Chris Barrow’s Blog

Now that the dental workshop series has concluded, I look back and reflect on the “attitude” of the clients in each day delivered.

An interesting change is that we are now staggering the start dates of our 4 quarterly workshops, so that different regions begin at different points in the year.

This allows continuous marketing of The Dental Business School, instead of our traditional “all or nothing” marketing each October for a January start.

It also creates some variety for me in each series (I have delivered workshops 1,2 and 4 in the last three weeks) and, I suppose, keeps me sharp on the delivery of each workshop.

Mainly, I have noticed the different expressions and behaviour at each workshop:

Quarter 1 – stunned silence and the expression of startled rabbits in the headlights – as Chris Barrow unravels all of their traditional paradigms and introduces radical new ideas on planning and time management;

Quarter 2 – a little more relaxed in the room (“I’m not quite so afraid of asking stupid questions in public” said a Q2 client yesterday), frustration at lack of progress and even more amazement at my thoughts on financial management:

Quarter 3 – much more relaxed and a fun day on customer service for the whole team:

Quarter 4 – realisation that this stuff is possible and a little overwhelm at the marketing systems they want to build but have never started.

And, of course, we have 40% of our clients on their second year in the programme – realisation that the changes are coming through.

Then another 40% (of the 40%) who are on their third year – “Hey – this stuff works – listen to this guy – he knows what he is talking about”.

So, understanding this, I no longer stress at the silence in the room in the first few workshops – they are thinking!

Last day of the dental workshops and I am definitely “de-mob happy” (if you don’t know what that means email and ask me).

Its a lovely sunny day here in Northern Ireland and I’m looking forward to a pint of the black stuff at 5.00pm, before flying back to Manchester and packing for my lunchtime flight to Toronto tomorrow.

I’m delighted to see that we have registrations for my live event there next week and also that my diary is beginning to fill with strategic alliance and client meetings.

I’m reading a book called “authentic business” by Neil Crofts and its having a profound effect on me – considering creating a not-for-profit foundation to teach coaches business skills – I can make a living with the existing schools and create a legacy with the foundation. Food for my thoughts over the days ahead.

When the workshop room is a collection of bright faces, when the delegates participate with challenging questions, when they laugh at the jokes (and make some) and when they clearly “get it”, then my energy at the end of the day is higher than at the start – no matter how tired I am and how grueling the schedule.

I am pleased to say that every workshop this week has felt like that – Edinburgh, Watford, Reading – all fantastic.

This morning I am visiting a dental practice very close to my apartment in Manchester – the short drive will seem like a gift – and to see old friends who first became clients about 5 years ago and have transformed their business. We intend to review their patient journey procedures.

Later this afternoon I will meet with my 13-year old daughter who is at school here in England and away from the family – and take her over to visit with my 77-year old mother, where no doubt we will listen to list of ailments but have some fun as well.

A very welcome respite from the traveling before I visit Belfast on Friday for the last of this current series of dental workshops.

Monday’s Edinburgh workshop was a nice relaxing change as there were only about 15 people in the room.

We are just starting to make an impression in Central Scotland after many years of patient waiting for the embedded NHS mentality to begin shifting – its interesting that the Government’s new proposals for Health Service dentistry are finally “shifting” dentists in Scotland, South Wales and the North East.

“Shifting” them to stop allowing themselves to be blackmailed as healthcare professionals and start thinking like responsible and ethical business owners – providing profitable and ethical dentistry for their patients, a good working environment for their staff and adequate compensation for their own business risk and skills.

Last night, the travels of this road warrior were hard work, even for me.

Barbara and I flew from Edinburgh to Bristol and then, in separate cars, drove over 120 miles from Bristol to Watford for Tuesday’s workshops. I arrived at the Watford Hilton just before midnight last night, although my journey was made bearable by two lengthy coaching calls on my in-car mobile phone – one with a dentist in Northern Ireland who is in the middle of a practice conversion and the other with a coach in St Louis, Missouri – helping him to prepare a presentation on marketing to a group of engineering contractors.

Never a dull moment.

And another thing….

There is a fascinating article on the growth of blogging in the May 2 edition of Business Week. The magazine are starting their own blog at Blogspotting.net and I’ll be taking a look this week.

Another insight on leadership today in our Edinburgh workshop.

Leadership is the communication of vision and the example of behaviour.

That works well for me.

The start of another week of workshops – Edinburgh, Watford, Reading, Belfast. And off to Canada on Saturday to meet with Coaching Business School clients in Toronto next week and deliver a one-day live event for coaches on Wednesday 4th May – on marketing and delivery systems for coaches.

Life is good.

Its such a blast – 80+ people in Leeds today and we laughed, worked hard and covered business finance and team building.

Workshop delivery is one of my unique abilities and a place I love to be – no matter how “tough” life is, entertaining an audience who appreciate what you do – and seeing them grow – is a passion and a vocation.

If I won the lottery I would still do this for free.

I was in such a good mood professionally today that I even told some new jokes!

I am pondering the distinction between leadership and management.

Managers create, monitor and measure systems.

Leaders inspire people.

Many of my clients in dentistry are poor at management (they have few measurable systems) and do no leadership at all.

A few of them are excellent managers with robust systems.

A small minority are leaders.

Your business requires systems.

Your people want leadership.

Completed in 4 hours and 53 minutes with my running partner (and first-timer) Gill Onley.

My 14th Marathon and a metaphor – no matter how tough it gets – you can reach your finish line if you have the attitude, skills and knowledge.

A phrase I read in one of my client’s ezines this week.

I especially reflected on how often we do not fail fast enough – we know that a business or a relationship isn’t working – and yet we sustain an increasingly futile and complex effort to find a solution. Why?

Because we are either too proud, too scared, too busy or too tired to make the tough decision and move on.

I lost a business in 1993 because I didn’t fail fast enough – and it cost me the rest of my assets, including our family home.

When you know something is fundamentally failing and when you have exhausted the solutions that do not cause you anguish – then its time to fail – and to congratulate yourself for making the right decision, even though it may not seem like it at the time.

The most useful thing I learned yesterday was that sometimes life becomes so complicated that our attempts to control events are futile.

My client Traci Cleary sent me her newsletter yesterday, in which she reminded her readers that, in those moments of overwhelm, we must “surrender” to events for a while – stop controlling and allow some time to pass – just to observe what happens both internally and externally.

So I am surrendering to life……..