Are You Giving Your Practice the Opportunity to be Great?

Have you ever seen what happens when you ask a group of kindergarteners how many of them can sing? Practically all the hands go up. For that matter, anyone who has had kids is well acquainted with that wonderful stage of life where toddlers feel confident that they are the fastest, strongest and the best at whatever they do.

This is why kids learn so much in such a short time – they are simply not afraid to try. But then what happens?

As they progress through the higher grades at school, they develop a sense of self-consciousness. They come to learn that some skills come more easily to them than others. And since it feels better to succeed, they start to focus on those things. The rest they write off as just "something I'm not good at," and they use that as an excuse to not really try.

It's an attitude that carries into adulthood for many people. Once you're out of school and away from the grading system and required assignments, it gets even easier to stay focused on what you know you can do. We all want to feel successful and good about our abilities, so we tend to settle into patterns that allow us to do that.

That is an important human trait to keep in mind when thinking about yourself and your team. People who sincerely want to succeed may surround you. However, when their self-image and worth is tied up in how well they do their jobs, you can end up with highly competent team that is reluctant to venture outside their expertise. It's what I call a "capabilities-based" practice, and many dentists do well enough that way.

But there is another way.

You can still have pride in the capabilities of your team but at the same time cultivate a passion for possibilities. Remember, most people do want to try new things and explore new levels. They want to recapture the spirit of that exciting time early in life when they weren't concerned with looking foolish and being afraid to fail.

And that's your role as a team leader: To create that culture where innovation is rewarded, disturbances are welcomed as opportunities and everyone is free to make mistakes in the service of progress. The mark of a "possibilities-based" practice is letting go of the security of being good so you can fully embrace the opportunity to be great.