I’m excited. Today I get to have a workshop with a colleague and….COLLABORATE!
After working in a team environment for so many years in dental practices, the aspect I miss most is the regular collaboration on how to do things smarter.
Julie Parker Practice Success has been going for six years now. My time is often spent in my office, creating new and interesting ways to assist our clients and their teams.
But today is different. I am meeting up with a talented dental practice consultant who has joined our team to help meet the demand for our Virtual Practice Management programs.
‘A.B.’ and I will collaborate for about four hours today. We will table ideas, share wisdom and learn from each other. Our purpose is to create two additional programs that help specific groups within the dental industry. And I am very excited to see how the design and content develops.
Years ago, while I was an employee receptionist and then during my dental practice ownership years, I was a member of a discussion group. We were all dental auxiliaries from various practices in the Eastern side of Melbourne. No dentists were involved. Each member had many years’ experience in the dental industry and all were passionate about their work. We discussed challenges and proposed solutions. We celebrated each other’s success and supported those who were coming up against barriers. We learned a lot, and took many brilliant ideas back to our own practices to implement.
That group has largely disbanded now, although there is still a yearly Christmas get together.
There is little opportunity for dental auxiliaries to collaborate with others outside of their practice. If the idea is intriguing to you, then I urge you to form a group yourself. Getting the word out is easy given the internet holds the details of every practice on your side of town. (If your practice principal prefers, choose practices who are beyond your ‘competitive boundaries’. Although one of my fellow members was in the very next suburb and this created zero problems. It is about all working together as colleagues in the industry.)
Being part of a collaborative group keeps you current and enthusiastic. It broadens your perspective. I assure you, the benefits are enormous.
They say two heads are better than one. Getting a whole group of heads together is where the magic happens!