Friday morning riff on a week of conversations

Friday morning and a day in The Bunker on video calls with coaching clients – a monthly catch up between workshops that gives them a chance to ask me questions and me a chance to feel the pulse of my client base and, thus, the larger dental community.

This week we also hosted a group video call (the recording of which was sent to clients yesterday) – the main topics of conversation were:

1. effective cancellation policies (especially in city centre practices, where many patients are living in the fast lane);

2. how to recruit associates (especially in rural areas, where population densities are lower);

3. how to attract and train apprentice dental nurses;

4. the latest GDPR consent forms if you are collecting and publishing photographs and videography.

As always, a lively chat on a Tuesday night.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of lecturing on The Campbell Academy year-long Business Course – undoubtedly the highest intensity immersion in to the business of dentistry in the UK.

My topics were financial analysis in the morning and internal marketing in the afternoon – one delegate described the morning session as “eye-opening” – fascinating considering we were conducting a quick, dirty and simple analysis of a profit & loss statement for a real-life practice.

Today I’ll also be on the receiving end of 60+ emails from those active clients and managers who are motivated to complete their “extreme weekly tracker” – an update on their week just gone, a reflection on how they can win at business next week and questions for me.

Tomorrow I’m off to The Digital Dentistry Show North at Old Trafford Cricket Ground to talk for ADAM around lunchtime – 30-minutes on marketing (that’s a challenge).

Next week – a trip of a lifetime – you’ll hear more in due course – and my biggest new product launch in 20 years.

All of which reminds me this morning of that great phrase from business author Harry Beckwith that:

There is no performance without accountability. There is no accountability without measurement.

So here are some questions for Friday:

1. are you in conversation with someone who can listen to your hopes and fears, offering the wisdom of experience to guide you as you go?

2. are you in conversation with your team, ensuring that they feel appreciated?

3. are you keeping count – measuring and monitoring?

Have a wonderful weekend – p.s. Monday may be April Fool’s Day but it’s also the start of Quarter 2 – 2019 – and that means a new Full Focus Planner for me and time to set all of my goals for the next three months.

Same for you.