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July 1, 2023

Get Happier! Part 2

Happiness is not just feel good, nice to have, fluff stuff. When we feel happier more often, we entirely change our beliefs about our world, what we can achieve, and ourselves. Harvard and Mayo Clinic research supports that the happier we are, the more successful, more intelligent, more creative, more productive and healthier we will be.

Here are the final two of four strategies to create a happier culture.

Smile Power

We get happier and make others happier when we smile. Smile energy is extremely powerful and wide spreading. A smile instantly creates positive energy in the environment and uplifts the mindsets of the giver, the receiver, and everyone in the vicinity. People want to spend time around people that make them feel better. Smiles are contagious.

A simple smile can change how you and everyone around you feels. Try to think of something negative and keep smiling. It is very difficult to do. When you smile, your body recognizes it as a positive body pattern and sends a message to you that everything is okay, and that life is great. Smiling changes our mood. When you’re feeling sad, or stressed, start smiling and you will feel instantly better.

Smile when you don’t feel well to improve your health. A smile can boost your immune system by improving your general feelings of well-being. Smiling makes you feel more relaxed which reduces your blood pressure and feelings of stress. People who smile live an average of seven years longer than people who do not. Get happier and live longer by smiling often every day!

Action Plan – Smile Power

Make eye contact.
Smile genuinely.
Don’t worry about their response and whether they smile back or not. It’s not important.

Laughter Power

We get happier when we laugh more often. Add a regular dose of laughter to every day and you will not only be happier, you will also be healthier! However, it is not always so easy to do. We get so busy that we focus only on getting the job done. We don’t slow down enough to take time to laugh. We need to add laughter to our list of daily priorities!

Laughter triggers healthy physical changes in the body. A good, hearty laugh:

Relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to an additional 45 minutes
Boosts the immune system
Decreases stress hormones
Triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
Improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems

Think about it. When was the last time you had a hearty laugh? No, I am not talking about a little chuckle. I am talking about a throw your head back, side holding, tears streaming, almost wet your pants laugh! You don’t need to have a sense of humor, be happy or have any reason to laugh. Just laugh for the sake of laughing!

Action Plan – Laughter Power

Fake it until you feel it.
Schedule time to practice laughing every day.
Surround yourself with people and things that make you laugh.

The more you practice laughing, the better you will become and the happier you will feel!

Implement the four strategies to get happier, Focus Power, Choice Power, Smile Power, and Laughter Power and you will get happier!

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June 1, 2023

Get Happier! Part 1

Filed under: Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,cohesivness,Communication,Conflict Resolution,Culture,Culture Camp,Decision Making,Eggshells,Elephants,Energy,Fear,Focus,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Performance,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Relationships,Rise & Shine,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Stress Monsters,TA-DAH,Team Building,Team Relationships,thought leader,Toxic Performer,Uncategorized — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, communication, conflict resolution, Decision making, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, energy, focus, Habits, Judy Kay Mausolf, performance, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, show your shine, team building, Thoughts — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 12:11 pm

Get happy! Fame, money, stuff, or even other people can’t make us happy. Just look at all the famous and wealthy people who are miserable. Happiness doesn’t have anything to do with what we have, where we’ve been, or who we are. Happiness comes from within. We are happy when we choose to be happy. We have a choice: to enjoy our lives or to find fault. We truly do write our own stories of happiness.

“Every moment you make a choice of what you want to keep, and what you want to let go of…and that’s how you write your story!” ~ Judy Kay Mausolf

Here are the first two of four strategies to get happier!

Focus Power!

We get happier when we change our focus to positive. You can be happy even when life seems difficult. Here is the big secret about staying happy and positive in difficult times. It does not take any superpowers or anything special. It is simply a clear understanding of the power of focus.

“Our focus creates our attitude.” ~ Judy Kay Mausolf

Our attitude is a learned behavior. Having a positive attitude is a skill. If you focus on the positive, you will have a positive attitude. If you focus on the negative, you will have a negative attitude. When you hear people say they are in a bad mood, it is because they choose to linger in the negative emotions. The physical part of any emotion only lasts thirty seconds or less. Any emotion after thirty seconds comes from hanging on to the emotion. Woe is me people, or what I refer to as wallowers, choose to be victims of their emotions. They wallow in them like a mud bath and tell everyone how miserable they are in hopes of eliciting sympathy. They actually enjoy the drama and negative emotions.

