Monday, February 20, 2017

SLAM DUNK FOR STAFF RELATIONS
Before telling you “the rest of the story,” a bit of background with several threads of information woven together: we live in a house built by one of Greenville, NC’s finest builders. My home is not large or palatial, but attractive, solid, comfortable, and built using quality materials. We respect the builder as a construction professional, as a family man with several grown children, and as a man of faith.
For Christmas, our granddaughter, Danielle, gave us a set of daily devotional writings, beautiful 5” x 5” cards with a Scripture on one side and a “Declaration” written by our builder’s daughter, Cleere Cherry, on the flip side. We have learned these two young women have been friends for years, retaining their friendship while they have both begun small businesses, each in her own special field of expertise.
Now let me tie that information together so it makes sense for your dental office. Often I come across articles, emails, pictures, messages, even jokes I’d like to share with you, but I hesitate doing so. Why? Because they reflect my faith, and I’ve been advised to use caution in addressing non-dental topics in my writings, particularly any that might smack of faith or impart a religious thought. I’m going to ignore that bit of advice for this posting. The devotional card I read this very morning begged to be shared and shouted to me, “Let dentists and team members hear this principle, and they can then decide if it will be helpful in their office.” So—here goes:
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. Corinthians 10:4
On the flip side, Cleere wrote:
Lord, thank you for giving me Your eyes to see others today. As I go into situations and enter new circumstances, help me to see those in need, whether that be a smile, a conversation, or more. I am so thankful for all the blessings You have given me and promise that I will open my hands, eyes, and heart to blessing another today. Humble me and let me always see others as greater than myself. You tell me that the greatest way to be a leader is to be a servant. Thank you for leading by example.
Now consider this: what would the relationships among your dental team members and with your patients be like if this philosophy pervaded your office? If every person, starting with you, doctor, treated every other person, teammate, and patient alike, with a servant’s heart, sharing and caring openly, patiently, warmly, with a you-before-me attitude? What changes would be apparent in your office?
After more than 35 years of working in the dental profession with literally hundreds of practitioners and thousands of staff members, I can attest to the effects of such a philosophy in practice because I’ve worked with a number of practices that operate on that level. An office following the principle of putting others first, before self, is second to none, enjoyable, profitable, thriving, and enduring. Please give it some thought.
--> And if you’re interested in Cleere’s company, Cleerely Stated, which specializes in devotional writings including a new-to-market set just for men, original, customized greeting cards, specialized baby décor items, charming wall plaque quotation displays, and other personalized items, please visit her website: cleerecherry.com -->

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