CAD/CAM - international magazine of digital dentistry

I 25 practice management _ world wide web I CAD/CAM 3_2011 Eyesonthefuture Think of it this way: when you know where you’re going, you can figure out the fastest and easiest way to get there. By planning ahead, you can spend time thinking of innovative and new ways of doing things that will make your future endeavours that mucheasier.Byknowingwhereyou’regoing,youcan constantlybeonthelookoutforthingsthatwillhelp you get there, making the whole process faster and more efficient. Fostercreativityatalllevels Encourage your staff to do the same as you! Ask them to be constantly thinking about ways they could change the way that they do things. Would something else work better than what they’re cur- rentlydoing?Couldtheyuseanewtooltomaketheir job easier? No one will know the answers to these questionsbetterthanthem,sohavethemstartthink- ingaboutit!Yourstaffareahugeresourceincoming upwithcreativeandinnovativeideasinyourpractice. Breaktherules Askatonofquestions!Whydoyoudosomething acertainway?Hasanyoneevertrieddoingitanother way? We get so entrenched in our beliefs, habits and routines that over time we stop thinking about why we do things and just do them. Bring that back! Question the things you do everyday—ask yourself why you do them and whether there’s a better way. Chances are that you’ll find a few things that will make your practice a more productive and efficient place! Collaborateacrossboundaries Everyone has insights to share. Your receptionist or assistant may notice things that you do not. Get them involved in the process! Chances are that they have some great ideas of things that you could be doing in your practice that you are not. Using your staff effectively is one of the best things that you could do and by involving them in this process you aregivingthemownershipofthesuccessoftheprac- tice and motivating them to make it better! Innovating does not have to be a one-man show either. The Internet is connecting us in ways that we could not have even dreamed of in the past and it is important to be involved in every way that you can. Although the Internet provides both a valuable resource and fierce competition for your time and your professional career, it is not the only tool for collaboration and shared learning that is out there today. Here is a new and interesting thought: why don’t youaskyouremployeesfortheirideas?Youremploy- ees may have a ton of cool and innovative ideas for ways that you could make your practice more effi- cient and effective. However, they are probably not telling you these ideas! Why not? Well, for starters, youneverasked!Manypeoplewon’tsharetheiropin- ionsaboutsomethings(especiallybusiness)because they are scared that they will seem like they do not know what they are talking about. No one likes that feeling!! If your employees know that their ideas are welcome you will probably find them flooding in! What does this all boil down to? It comes down toconnectivityandcollaboration.That’sit.Thosetwo simplewordsarewhatthefutureofthedentalindus- try (and every other industry) is going to come down to. The ability to collaborate with other like-minded individuals,shareideas,innovateandultimatelycreate a better working system are what the Internet, social media and connective sites are all about. This is what we are about at My Dental Buddies. MyDentalBuddiesisaconnectivewebsiteforyou,for dentists, staff and other health-care professionals in thedentalindustry.Werecognisetheimportanceofcol- laborating socially and innovating together and want tobringthattoyou.Itisaportal,ablankslatethatthe usersofthesitecanfillwithwhatevercontenttheyfeel isimportanttothem.Thatisthebeautyoftheuncen- soredInternet;whateverismostimportanttothelargest number of people is what gets talked about. We strive to leverage the Internet to make your dental practice thebestthatitcanbe.Pleasehelpustodothesame!_ Editorial note: A complete list of sources is available from thepublisher. Shane Hebel is currently a student studying Finance and Accounting at the Schulich School of Business.He is a sales and marketing executive for My Dental Hub.He is involved in a number of organisations that promote collaboration,connectivity and education,including Impact Entrepreneurship Group,Standard International and,of course,My Dental Buddies. shane@mydentalhub.com www.about.me/shane.hebel www.linkedin.com/in/shanehebel www.twitter.com/shane_hebel _about the author CAD/CAM