The science behind the thirty seconds of emotion pertains to fight or flight. Our immediate responses to negative or positive emotional stimuli are the result of a chemical reaction in our brains. Responses such as a rush of adrenaline lump in our throats, being out of breath, a dry mouth, sweat running down our backs, faces turning red, nervous laughter, flailing, and kicking, and tears welling up in our eyes – these responses happen in the first five seconds. In the next 25 seconds, we battle to take control of our bodies. It is best not to suppress nor deny the emotion, but to let ourselves feel it, observe the physical effect on us, mentally step aside from it, and let it go.

We can choose not to be negative, angry, hurt, stressed, frustrated, grumpy or whatever. It is always our choice. Instead, focus on finding a solution and a reason to be happy and feel good in every situation.

Action Plan – Focus Power:

Here are action steps to achieve Focus Power:

Whenever you feel stressed and, in the fight, or flight zone, breathe deeply and count to ten, slowly for thirty seconds.
Feel and observe the physical reaction and then let it go.
Identify three positives in the situation. Even in the most horrific circumstances there are positives.
Shift your focus from what is negative or missing to what is positive and present.
Spend 10% of your time focused on the problem and 90% on the solution.

Choice Power

We get happier when we choose to be happier. Have you ever thought, “I was in great mood until “___________” happened”? When we allow “___________” (whatever the blank is at the moment) to affect how we feel, we are in essence relinquishing our power and allowing circumstances to control our emotions. If we allow our circumstances to control our emotions, we become a victim of our circumstances. The truth is that circumstances don’t dictate how we feel – we do! It is always our choice!

“Happiness is always our choice!” ~ Judy Kay Mausolf

Action Plan ~ Choice Power

Wake up.
Affirm it is going to be an awesome day.
Choose to be positive regardless of how you feel.
Choose words and actions that have a positive impact.

Implement the first two strategies and you will get happier! Tune in next month to learn the about strategy three and four to get happier!

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February 1, 2022

Control, Alt, Delete! Reset, Reset, Reset!!!

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,Communication,Conflict Resolution,Culture,Culture Camp,Energy,Fear,Goals,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Performance,Philosophy,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Relationships,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Stress Monsters,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, energy, experience, focus, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Patient experience, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, service, show your shine, success, sustain, team, team building, Thoughts, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:00 am

Control, Alt, Delete! Reset, Reset, Reset!!! 10 Creator Thoughts to Help You Reset!

2022 isn’t starting out quite like I imagined or planned! Reset time! So many things are up in the air. Literally like flying for example. I fly almost every week for work. I can tell you that it has been a challenging task. Lack of plane and or crew or nasty weather often leads to a delayed or canceled flight. Once I arrive there is the potential of attendance concerns due to the pandemic. It often feels like playing Russian Roulette.

Many of my clients are struggling as well with staffing shortages and last-minute patient cancels or fails due to illness. Everyday is a new challenge. Maybe you find yourself in the same boat.

We have two choices. We can reset by taking on the current situation and making the best of it. Or we can get angry, worry, and judge what should or shoudn’t have happened. Some of us live in a state of fear and judgement of “what if” waiting for the next shoe to drop.

We become the creator of our world when we take on the challenges. We become the victim of our world when we stew and worry. Creators are constantly resetting! Something unplanned or uncertain will happen. Stop the spinning out of control thoughts of this should or shouldn’t have happened. Instead change your internal dialogue with a reset transition thought. So, this happened…now what is the next step I want to take?

Triage the situation with your team or if alone by yourself.
Identify what needs to get done, what can be let go.
Who else can assist?
What resources can I utilize?
Then do your best.

Life will continue to be filled with unplanned stuff! Here are 10 creator thoughts to help you reset.

Start your day on a positive note. Plan how you want to feel today and not what has to happen today to make it a good day.
People will come and go in our life. Some relationships are only meant to last a certain amount of time.
People’s actions and reactions are often heightened with all the uncertainty. Don’t take things personally.
Challenges force us to grow. Look for the learning opportunity in every obstacle.
Sit, stop, and become still. Breathe deep and become calm. How we feel inside will change how we feel about what’s happening on the outside.
Our energy is contagious. Be mindful of the energy we radiate.
Be proactive instead of reactive. Take the necessary steps to set up to succeed.
Treat people based on the person you want to be. Don’t let negative behavior of others drive your actions.
Have hope for the future. This too shall pass.
End your day in gratitude. Celebrate the positives by giving thanks and praise.

Life will be filled with unplanned challenges. The ability to reset will define our level of success.

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December 30, 2021

Conversation Versus Confrontation!

Filed under: constructive criticism,Culture,Culture Camp,Customer Service,Dental Practice Management,Eggshells,Elephants,Energy,Fear,Fly-bys,Focus,Gossip,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Leadership Matters,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Respect,Rise & Shine,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,TA-DAH,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental office, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, energy, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, performance, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, show your shine, team building, Thoughts — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:09 am

CONVERSATION VERSUS CONFRONTATION!

