Team Building Taken to the Next Level

Have you ever experienced something so awe-inspiring and so uplifting that, when asked about it, you have no words to describe it? Moments like this don’t happen very often, but when they do, they’re life changing.

This is exactly how we feel about the team-building event we attended last month. Not only was this event life changing for us, but it was a game-changer for our practice.

Here are a few points we learned, or “lessons” if you will:

Lesson #1: Become More Self-Aware

As humans, we begin to become self-aware between 15 and 24 months. This is the time in which we begin to recognize that that smiling creature in the mirror is in fact ourselves – it is when we start to realize that we’re different—or apart—from others – and it is when we start to develop our beliefs, feelings and desires. Yet, despite the fact that we do indeed begin to develop self-awareness at an early age, many of us don’t develop past that first stage.

Have you ever caught yourself getting irrationally mad at someone for reasons you couldn’t pinpoint? Or have you ever asked a surly teenager WHY they did something, only to have them stare at your blankly, shrug their shoulders and say “I dunno…”? Or do you ever wonder why so many people wander through life aimlessly, even when you KNOW they must have bigger dreams for themselves than the life they’re currently living?

A lot of people live life this way: Blindly. But this isn’t any way to live! And here’s why…

Lesson #2: Becoming More Self-Aware Helps You Be More Deliberate In Your Actions

There are far more stages of self-awareness than most people believe, and when you learn how to develop past that first one, you’ll begin to recognize the motivation behind your actions, emotions and desires. When you know WHAT propels you to act or feel a certain way, you’ll be able to put that knowledge to use and achieve more, because you’re approaching everything with intention.

Let’s use going grocery shopping as an example: If you go to the grocery store without a clear idea of what you’re going to eat that week and a list of what you need, chances are you’ll end buying a bunch of stuff you don’t need, and have to run back to the store throughout the week for things that you do need. This is ineffective and a waste of time and money.

However, if you go to the grocery store already knowing what you’re going to make that week, and with a list of exactly what you need, you’ll buy only what’s on the list, and you’ll not have to run back to the store at all. Obviously, going to the grocery store with intention is a far better method than going without.

Though going to the market prepared may be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, when you apply that same theory to your life, you’ll notice how much more productive you become, and how much more time you have to dedicate to things that actually matter.

Lesson #3: Grow!

Once you become more deliberate and productive in your life, you can finally free yourself of any and all limitations you ever placed on yourself. And as you become a better version of you, you’ll begin to notice that you communicate more effectively with those around you.

And THAT—better communication—is what we’ve been leading up to.

For those of us in the office, being self-aware of what we do and why we do it is of utmost importance if we hope to help YOU achieve your dental goals. It enables us to ask all the right questions, determine the best treatment option for you and, above all, to work effectively as a team to get YOU to where you want to be.

However, while it’s helpful for use to be self-aware when practicing dentistry, imagine the results if YOU, the patient, were more self-aware! Now, we’re not suggesting you go out and talk a course or anything, but if you could think about your reasons for seeking dental care a bit in advance of your appointment, it could make a world of difference.

To learn more about our staff and what makes us such a great team, visit http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/staff.html

And remember: Life your life with intention!