Chris Barrow’s Blog

Happiness is on the horizon.

Or so it would seem from the numerous self-help manuals that I see when browsing.

But a “horizon” is a mental construct that is always the same distance in the future.

“I’ll be successful in another 3 years – when I’ve achieved the goals I set myself.”

Why keep trying to reach a mental construct?

Why not just stop – and enjoy the view from the beach you are standing on – and the surroundings you can see on either side?

What’s wrong with here, now?

I’ve been thinking and writing recently about my “Unique Ability®” which I identified in my last strategic coach workshop as:

“To inspire and lead people to recognize and achieve their full potential, through authentic communication”

There were 30 people present at the workshop during which we completed the exercise, which involved writing to 20 existing relationships and asking for clarification on why they have a business relationship with us.

The key words in the replies were distilled into an “essential message”.

Although I am very pleased with my result, I also noticed as each individual was invited to stand and read their result at the workshop — that although there were financial planners, consultants and even a dentist in the room — their results were all very similar to my own.

In essence, each of the said that through the use of our technical skill we were able to help our clients to solve a particular problem — whether it be confidence around their financial planning, confidence around their appearance or confidence around their future direction.

So we are all in the business of selling “confidence”.

I just finished reading a book called “Stumbling on Happiness” which is a fascinating examination of the way in which the human mind processes information and deals with situations.
The author reaches the conclusion that we are all very much the same and that we try to express a sense of individuality when, in fact, there is very little difference between us.

Responses to given situations are remarkably predictable.

I finished the book about a week ago and have been reflecting since then that many of the purchases we make are an attempt to establish individuality or to confirm that we belong to a particular affinity group.

We all need a car to travel but I have to buy a bright yellow American sports car to establish my individuality.

We all need a briefcase that I have to buy Mulberry to establish my individuality.

We all use a laptop but I have to buy a Sony VAIO to establish my individuality.

We all wear shoes but, as you know, I love my Oliver Sweeney’s.

I’m not complaining about this — I’m simply understanding it.

I’m not so unique after all.

What a pleasure it was yesterday to drive over into Devon and meet with new clients who are at the very beginning of their business adventure.

A 4-person dental laboratory with a man and wife team in charge, who are entering their 4th year in business.

We began with a tour of the lab (which took minutes) and then continued the conversation at their home until enjoying and long, late lunch in a riverside hotel and pub.

The “conversation” started at 9.15am and concluded at 5.15pm, with hardly a break.

The conclusions were that, in order to take the business from baby-stage to adulthood, they would have to make some significant sacrifices in the next 3 years – sacrifices of leisure time and time with their very young son. Sacrifices necessary because they simply don’t have the cash to build a strong support team around them.

They have two babies to mind – a son and a business – both of which are crying for attention.

He, of course, is spending 90% of his working time at a bench making teeth, 5% operating the business and 5% in communication with existing and potential new clients. That means his business will plateau – because just like yours and mine, his is a sales-driven business and he MUST get out and meet dentists. I asked for a change to 20% operational, 40% bench and 40% communication.

She is “bringing up real baby” and trying to keep pace with invoicing and general paperwork in the gaps. A lousy accountant is supplying financial data hopelessly late. She must to send real baby to nursery and hire a child-minder. I have requested 20% financial controls, 40% operational systems and 40% in quality time with real baby.

Big requests – they both looked bewildered at the end of the day – but grateful for the insights.

At 5.00pm they asked “where we do we go next in coaching with you?”

It would have been so easy to say “join my programme” – but I didn’t, because they are not ready and cannot afford the investment.

So I asked them to work on the goals I have set them for the next 90 days – and we will then revisit. In the meantime, I’m happy for them to have casual e-mail access.

Last night I felt as if I had made a positive difference to their lives – and that’s right in line with my Unique Ability® and core values.

Can I admit to a rosy glow of satisfaction that was worth more than the fee?

Sent to me by my good friend Paul Fox:

A chronic lack of pleasure, of any enjoyable, rewarding or stimulating experiences, produces a slow, gradual, day-by-day erosion of man’s emotional vitality, which he may ignore or repress, but which is recorded by the relentless computer of his subconscious mechanism that registers an ebbing flow, then a trickle, then a few last drops of fuel–until the day when his inner motor stops and he wonders desperately why he has no desire to go on, unable to find any definable cause of his hopeless, chronic sense of exhaustion.