I have the privilege of facilitating R.I.S.E. & Shine Culture Camps for dental teams nationwide! Click this link https://www.practicesolutionsinc.net/culture-camp.html to learn more about R.I.S.E. & Shine Culture Camps!

The first day of Culture Camp is spent speaking to each team member as well as observing the practice flow. I ask the same question to everyone. The question I ask is, “If I could wave a magic wand and make things easier or better what would I change?” The question opens the dialogue. Most responses include concerns with doctor or team relationship(s). I ask if they have tried to discuss it with the person whom they have the concerns. The response is almost universal. “No, I don’t like confrontation!”

There is a big difference between a conversation and a confrontation. We can ask anyone anything if we are coming from a place of curiosity, care, and concern instead of judgment, criticism, or blame. It is a confrontation when you are approaching someone with the intent to judge, compare, criticize, or blame. The difference between a conversation versus a confrontation is based on your approach and your intent. Be mindful of your energy and intent. What are the results you are desiring?

The purpose of a conversation is to have a fact finding or fact sharing discussion. The Approacher (the person initiating the conversation) must be mindful of energy, words, tone, and body language. Never approach someone to address a concern when you are angry or unable to control your emotions or it will end up being a confrontation. Approach with a question(s) to simply understand the “why” and not necessarily to resolve. You may or may not be able to come to a resolution during the conversation. It may take time for one or both parties to process through reflection and consideration of the other person. Allowing time to process will remove the stress of having to immediately come to an agreement. We also don’t want to sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesn’t exist while we silently stew over the situation. The goal is to resolve within 24 to 48 hours if possible. If you feel the need to complain to someone else (venting – which is a nice word for gossip) than it is important to approach the source and have a conversation.

The conversation is always in private and starts with positive clear communication.

Be specific instead of generalizing. Focus more on objective points than subjective opinions. Just saying “I don’t like it or you’re doing this wrong” is not helpful. On the other hand, stating the specific strengths or skills you would like to see developed is helpful.

Don’t make it personal. Talk about issue not the person. Avoid saying, “you need to”. Start the conversation with the word I instead of saying you. For example, “I noticed,” “I have seen,” “I observed,” “I am not quite sure what happened,” “Help me understand,” or when sharing feedback from others, “I have had reported to me.” “I” conversations are issue-focused instead of person-focused. Always consider how your words may impact the other person. Ask yourself; how can I say what I need to say and be respectful of how they may feel.

Break your feedback down into key points. Don’t give your feedback as one big lump. Break it down into various key points, then give your feedback point by point. Give examples of each point. What are the exact issues, situations, or examples where the person exhibits the behaviors you highlighted? There is no need to highlight every single one. Just disclosing a couple of examples per point will be sufficient. The purpose is to bring the person’s awareness to things which he/she may not be aware of and clearly illustrate what you mean.

Ask the other person what they need from you (communication, support, training, practice) to be able to achieve the desired results. Together discuss and agree on a resolution.

Life will be filled with concerns of situations and other people. The confidence and skill to have timely conversations will help resolve whatever arises.

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August 2, 2021

Delivering W.O.W. Treatment Presentations!

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Customer Service,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Fear,Focus,Goals,Habit,Implementation,Judy Kay Mausolf,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Experience,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Psychology,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,Relationships,Respect,Strategy,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,WOW Philosophy — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, communication, conflict resolution, cusotmer service, Decision making, dental, Dental Coaching, dental management, Dental Practice, Dental Team Performance, Dentistry, experience, focus, Judy Kay Mausolf, Patient experience, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, service, show your shine, team building, weeds, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:00 am

The ability to proficiently present treatment and fees is critical to the success of your practice. The more your patients understand their dental needs and the fees associated with treatment, the more likely they are to accept your recommendations. You want the patient to understand exactly what they need, why they need it, and the importance of getting it done now.

Most people dislike surprises when it comes to dental care and costs. Real understanding on the part of the patient leads to case acceptance. Use stories and analogies focused on real life benefits for the patient. For example, eating corn on the cob or steak or even just being able to smile.

It is vital that the team member (presenter) presenting treatment and fees is confident and comfortable with this role. Seventy percent of case acceptance breaks down because of the way the fees were handled. The presenter must understand dentistry and absolutely believe in the value and the quality of dentistry delivered in the practice.

Teach all team members the procedures that are being performed in the office. Together as a team create and practice consistent treatment verbiage. Utilize the same verbiage the doctor uses to avoid any confusion and keep everyone in the practice on the same page.

