Change

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better."

King Whitney Jr.

   

One thing that you can count on is the fact that things will change.  Right now we have the best staff I've ever worked with.  I can count on that changing someday.  Someone will move, have a baby or retire and someone new will take their place.  It may be better, it may be worse, but it will surely be changed.  I am confident that whatever happens, we will persevere and make it work some way or another.  In the meantime I'll enjoy what we have right now. 
    Sometimes we know that something must change to enable progress.  I've worked with people who I loved as people, but who weren't right for our practice.  I feared letting them go because I worried that "the devil I know might be better than the devil I don't know."  I tried to find ways to make it better with them, to make them perform better.  I was confident that I could help them find their way.  What I didn't realize that their way was through the exit door.  It was better for them and better for us.  Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture further down the road.  Making a change may make room for the better staff member.
    When dentists know that they need to make a change in personnel they worry about so much.  The person's feelings, their financial status, the cost to the practice, the reaction of the staff, unemployment, you name it, they worry about it.  It can be just as costly to keep a staff member who detracts from the practice. 
    Personal change is the hardest to achieve.  You may recognize some habits you've fallen into or some shortcomings in yourself that you'd like to change.  It seems easy enough, doesn't it?  You just stop doing one thing and start doing another.  It's not so easy.  I think behaviors are addictive, just like any other harmful habit we pick up.  We know smoking causes cancer, but we can't put that cigarette down.  Of course, with smoking there's the element of chemical addiction.  Maybe ineffective or destructive behaviors are brain chemical addictions.  It's a pattern of behavior that must be broken and replaced with a better pattern. 
    I'm pretty tenacious.  Sometimes that's good, sometimes, not so good.  It's good when it drives me toward accomplishing a goal.  It's bad when it drives me to continue to question someone or to hang onto a disagreement past it's "I've had enough!" date.  Sometimes it feels like I just can't help myself.  I start to get that feeling that this could erupt, but there's that urge to ask one more question or present my point of view in just a slightly different angle.  Boom.  The inevitable, and often predictable, explosion happens.  Why would I do this?  I'm not stupid, yet I do it more often than I care to admit.  It's because I'm convinced that this time it will work.  Well, it won't.  The only thing that will work is self-control next time I feel that I am on the edge of eruption with someone.  So, personal change begins with recognizing the need for it.  It continues with finding a new behavior that works and making that a habit.

    Some of you may be contemplating changes in the way you practice, your staff or yourself.  Don't be afraid, embrace new challenges.  You'll grow and so will your staff.

Comments

[Michael Wagner]

What a thoughtful post on change.

Thank you for sharing your real life experience with change as manage the staff at your practice.

My favorite quote on change: "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." General Eric. Shinseki, retired Chief of Staff, U. S. Army.

Keep creating...a daring adventure,
Mike

[Linda Zdanowicz]

Hi Mike, thanks so much for your kind words. I doubt you remember, but we exchanged a few emails a while back when I first became the manager of this practice. I subsequently forgot the name of your website. I'm so glad you commented here so that I can visit your site again.
Happy New Year, Linda