newgps

PSILENT PRODUCTIONS

Dr. Greg Psaltis

8733 Fernwood St. N.E.

Olympia, WA 98516

Phone and FAX: (360) 413-5760

e-mail: drpsaltis@orcalink.com

Website: www.psaltis.info

A New GPS

I. Where are you on the road to contentment?

Definition of Contentment: ___________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

A. Years until retirement (security)

B. Enjoyment of practice on Monday morning (satisfaction)

C. I.D.D.

Definition: _________________________________________________________

Importance: ________________________________________________________

What you LIKE What you DON’T like

________________________________ _________________________________

D. Your GPS category

_______________________________________________________________________

II. Enhancing SECURITY (horizontal line) Part I—CONTROL FINANCES

A. The classic plan

Definition: _________________________________________________________

B. Alternative plan

Definition: _________________________________________________________

Key concepts: _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

C. The NOW concept

Definition: ___________________________________________________________

And: ________________________________________________________________

D. “Good”= necessary-- and “Bad” debts

“Good” debts: _________________________________________________________

“Bad” debts: __________________________________________________________

E. Debt reduction

Amount saved on $500,000 debt at 6.5% when paid off in 15 years instead of 30:

___________________________________________________________________

F. Compound interest

Amount of interest on $10,000 at 8% over 32 years: _________________________

Amount of interest on $10,000 at 8% over 16 years: _________________________

G. Alternative spending plans (how to spend wisely):

________________________________ ___________________________________

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

III. Enhancing SECURITY (horizontal line) Part II—BUILD TEAM

A. Impact of micromanagement

Pct of employees who have experienced micromanagement: ______________________

Pct of employees who have quit because of micromanagement: __________________

Micromanagers usually are projecting their __________________________________

B. Which things dentists can let go

When the doctor lets go, he can become the ___________________________________

C. Process of Team building

1. Facilitator

2. Long-term project

3. Resistance to Team building

_________________________________and ___________________________________

The main resistance comes from: ___________________________________________

4. Training program to Team building

a. Daily meeting at beginning of the morning and end of morning

_______________________________________________________________________

b. Monthly all-afternoon meetings

_______________________________________________________________________

c. Semi-annual meeting with a facilitator

_______________________________________________________________________

d. Semi-annual retreat away from the office

_______________________________________________________________________

D. Other potential benefits

a. Hiring committee

b. Scheduling committee

c. Continuity

E. Conditions of Employment

F. Patient loyalty

Pct of patients that stay with Team in old office (doc moves 15 miles): ______________

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

IV. Enhancing SECURITY (horizontal line) Part III—STABILIZE “JUST IN CASE”

A. Mutual Aid groups

1. Benefit your spouse and children

2. Benefit your employees

3. Benefit your patients

4. Benefit your practice

B. Goals

1. Clear instructions to survivors about your personal and professional issues

2. Takes pressure off dental friends who feel “obligated” to help out

C. Contract

1. Establishes guidelines and rules

2. Guarantees coverage for your patients and employment for your employees

3. Continues financial flow to your family

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

V. Enhancing SECURITY (horizontal line) Part IV—DEVELOP PASSIONS

A. “Retirementality”

Definition: ____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

B. What do you want in your future?

________________________________ ___________________________________

To help with this, identify your ___________________________________________

________________________________ ___________________________________

C. Replacement therapy

1. Competing with ________________________________________

2. Reacting with __________________________________________

3. Power with ____________________________________________

4. Work for pay with ______________________________________

D. Keys to meaningful future:

1. ______________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

VI. MOVING ON TO THE SATISFACTION LINE

A. Happiness, as defined by Doug Young:

Definition of HAPPINESS: _________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

B. Finding happiness (Doug Young):

1. Look inward, not outward

2. Don’t rely on things and other people

3. It is linked to physical and emotional health

4. Celebrate successes in life

5. Take control with conscious choices

6. Serve others

C. Happiness, from review by John Shaughnessy

1. Make time for what you enjoy

2. Exercise

3. Make time with family and friends a priority

4. Possessions don’t lead to happiness

5. Find something in your life more important than yourself

6. Slow Down

7. Nurture your spiritual side

VII. Enhancing SATISFACTION (vertical line) Part I—NURTURE GRATITUDE

A. Appreciate what you HAVE

1. Satisfying work

2. Relationships

i. Family

ii. Pets

3. Have a generous spirit

Linda Miles’ thoughts on a generous spirit: __________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

