When someone asks you what your job is in the practice, how do you respond? My experience is that most people respond with either a job title or a job description, a list of tasks: I clean teeth I restore teeth I answer phones I pour models I take x-rays I collect payments I schedule … Read More »
Can You Listen Generously?
When was the last time you listened deeply, without distraction? When was the last time you felt heard and understood without any need to answer questions or fill in details? I recently attended a workshop with Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen whose books such as, “Kitchen Table Wisdom” have informed my work for over twenty years. … Read More »
What am I Missing Here?
I had just gotten off a plane in the Minneapolis airport and spotted a sign with the stick figure of a woman indicating a rest room The entrance had a wide area where you could go right or left around a wall. As I confidently headed to the right of the wall, I was passed … Read More »
Family Doctor or Fixer of Teeth?
How do your patients see you? How do you want to be seen? Family doctors of the past knew their patients well. They were in relationship over time, sometimes for generations. They cared for the whole family and understood their patients in that context: their family health history, financial considerations, challenges and aspirations. Family doctors … Read More »
Are You Talking About Benefits or Benefits?
I’m tired of talking about insurance benefits. So much is being said today about “changes in health care,” but the conversation really tends to be more about changes in insurance benefits. I think the time is right for those of us in dentistry to lead the way into a different conversation; a conversation about health.