It is critical that the presenter discuss the treatment and fees with enthusiasm. Listen to the patient’s financial concerns, enthusiastically promote the payment options, and clearly communicate the financial protocol. Our patients’ perception is based on only 7% of our words, 38% our tone of voice, and 55% our body language.

Consistent fees and payment protocols are vital to build the presenters confidence and proficiency. A dental practice is not a bank or a charity and deserves to get paid for services rendered. Never be uncomfortable about charging appropriate fees or pre-judge a patient’s ability to pay.

It is a lesson I learned well over 30 years ago. I can clearly remember misjudging a patient’s ability to pay only to find out later they were extremely wealthy. The patient arrived for their appointment disheveled and dressed in a dated threadbare running suit. I later learned the patient had just come from working on a home project. The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” is a great metaphorical reminder that means one shouldn’t prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone.

The following approach will enable the presenter to deliver W.O.W. Presentations.

Mindset

The goal of the practice is to make it as comfortable as possible for the patient to have the very best dentistry available. Adopt a mindset of being an advocate to help the patient get the treatment they need and desire. Present treatment with care and concern not assumptions, judgement or criticism.

Informed Consent

A successful treatment presentation results in informed consent not just scheduling treatment. Verify the following information with every patient.

Sequence
Time
Compliance
Investment

Handling Objections

It is essential for the presenter to actively listen to the patient’s concerns and comments. Their responses focused on What’s In It For The Patient (WIIFTP). Use patient focused benefits verbiage. Speak in “layman’s” terms so the patient clearly understands what is being said.

I teach W.O.W. Presentations. W.O.W. is an acronym for weed out the weeds. A weed is anything that might make your patient feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or unsafe and possibly destroy the relationship.

I have found the Feel, Felt, Found Method to show empathy works extremely well.

I can understand why you might feel this way.
- It tells the patient you heard them and empathize with them.
Other patients had initially felt that as well.
- It tells the patient they are not alone and things can change.
What they have found was….
- It tells the patient what another person found when they followed through, they got the results they wanted.

W.O.W. Process – Work, Options, When

It is important that there is consistency of treatment presentations amongst team members as well as clear documentation of all patient conversations. Utilize the W.O.W. Process to deliver consistent and effective treatment presentations. This is a second acronym for W.O.W. which is work, options and when. The W.O.W. Process is a simple three step process.

Work
- Review treatment and fees with patient.
Options
- Offer options, finalize, and sign payment arrangements.
When
- Offer two available appointments and schedule an appointment.

Delivering a W.O.W. presentation is a win for the patient and the practice, resulting in a healthy smile for the patient and healthy bottom line for the practice.

Email judykay@practicesolutionsinc.net to receive your white page on Delivering W.O.W. Treatment Presentations.

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July 1, 2021

Culture Is Like a Puzzle!

Filed under: Accountability,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Fly-bys,Focus,Goals,Happy,Implementation,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Experience,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,Relationships,Respect,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,WOW Philosophy — Tags: appreciation, change, Coaching, conflict resolution, Decision making, dental, Dental Coaching, dental management, Dental Team Performance, Dentistry, drama, energy, experience, focus, Habits, Judy Kay, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, o.r.a.n.g.e, Patient experience, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, R.I.S.E., service, show your shine, success, sustain, team, team building, Thoughts, value, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 5:33 am

When I think about culture, I think of it as a puzzle. The framework of the puzzle is created by the owner dentist(s). They design it using their vision, core values, type of service and treatment they desire to deliver. The team are the pieces that together make up the body of the puzzle.

I have observed an increase in the team turnover this past year due to the pandemic and other reasons. It is important to hire the right team member for the right spot to be a good fit. Otherwise, the result is problems and team turnover. As a team identify the character traits and skill sets that are needed in the new team member to succeed at their role and integrate with the existing team.

The existing team is responsible to learn how to successfully work with the new team member. It is imperative that the existing team members take the time to get to know and train the new team member. I understand that training can seem like an added burden to the existing workload. However, the more welcoming and supportive the training the sooner the new team member will be able to take on tasks. Some new team members are quick learners and instantly work well with the existing team. They are like puzzle pieces that fit together. Others take more time and effort.

Set realistic training expectations for each position in the office. Base the expectations on the average learning cycle. I have found the tell them, show them, have them show you training process is very effective. Create weekly goals for the first month and monthly goals for the second and third month. Assign a mentor to meet with the new team member on a weekly basis for the first 3 months to review and celebrate successes as well as discuss goals for the following week or month. It is imperative that the mentor is supportive and understanding. Training expectations will lessen feeling overwhelmed and clarify goals for the entire team.

It is the responsibility of the team (new and existing) not the doctor or manager to recognize what they need to do to create a cohesive puzzle.

