By Dr. Ryan Swain
Do you know yourself? Think about it for a minute. Do you really know yourself? I’m a relatively young dentist but there is one thing I’ve learned early in my career that has paid enormous dividends for me in both my personal and my professional life. I’ve learned that self-awareness is king. Everyone thinks that they are self-aware. By this I mean that when asked, almost everyone would say that they believe that they know themselves. In my experience, this is far from the truth. Most people live their lives without gaining a true understanding of who they are and how they are perceived by others. It’s a strange phenomenon and I’m convinced that it is the single biggest characteristic that holds dentists (and all people) back from reaching their full potentials.
Anyone who is truly excellent at something usually has a way in which they obtain valuable feedback about their performance. Professional athletes have coaches that scrutinize their technique and provide insight regarding how they can improve. Baseball players, for example, spend hours watching video footage with their coaches so they can recognize their flaws and discuss options for improvement. Golfers spend countless hours perfecting their games by analyzing each minute aspect of their swing and getting feedback from coaches. Ultimately, continual improvement and excellence only comes from honest investigation and a choice to work toward improvement through intentional and gradual changes.
I think most people would agree with my sentiments here. However, very few dentists actually apply these ideas to their own lives and this prevents personal growth. Pride, fear and laziness seem to blind us and prevent us from being honest with ourselves about who we truly are and how we are perceived by those around us. It’s much easier to ignore our own character flaws and focus on the flaws of others. Personal change can be quite challenging and therefore many of us don’t even crack that door open. We deflect criticism and make excuses for the way that we are. It’s a common pattern of behavior but there is tremendous freedom and success available for the few who can break the cycle.
Socrates once poignantly said, “The uninspected life is not worth living.” This idea really resonates with me. I believe we all want to reach our potential and be the best people we can be… the best dentists, spouses, fathers, employers, mothers, friends etc. This can’t happen unless we truly open ourselves up to scrutiny and criticism. We can only improve aspects of who we are if we clearly understand the areas that need improvement.
Let’s apply this idea more specifically to our roles as dentists. Most of us work very hard to become excellent in our clinical skills. We take many hours of CE and we spend a lot of time trying to figure out what tools, supplies and pieces of technology will help us to be clinically excellent. However, most of us realize that clinical ability is a very small part of what makes a successful and respected dentist/employer. Our patients and our employees are much more affected by our ability to: listen, be compassionate, lead with strength, show integrity, be humble, and respect those around us.
Some dentists are at their wits end, trying to figure out why their careers aren’t as successful as they’d like them to be. They are looking for a magic formula that will allow them to reach the success that they hope for. They ask questions such as “Do I need to learn a new procedure?” or “Am I missing a vital piece of technology in the office?” or “Should I switch to a different type of composite material?” Unfortunately, this way of thinking leads directly into a brick wall. It’s a dead end. Success and personal fulfillment doesn’t come in a simple formula. Happiness isn’t created by purchasing the right equipment or even hiring the right staff. It begins by taking an honest look in the mirror and performing a sincere inspection of the person looking back at us.
Ask yourself, how much time do you spend working on YOU? Do you even have a clear picture of how others would describe you? Do you wonder why you have a hard time retaining staff and getting good case acceptance from your patients? Do you find yourself blaming your mediocrity on “the economy” or the “more aggressive” dentists in your area? These are tell-tale signs of a person who is not self-aware. I’m imploring you to be honest with yourself and consider for one moment that maybe you fit into this category.
Running is easier than changing. If you are someone who is running, I’m inviting you to stop. You can achieve tremendous personal and professional fulfillment if you do. Here is “The Swain Plan” for getting out of the rut and getting on the road to self-awareness and ultimately a better life/career.
- Write down what you believe are the three weakest areas of your character.
- Ask those around you (spouse, children, employees, friends) if they agree with your list (if you have a hard time sharing this list with others, this confirms your predicament).
- Make the following phrase a regular part of your dialogue with others – how can I be better? If we continually ask this question and honestly seek the answers, we can make a huge step towards growth.
Imagine the amount of useful feedback you can get when asking a simple question such as “How can I be better for you?” This phrase is simple but extremely potent. Use it regularly with your patients and your employees and be open to the responses you receive. Your life will change will because of it… ask me how, I know!
Dr. Ryan Swain is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Dentistry. He practices in Rochester, NY and focuses on Short Term Ortho and other conservative cosmetic dental procedures. He is president and chief clinical instructor for Six Month Smiles. Dr. Swain is a pioneer in the field of Short Term Ortho and constantly on the forefront of GP orthodontics. He has trained dentists internationally and prides himself on de-mystifying orthodontics for GPs.
