by Ginny | Feb 17, 2007 | Practice Leadership
I had the privilege of speaking on Friday at the Holiday Inn at the University of Memphis. The foyer of the second floor of the hotel is a tribute to the late founder of the Holiday Inn, Kemmons Wilson. Mr. Wilson was an incredibly successful businessman and the photos and mementos of his life and family are evidence of an amazing life. My favorite quote “A great idea should be like sitting on a pin… you just have to jump up and do something about it.” Keep that in mind the next time you get a great idea and decide you’ll get to it later. Don’t wait.. jump up and do something about it. It could change everything.
by Ginny | Feb 1, 2007 | Practice Leadership
The biggest myth surrounding fee schedules is that your patients watch your fees like they watch the stock market. Truth be told, when your team members are comfortable presenting and supporting fee adjustments, most patients don’t even take notice. Here’s another business truth we all know: when questioned patients will think your fees are high regardless of where they are positioned. The key to your success is in exceeding patients’ expectations so that you deliver on the value you promised and price is not a issue.
Take a good look at your current practice numbers: revenue, expenses and fees. If you recognize that you have been avoiding taking a serious and hard look at your fee schedule, seek counsel from your accountant and consultant and make the decisions that need to be made to position you for sustainable success. If you don’t know where your fees are positioned, contact me and we’ll can have an analysis done for you.
I don’t know who said it first, but it bears repeating: “Charge what you are worth and you will be worth what you charge.†The resulting profit will provide the freedom for you to practice the way you choose to practice rather than finding yourself beholden to managed care. Profit isn’t a four-letter word; it’s a requirement for sustainable success. You work hard; you’ve earned it.
Check out Ginny’s full feature article on fees in the January issue of Dental Practice Report
by Ginny | Jan 8, 2007 | Practice Leadership
If you watched the first game of the Bowl Championship Series this year you saw a game you’ll probably remember for the rest of your life. Yes, it was that exciting! Boise State is a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) known for it’s extraordinary and seamingly magical plays and they didn’t disappoint at the Fiesta Bowl. They were awesome!
When a team comes together and talent meets opportunity the result is lifechanging. It’s true for sports team and it can be true for dental team too. Sports coaches invest the time to review the films and create the game plans that prepare their players for greatness. It’s just like the Law of Farm that Steven Covey speaks of in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. You can’t reap what you haven’t sown. Doctors, you are your team’s Coach. When’s the last time you took a look at your team’s strengths and challenges and strategized to position your team for greatness? The Practice Renewal System will take you step by step through the process of preparing and leading the most important team meeting you’ll have all year. Order at www.ginnyhegarty.com and reap the rewards.
by Ginny | Nov 27, 2006 | Practice Leadership
CIO Magazine and Lauren Capotosto recently published the 2007 book list for the Regional Leadership Forum (RLF). The forum is all about individual growth and overall business intelligence. You may not want to read all 30, but there’s bound to be a few titles here that speak to you.
2007 RLF Reading List
1 Adler: How to Read a Book
2 Boyatzis & McKee: Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others through Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion
3 Kotter: Heart of Change
4 Bridges: Managing Transitions
5 Buckingham: First Break all the Rules
6 Dotlich, Noel and Walker: Leadership Passages
7 Conger: Winning ‘Em Over
8 DePree: Leadership is an Art
9 Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning
10 Friedman: The World is Flat
11 George: Authentic Leadership
12 Ghandi: the video
13 Goleman: Working with Emotional Intelligence
14 Hammerschlag: The Theft of the Spirit
15 Jamison: Nibble Theory
16 Katzenbach: The Wisdom of Teams
17 Lencioni: Death by Meeting: A Leadership Problem about Solving the most Painful Problem in Business
18 Machiavelli: The Prince
19 Mackenzie: Orbiting the Giant Hairball
20 Marquardt: Leading with Questions: How Leaders Find the Right Solutions by Knowing What to Ask
21 O’Toole: Creating the Good Life
22 Patterson: Crucial Conversations
23 Rousseau & Cranston: The Social Contract
24 Shafir: The Zen of Listening
25 Jaworski: Synchronicity
26 Useem: Leadership Moment
27 Wallis: Two Old Women
28 Whyte: The Heart Aroused
29 Ishiguro: Never Let Me Go
30 Michalko: Thinkertoys
by Ginny | Nov 17, 2006 | Practice Leadership
It’s the quintessential comfort food – most everyone loves macaroni and cheese. Did you know there is even a website maccheese.com? The website suggests that even if it clogs your arteries, the blood can flow through the little macaroni tubes! Too funny. What’s Mac & cheese got to do with this Blog? It’s an example of how we love our comfort foods … our comfort zones… how we love to protect the status quo.
Doctors, your employees want strong leadership from you. Last week I spent two days leading a group practice to break through their comfort zones and their uncomfortable zones. One sign of great practice leadership is to provide a forum for constructive group discussion. It takes courage to tear down barriers to team work but the rewards are great. By the second day the business staff, hygienists and assistants were all working together to build new treatment protocols and create solutions. Mid-day I noticed a sign had been posted on the wall saying â€We love working for you†and the team had signed it.
Even Mac & cheese has changed through the years from my mother’s one cheese style to four cheeses, sun dried tomato and even lobster Mac & cheese. The possibilities are out there for you to imagine and create for yourselves. Don’t settle for the status quo… treat yourself and your team to something better.
by Ginny | Nov 16, 2006 | Practice Leadership
Stephen Covey taught us that time management is really much more about managing ourselves than managing the clock. The authors of “The Power of Focus” offer a 4-D solution to help you say “yes” to the important and “no” to tasks that will take you away from your priorities. This is a easy to remember, simple system to pass onto your team. Be sure you (or your office manager) monitor the process initially so you are certain that everyone’s priorities are in line with yours.
1. Dump It… Learn to say “No I choose not to do this.” Be firm.
2. Delegate It… Learn to ask yourself “Who else could do this?”
3. Defer It… Learn to schedule time to handle tasks that can be deferred.
4. Do It… Learn that important work needs to be done now so just do it and avoid the negative consequences of procrastination.