Often multiple new team members are joining the practice resulting in multiple changes to the puzzle. This becomes even more a challenge. So how do we make all the new pieces fit together? Find opportunities for the team to communicate openly day-to-day. Get aligned by clarifying the following:

What are the expectations from the new team members
What are the expectations from the existing team members

For example, existing team members, just because you have always done it a certain way does not mean you don’t need to be open to new ideas. New team members don’t try to change everything right away just because you did it differently at your old office. The comment, this is how we did it at my other office, quickly gets old and is not appreciated. New team members immerse yourself in the practice culture to understand what they do and why. Wait to bring up any suggestions until after the first 90 days. This will help eliminate chafing between new and existing team members.

Implementing this puzzle analogy will help create a happier, healthier, and higher performing culture.

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June 1, 2021

My Way or The Highway!

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Eggshells,Elephants,Energy,Fear,Fly-bys,Focus,Goals,Gossip,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Experience,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Relationships,Respect,Rise & Shine,sarcasm,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,WOW Philosophy — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, cusotmer service, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, drama, energy, experience, gossip, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Patient experience, performance, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, R.I.S.E., service, show your shine, success, sustain, team, team building, Thoughts, value, weeds, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:43 am

Our success in life depends greatly on our relationships in life! Our relationships are the result of how well we communicate and collaborate in our personal and our professional lives. When we communicate openly, positively, and effectively we inspire connections and build sincere, strong, sustaining relationships. Our ceiling of success then becomes like the old expression, “Sky’s the limit”.

What often gets in the way and sabotages successful relationships is our personal beliefs of right and wrong.

Most of our beliefs can be traced back to our early years. I’m the youngest of seven and am blessed with a great family. I grew up on a farm in North Dakota. My past experiences will differ greatly from those who were not raised in the same environment. Our expectations of right and wrong will vary and may even conflict based on our past experiences.

When we interact with others, we are always coming from a place filled with our own experiences. Our expectations differ because of our unique and individual beliefs, opinions, and assumptions based on our experiences. These expectations become our personal truths upon which we base judgments of right and wrong. To help you remember the concept, see the first letters of each word; it spells out the word B.O.A.T. Beliefs, Opinions, Assumptions, therefore, are Truths based on our experiences.

We all have unique and individual experiences, yet we expect each other to think, act, and respond the same. These are some false expectations that can get us into trouble.

Others must behave in the same manner as we do, or their behavior is wrong.
Another person’s behavior must mean the same as ours if we did that same behavior.
We get in a disagreement because others disagree with our opinion (after all we are right and want it our way)!

These are examples of expectations based on personal truths. Once we understand that our personal truths (how we judge the world by what is right and wrong) are based on the unique and individual experiences we have, we can no longer believe that our answer is the only right answer.

Our personal truths dictate our right! We may be right based on the current extent of our experiences. However, there is a whole big universe out there filled with experiences we have yet to meet. Right and wrong are really arbitrary. The more knowledge and understanding we have the more we will realize how ambiguous right and wrong become. In our current state of affairs, it is very difficult to really know what is true or a manipulation of the truth. When we continue to explore, we will find there is always more than one right way.

I used to love listening to Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story. The Rest of the Story was a Monday-through-Friday radio program originally hosted by Paul Harvey. The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story (usually the name of some well-known person) held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with a variation on the tag line “And now you know the rest of the story.”

Be open to the more of the story instead of stubbornly attaching to your beliefs. Avoid making assumptions and filling in the gap based on your B.O.A.T.! Ask questions until you uncover and understand the root of the belief, the why behind the story. Here are some good questions to ask when you are in disagreement.

Where did you learn this belief?
Tell me why you believe this to be right?
Tell me why you feel so strongly about this?

More importantly, do a little soul searching first to understand your beliefs before you question other’s beliefs. Here are triggering questions to ask yourself to uncover your why.

Where did I learn this belief?
Is this belief based on truth or illusion?
How important is this belief?
How this belief affecting me?
Do I still need this belief (how relevant is it now)?

Let go of thinking I have to, you must, they should, and it has to be! These are the words we use to judge others. When we think we know more or better than someone else we are setting ourselves up for a clash of beliefs. We become too attached to our own point of view and that others must share it. Once we become too attached to an idea we lose respect both for ourselves and others. Sometimes a belief can even become more important than the other people. It is the root of extremism and fanatics.

The world is filled with different beliefs and different ways. Who says we all have to always agree. More importantly we need to respect each other and work together for the better of all mankind. I love what my big sis Lorraine taught me years ago. It is okay to agree to disagree. We can stick to our right or we can be open to infinite possibilities!

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January 1, 2021

Leave Your C.R.A.P. at the Door!

