Cliff's Notes

I NEVER FAILED!!! I Just found 10,000 ways it wouldn’t work.

 “I never failed, I just found 10,000 way it won’t work” … Thomas Edison

Northern New Jersey has so much history, I consider myself fortunate to be able to take advantage of the National Historical sites. As most of us know, Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb and founded the General Electric Co. Today in the 2015 dental industry we know it as Kavo-Gendex. Change and development are continuous.

If you plan on being a successful practice/business owner, you can’t be afraid of taking some risk. Risk is a hard thing to embrace, but as Tom Hanks said in the movie League of Their Own “if it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it, it’s hard that makes it great”.

Not everything you try will work. There will be failures and set backs but you can’t stop throwing the cow poop against the wall because sooner or later something will stick. The key is to surround yourself with a competent and loyal team and instill in them your passion and dreams. Be a leader and you will be amazed at the results.

Every captain needs a 2nd in command and that is the hardest position to fill in any business. It requires a very high level of trust and trust takes time to develop. It often puzzles me when I see a new team member come on-board and be given keys to the kingdom on day #1. That usually occurs because ownership does not want to change their schedule so a choice is made that may compromise personal security.

Question: Do you have an employee manual? When was the last time you had it up-dated? Do you have written job descriptions? Do you provide adequate training during the probationary/orientation period? Leaders need to lead! By having formal and written policies you are actually creating a safe and organized environment that will allow members of your team to develop their best talents. Let them fail, and instead of being upset explain to them with a smile, what went wrong and why. Explain with a story about how you failed and learned.

My dad was my hero. He was self-made and part of the Great Generation. Many years ago there was a situation that I got into and I asked my dad for help. He refused and it upset me and when I voiced my concerns he said “if I let you run and you fall down, I’ll be here to help you get up. But, I won’t be here forever and you need to know how to get up on your own”. I have used that philosophy with my kids and my new team members since that day.

There is no shame in failure as long as you think it out and give it your best. Failure should make you stronger. Let your team fall down a few times and you will see the talent of your champion (2nd in command) rise to the top. Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns.

October 11, 2015 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized