next person in the office, and make it look easy.
I hope that as you watch the Olympics soon, you think about the training and practice it took; and, set some goals for your dental office to be world-class!
Be well and do well,
Addison Killeen
P.S. If you’re looking for online courses to help you achieve world-class systems and onboarding, check out Dental Success Network. Join our community where like-minded dental practice owners collaborate and become leaders in the dental industry!