Filed under: Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Energy,Goals,Gossip,gratitude,Implementation,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Leadership Matters,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Experience,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,Relationships,Respect,sarcasm,Strategy,Stress,Stress Monsters,Success,Sustainability,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, cusotmer service, Decision making, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental office, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, Dentistry, drama, energy, focus, Judy Kay, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Manager, Patient experience, performance, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, team, team building, Thoughts, value — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:25 am

Leave Your C.R.A.P. at The Door!

Happy New Year! Usually, I like to start the year focusing on how to improve and grow. I don’t know about you, but I would be thrilled with just getting back to the old norm in 2021! The pandemic was like a remote control that put us on pause and now it is time to hit play!

The uncertainty of the pandemic, election, shutdowns, etc.…the list goes on and on has been an enormous weight we have all carried. Which over time lowers our level of tolerance and heightens our level of insensitivity. The media including social media has played an enormous role in fueling negativity. So many people with keyboard courage. Strike that; keyboard cowardice.

We continuously hear our politicians talking about uniting and becoming one again. Yet bipartisan behaviors continue to happen on both sides. I remember my dad, Clem Miller, chiding me about being to pro for one party. He believed you must take everything you hear regarding politicians with a grain of salt. Truths are manipulated in both parties. He simplified it by comparing Democrats and Republicans to the Looney Tunes characters, Ralph the wolf and Sam the sheep dog. They would fight each other all day long. However, once they clocked out for the day, they would go back to being friends. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYtiyjqx7E

We can’t control what others do but we can control what we do. Our actions will determine our outcome. It is time to leave the 2020 C.R.A.P. at the door and move on to a more positive and prosperous 2021!

C.R.A.P. is an acronym for:

Criticism
Rudeness
Assumptions
Problems

Criticism – The dictionary defines criticism as the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes. We have the right to have our own opinion and so does everyone else. Make a commitment to start 2021 with respecting other people’s opinions. We show respect by listening openly to understand and even consider their point of view. Start out the conversation by focusing on what you do agree on. Be mindful of your words, tone, body language and energy. Our words make up only 7% of how others perceive us. Body language is 55% and tone of voice is 38%. When you approach someone come with an energy and mindset of care and curiosity versus judgment and blame.

Rudeness – The dictionary defines rudeness as behaving inconsiderately, aggressively or deliberately offensively. Consider how your words, body language and tone can convey perceptions of rude behaviors. Be polite by being thoughtful of the other person’s feelings. Simple words, please and thank you are powerful. Ask questions to understand and acknowledge responses. Before speaking always ask yourself, how can I say what I need to say while still respecting how I make the other person feel. Avoid flippant sarcastic remarks like whatever which lessen the seriousness. Address mistakes with kindness and compassion. Body language such as rolling of the eyes or frustrating sighs are dismissive actions. Curse words and name calling are offensive and never ever appropriate.

I love to use the acronym T.H.I.N.K. as my filter before I speak. It helps me communicate positively and effectively and avoid conversations that require and apology later.

T- is it true
H – is it helpful
I – is it inspiring
N – is it necessary
K – is it kind

Assumptions – The dictionary defines assumption as a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. False assumptions run rampant and are most often negative. Here is a three-letter word that will resolve assumptions…ASK! Stop assuming and ask questions to understand. When you get that twinge in your gut and you think… “Hmmm…I wonder what they meant by that?” or you find yourself saying “I think they meant this” – you don’t know! Stop yourself immediately from wondering and speculating, go directly to the person and ASK! You will be surprised how many of your assumptions are incorrect after you hear their response.

Problems – The dictionary defines problem as a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.

The average person has 60,000 thoughts a day. 95% are redundant…the same thought we had yesterday is the same as today and tomorrow. 80% are negative unless we are mindful. Negative thinking can often make a mountain out of a mole hill. Many of our problems our self-induced by the words we use to describe a situation or person. Words that label such as hard, difficult, and stressful generate those same emotions. For example, we review the schedule at the morning huddle and say it’s going to be difficult and stressful day. We will look for things to reinforce our beliefs and it will become a difficult and stressful day. Instead use the word interesting to describe a person or situation. Interesting is a neutral word. Be a creator of your day and replace negative problem thoughts with positive actions that resolve the problem. Leave your C.R.A.P. at the door and make 2021 your best year yet!

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November 1, 2020

How to Thrive as The New Kid on The Block! Part 2

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Customer Service,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Elephants,Energy,Fear,Fly-bys,Focus,Goals,Gossip,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Leadership Matters,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Experience,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Philosophy,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,R.I.S.E. Philosophy,Relationships,Respect,Rise & Shine,sarcasm,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Stress Monsters,Success,Sustainability,TA-DAH,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,We Team,We Team,WOW Philosophy — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, communication, conflict resolution, cusotmer service, Decision making, dental, Dental Coaching, dental management, dental office, Dental Practice, dental Practice Management, Dentistry, drama, energy, experience, focus, gossip, Habits, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Manager, o.r.a.n.g.e, Patient experience, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, service, show your shine, success, sustain, team, team building, value, weeds, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 6:43 am

How to Thrive as The New Kid on The Block! Part 2

Last month we focused on the first three steps to thrive as the new kid on the block. They were building confident trust relationships, learning systems and processes, and balancing your role as the associate.

The fourth step in fitting in is by avoiding gossip. Gossip is sharing anything that is negative or private about another person. Listening is gossiping if you are not in a position that allows you to resolve the issue. The listener plays a 50/50 role. Because it stops if the person complaining has no one to tell. I have found it works best to refer the person back to the source of concern to work it out instead of listening. Instead of listening ask them if they have tried to talk to the other person. If they say no, ask them to do so and stop the conversation.

People who engage in workplace gossip often have a strong need to “fit in” and feel that gossip will help them achieve this. Gossipers often suffer from low self-esteem and think that talking negatively about others will make them look better. If we truly grasped the devastating fallout from gossip, we would no longer accept it as the norm for any culture!

Gossip affects:

* Patient care and experience

* Team communication, performance, and relationships

* Practice performance

* Morale

* Trust

* Respect

The fifth step to fitting is to be approachable. Do daily or weekly check ins with your team and owner doctor. A simple question to ask, “Do you have any questions or suggestions for me?” Avoid becoming defensive even if you disagree or feel hurt. People will avoid defensive people. You have a role as an approachee (the receiver of information).

The Approachee’s role is to start out by thanking the approacher (the person approaching) for respecting you enough to come to you. It is important to recognize that the approacher’s intent is good and to realize that it is not easy to approach someone.

Listen intently to hear. Make eye contact with the other person. Don’t take offense. Instead of defending, deflecting, or blaming someone else consider how your actions or lack of actions affected the outcome. Be honest with your response.

Acknowledge you heard and understand them. Never assume. If you are unsure ask questions until you clearly understand. If you are thinking I think they mean this…ask more questions.

Don’t take it personal. If the concern pertains to the patients, the practice, or the team it is necessary to address. It can be difficult to hear when we are not meeting the standards or expectations. However, it is necessary to address in order to create and sustain a happier, healthier and higher performing culture.

Take it seriously. It may not seem important or be a priority to you, but it is for the other person.

Control your emotions. If you are upset don’t just walk off in anger or frustration. Instead, let them know that you need a little time to process the information they shared, and you will respond later and give them a specific time. Try respond within 24 hours.

I like love to utilize the L.E.A.R.N. acronym when being approached.

Listen intently to hear what they have to say
Empathize by acknowledging their emotions
Apologize for the situation
React by sharing what you will do
Notify those that need to be aware of the discussion and decision

Here is an example how you can use L.E.A.R.N. Your assistant is frustrated because she just started working with you and doesn’t understand what instruments you want and when. It makes her uncomfortable because she has been an assistant for years and this makes her feels inadequate. The conversation might sound like this.

“Thank you for respecting me enough to come to me with your concerns. I can understand how uncomfortable this must be to work with a new doctor. I am sorry that this is frustrating for you. We will take some time to discuss what instruments I need with the different treatments we offer. During the procedure I will ask for what I need. We need to learn how to work together and that takes time. So, let’s agree to have patience and support each other. I will make sure I speak with the other assistants about tray setups as well to keep us all on the same page. This will ensure that we all have a great day!”

Instead of constructive criticism (which is an oxymoron) use positive verbiage and have a constructive conversation.

Following these five steps will help you thrive as the new kid on the block!

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October 1, 2020

How to Thrive as The New Kid on The Block! Part 1

Filed under: Accountability,Affirmations,Appreciation,Attitude,Behavior,celebration,Change,cohesivness,collaboration,Communication,Conduct,Conflict Resolution,Constructive Conversation,constructive criticism,Criticism,Culture,Customer Service,Decision Making,Dental Practice Management,Eggshells,Elephants,Energy,Fear,Fly-bys,Focus,Goals,Gossip,gratitude,Habit,Happy,Implementation,Inspiration,Judy Kay Mausolf,Leadership,Leadership Matters,Meetings,Mindful Talk,Mindset,Motivation,Orange Energy,Patient Experience,Patient Focused Practice,Performance,Philosophy,Positive Psychology,Positive Thought,Practice Solutions Inc,Practice Time,R.I.S.E. Philosophy,Relationships,Respect,Rise & Shine,sarcasm,Smile & Shine,Strategy,Stress,Stress Monsters,Success,Sustainability,TA-DAH,Team Building,Team Meetings,Team Relationships,thought leader,Trust,Trust,Uncategorized,We Team,We Team,WOW Philosophy — Tags: appreciation, attitude, change, Coaching, conflict resolution, cusotmer service, Decision making, dental, Dental Coaching, dental Practice Management, Dental Team Performance, Dentistry, drama, energy, experience, focus, gossip, Habits, Judy Kay, Judy Kay Mausolf, leadership, Manager, Patient experience, performance, Philosophy, positive energy, practice management, Practice Solutions Inc, purpose, R.I.S.E., service, show your shine, success, sustain, team, team building, Thoughts, value, weeds, wow — Judy Kay Mausolf @ 9:40 am

How to Thrive as The New Kid on The Block! Part 1

Congratulations your the new kid on the block! You are a recent dental graduate who just got hired as the new associate to work with Dr Wonderful and her team! It’s your first glorious day! You are ready to take on the world and deliver exceptional service and care. Oh, but wait a minute. There are these people you now must rely on…called your team! There was no mention of team relationships. No one told you in school that you were going to be dependent a team. You were just planning on focusing on dentistry. Surprise! That’s not how it works. The success of a practice is largely based on how well you work together as a team. So how do you build happy, healthy, and high performing relationship with an existing team. Some of who you may have not hired in the first place.

It is important to remember that you are the outsider coming into their world. It’s like being the new kid on the block. You must figure out how to fit in with the existing team culture. Fitting in takes time and patience. The team is going to check you out because they don’t know you or trust you. They will be watching your every move to see if you will fit in.

The first step to fitting in is to focus on building confident trust relationships with each team member. The dictionary defines trust as instinctive unquestioning belief in and reliance upon something. The trust I am suggesting is not one of blind faith but instead one of confidence! Confident trust is based on consistency! Consistency of good reasons to trust based on significant past evidence and experiences.

Think of the people in your life that you confidently trust. Take a moment to reflect why you feel confident in trusting them. Confident trust does not just happen overnight. It takes time to nurture and grow. However, breaking one’s trust can happen in a heartbeat. The great news is that trust can be rebuilt. It takes a sincere daily commitment to be transparent, consistent and realistic. An actionable and measurable process is to assess your every action, attitude, and conversation by checking off the following list.

* Am I being transparent

* Am I being consistent

* Am I being realistic

* Am I doing what I said I would do when I said I would do it

Some examples of behaviors that build confident trust are:

* Be transparent by keeping the team in the loop

* Be consistent with daily tasks

* If you have a concern talk to the person

* Help when you see help is needed

* Ask for help when help is needed

* Ask don’t assume

* Take ownership – do what you say you will do when you say you will

* Focus on the greater good instead of WIIFM (What’s in it for me)

* Don’t gossip

* Tell the truth and be compassionate

* Don’t be late or absent for trivial reasons

The second step to fitting in is to learn the current systems and processes. Spend time talking with the doctor and each team member to learn why they do what they do. For at least the first 90 days immerse yourself in learning their ways instead of making suggestions. It will give you time to build trust while you learn. The team is often suspicious of the new doctor. They are afraid the new doctor is going to want to change everything. After all you’re the new kid on the block…you should have to fit into their practice. Many team members may be older than you. Show them you respect their experience and expertise by being open to their guidance.

Once you start making suggestions remember that the team may like to do things their way. Even if it may not be the most effective or efficient. It’s their routine and they can do it on auto pilot. Which is why your suggestions may be resisted even if it is an improvement. New changes slow them down and take more focus and effort. Don’t firehose the team with suggestions or requests. Start with a simple change that will be easy to do and benefit them greatly. They will see it as a positive and be more open to the next change.

The third step to fitting in is balancing your role as an associate. You may feel like you are in the middle, torn between the owner doctor(s) and the team. You are doctor and a leader. Yet you don’t make the decisions. Some decisions you may be more aligned with the team than you are the owner doctor. The team may treat you like one of them and even tell you negative things about the owner doctor. The owner doctor may complain to you about their team. It is imperative that you not allow yourself to get stuck in the middle. Always reinforce what is positive about the other person. You may not always agree on every decision. However, it is imperative that you support the owner doctor decisions in attitude and actions, or you will undermine them. It is easy to judge when you have never walked in someone’s shoes. It always looks easier when you are observing. Leading a team and making the right decisions can be very difficult at times. There are often many paths that can be chosen.

Tune in next month for the 4th and 5th step to thrive as the new kid or for that matter any team member in the practice!

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