B. Accept others’ appreciation of you

1. Stories from your practice

2. Letters and pictures

To accept gratitude, it is important NOT to ____________________________________

3. Hugs from patients and/or parents

4. Handshakes

5. Referrals from patients

6. Children of former patients

7. Gratitude from Team members

Best idea for you: _______________________________________________________

C. Gratitude journal

1. Write them daily

2. Relive them with family and friends

3. Notice them—they are not always “coincidences”

4. Where might they lead?

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

VII. Enhancing SATISFACTION (vertical line) Part II—CONNECT WITH PEOPLE

A. The “Secret” (by Michael Schuster)

1. It’s not about you—it’s about those you serve

2. Everlasting wealth is about what you give

3. With focus on production and more patients, it leads to dysfunction

a. Chronic stress and feeling that things just “aren’t right”

b. A dread of going to the practice

c. Reacting to all elements of your life

d. Over-focus on technology and material things

e. Feelings that your life is unraveling

4. Money isn’t bad, it’s the pursuit of it that drives you off the deep end

5. Warren Buffett’s definition of the difference between getting rich and

creating wealth:

Rich people ________________________________________________________

Wealth is __________________________________________________________

6. Charlie Hall’s article

Happiness and income correlation disappears after _______________________

B. Ways to connect with patients

1. Hand-write letters for accomplishments

2. Establish office traditions (such as high school graduation book)

3. Have parents in the operatory during procedure

a. Establish guidelines

b. Let them know who you are/what you do (“Be interesting”)

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

SHORT QUIZ—Non-office life dreams:

________________________________________________________________________ T M

VIII. Enhancing SATISFACTION (vertical line) Part III—GET SOME HELP

A. Find a locum tenons

1. Where and how

a. Local dental society

b. Practice consultants

c. Advertisements

2. How to incorporate into your practice

a. Have him/her work a day in your practice

b. Let the Team have lunch with the person

c. Put a photo album with letter of introduction in the waiting room

d. Assure patients that the Team will still be there

e. Pay the locum well

3. How a locum saved my practice in a time of need

B. Hire an associate

1. The standard criteria for “when it is time”

2. Bill Blatchford’s solution:

____________________________________________________________________

3. Another perspective

a. When you want more time off (check your dream list)

b. When your financial security is in place (control finances)

c. When you want to pursue new interests (develop passions)

d. When you want to secure your practice’s future

4. How to bring associate on board

a. Remember the Golden Rule

b. Have a contract (have a lawyer develop it)

c. Base the pay realistically (I prefer a salary)

d. Give the person space

C. Form a partnership

1. Remember the Golden Rule

2. Have a contract (have a lawyer develop it)

3. Base the pay realistically (I prefer a salary)

4. Give the person space

5. Be open to new ideas—do NOT insist on doing “my way”

6. Provide public support

7. Create realistic expectations

8. Match philosophies

9. Start with associateship

10. Involve the Team

D. Freedom to do what you want

(My list is not as important as yours—insert your Dream List here)

_____________________________________________________________________

E. The main factors for a successful partnership

#1 ___________________________________________________________________

#2 ___________________________________________________________________

#3 ___________________________________________________________________

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

IX. Enhancing SATISFACTION (vertical line) Part IV—FEEL SATISFACTION

A. Gordon Christensen’s thoughts

1. Enjoy your work

a. Determine what appeals to you most

b. Develop that through continuing education

c. Focus on that area in your practice

2. Constantly broaden your knowledge

a. Find something you are NOT doing

b. Through CE, introduce new procedures to hold your interest

c. Start at the end of your day to not disrupt your schedule

3. Reduce or change your clinical time

a. Change your start or finish time

b. Work a Saturday to free up M-F

c. Long clinical days, but fewer days/week

4. Establish interests outside of dentistry

a. Have activities that are enjoyable, relaxing and fun

b. See YOUR OWN Passions and Dream List!)

5. Delegate clinical responsibilities to qualified, educated staff

a. Procedures can be done as well or better by staff

b. Give them your approval to ensure success

6. Teach, go into public health or do research

a. For dentists who prefer less clinical or patient time

b. May require more degrees

7. Work beyond retirement

--Many people do better as they age if they keep on working

B. Paralysis by analysis—learn continuously to:

_________________________________________________________________

C. Bigger is not better (take it easy!) What is better than “big?”

_________________________________________________________________

D. Have some fun (some ideas)

1. _______________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR ME IN THIS SECTION:

____________________________________________________________________

MY ACTION PLAN FROM THE SECURITY LINE:

_____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

MY ACTION PLAN FROM THE SATISFACTION LINE:

_____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

For Office Handouts used by Dr. Psaltis in his private practice, articles he has published in Dental Economics and other materials, go to his Website:

www.psaltis.info

Among the articles are:

“Are You Healthy Enough to Provide Health Care?”

Four areas that commonly effect dentists’ ability to enjoy work

“Rules of the Game”

The importance of conditions of employment

“Are You Treating the Tooth or the Patient?”

Communication skills with patients

“Building Your Dream Team”

Vital aspects of building a genuine Team

“The Best Insurance Money Can’t Buy”

Outlining the importance of a mutual aid group

“Start Retiring Now and Don’t Quit Working”

Gaining balance in a professional life

“From Dreams to Reality”

How to let go and have what you really want

“As Easy as C-B-A”

A simple formula for success—in pediatric dentistry and life

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