5 Steps To a Productive Daily Mindset In Your Dental Practice

“The future depends on what you do today.” – Gandhi

Can you remember a day when patients were saying, “YES,” to you; when every patient you were interacting with was a “YES”? What was different about that day? I’d like you to consider that it was you!

When we are mentally engaged and our attitude is in the right place, we are naturally more successful. Looking back, I am sure you can see that those days seemed effortless, yet in many cases they were exponentially more productive. One of the largest variables in the equation is your mental outlook and attitude.

So how do we make every day that way, you ask? It is the things that we do today - the individual actions and daily routines - that really matter. A day in the life of the dental practice, we believe, begins and ends with the focus on the patients. The question that begs to be answered is - where should it begin and end, and with whom? 

A successfully-planned and -executed morning will set the stage for the successful management of the patients.The patients are the ‘customers’ that choose to purchase from your business. There are several things that drive their decision to purchase from your business, but we will focus on one area - why they decide to purchase from your business.

Lots of “customers” frequent businesses, refer to businesses and purchase from those people that they relate to on some level and trust. Relationships are built with people we want to be around. Are you someone that people want to be around? Are your team members people that others want to be around, are drawn to and trust? 

The circumstances of the day do not make a great day, it is you and the collective team. The prerequisite to a successful morning meeting (The Perfect Day) is having yourself and your team members show up with a mindset that supports happiness, productivity and relatability.

What steps are being taken to ensure that you and the team members are mentally engaged and ready for a great day? How are you taking care of the biggest asset that the practice has: the people that provide service to the patients? Are you being a role model for the team and how you want them to show up? Are you showing up energized, inspiring, and focused on the positive aspects of the day? Or are team members showing up dragging and grumpy? Does the team make it okay for that behavior to exist within the 4 walls of your dental home? Do you have an Eeyore on your team? (Eeyore is Winnie the Pooh's friend, the gloom and doom donkey that walks through life with a perpetual cloud of despair that travels with him through his daily life).

The wisdom of Pooh shines through in a simple conversation between him and Piglet.  “What day is it?” asked Pooh, “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.

People showing up with a great mental outlook in the morning is a prerequisite to having a great morning meeting (the perfect day). It takes great attitudes to drive great performance. Making an intentional effort daily to lift one another up, acknowledge one another and celebrate the small wins will cause individuals to do more and be more when they are with your patients.

The right daily actions are essential to setting the stage for personal excellence and sweeping out the mental cobwebs, while eliminating negative chatter! Fill the space with these intentional daily actions:

1. Personally focus on encouraging news of the day: Start your mornings with information that moves you mentally to the outcomes you desire.  Avoid negative energy drains and unconstructive behaviors.
2. Set personal priorities for a productive day: At the end of the day, when looking back at what you’ve accomplished, what would have you feeling completely satisfied? Write those items down for accountability and later reflection.
3. Establish what is great about today with the team: In the morning meeting, find something to point out that is great with the practice (the schedule, a patient success, the numbers, etc).  This makes handling the challenges seem more manageable.
4. Celebrate someone for something: Intentionally celebrate people on a daily basis! It could be the simple act of a pat on the back for a job well done that inspires individuals to do more.
5. Share positivity daily: In today’s world of technology, you can share remarkably great messages with very little effort (a quote, an article, a quick video clip, send an email, etc).

It all begins and ends with these simple actions that you carry today and every day.  Making a personal commitment to be the role model for your team is the first step that must be taken to create your perfect future today.