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Ayn Rand, “The Voice of Reason”

Those P&O ferries plough their way back and forth across the English Channel and the North Sea – day after day of relentless repetition which must take its toll on both crew and machinery.So every now and then they are steered into port, where the crew can rest and the machinery can be checked and refurbished/modernised.

Which makes me reflect upon how often you, your team and your business are in “dry dock” – taking some time to rest, to think and plan the future and to repair and modernise your systems?

Not enough – or never?

My annual retreat has been a subject of ezine articles before now – 3 days every August where Team CB is in “dry dock”.

Such is the pace of change and opportunity that I’m now considering a series of “mini-retreats” throughout the year (perhaps quarterly) where we take a couple of days to think and plan.

After a quite crazy week of touring (in fact I spent 10 consecutive nights in hotels) the weekend was about recovery – a complete chill out with sleep, nutrition and fresh air high on the agenda.

For most of last week I felt as if I had a lead boot in my stomach – due, I think, to a constant diet of hotel food and unsocial eating times.

I’m not quite mentally ready yet for colonic irrigation (maybe soon) but needed to detox myself with some home cooking and juices.

Yesterday morning I ran for an hour and then walked for three hours in the afternoon – hence the photograph – of surfers braving the January cold just outside Falmouth.

This morning it’s back to the desk in my home office (after bravely reseusting the temptation to turn on the laptop – for two whole days!) and three hours to answer all the emails.

I’m in a project management overload at the moment – so today I’ll be taking my own medicine:

• Make a list
• A/B/C the list
• Do the A’s first

But I’ll also be talking to Team CB this week about delegating some of my overwhelm. I think a new team member may be in the offing.

I have 2 buffer days now – to plan and prepare – and then Wednesday is my client call-in day, Thursday a practice visit with a dental laboratory and Friday I’ll be presenting to about 200 people at the Devon Independent Practitioners Group.

There is a shadow hanging over all of this – my 78-year old mother was taken into hospital last week and it looks as if her independent living is about to come to an end, as the medics feel that she will no longer be able to fend for herself.

Options are being considered as she languishes unhappily in a Manchester hospital and, as her only kin, I’m keeping in touch daily.

Puts my “to do” list in perspective.

5.45am – alarm call

6.30am – start to prepare Powerpoint slides for this evening

8.00am – quick breakfast

8.30am – set up workshop room

9.00am – start Cobham DBS workshop

12.30pm – send workshop delegates for lunch and write article for Mastermind Blog

5.00pm – finish workshop, jump into car and drive to The Four Seasons in Hampshire

6.00pm – arrive and set up projector and slide show

6.30pm – champagne reception and networking with 30 dentists

7.30pm – begin presentation on the benefits of a new mastermind group

8.45pm – sit down for dinner and host table for dinner with 8 dentists

11.00pm- finish dinner and goodnight

12.00pm – arrive at hotel and ring the doorbell for the night porter

12.45am – fall into hotel bed and turn out the lights

I have an email this morning from a client asking why I haven’t written a blog entry for a few days – ooops, sorry.

I took the weekend off to visit family and then straight into a heavy week of travel – must try harder.

Sunday afternoon I drove down to Birmingham to meet for the first time with our Mastermind Group for 2007 – 18 principals who will meet quarterly for a working dinner and then a full day of coaching.

Some were old friends who have met at The Dental Business School workshops and others who have met on our Intensives.

The energy in the room was electric – a truly inspiring day.

They have in common:

• Ownership of a dental practice
• At least one year of DBS membership.

When we first created MMG’s 4 years ago I mistakenly believed that I would be required to come up with sparkling new “advanced” material to engage their interest.

But we quickly discovered they they had heard “the basics” but not implemented them all.

So the MMG evolved as an environment for implementation of the standard stuff they had heard me present on the core programme.

After an initial group introduction on Monday morning, we split into 2 groups – one working with myself, the other with Simon Hocken.

The format is to spend approximately 30 minutes helping each client to deal with specifics – facilitated by the coach but helped by all the other people in the room.

Themes yesterday were:

• I need to employ a full-time business manager
• I need to do the Patient Journey basics
• I need to do the marketing basics
• I’m still overwhelmed and my task list just gets longer

We agreed that, in fact, there was only 1 “to do” on their “to do” list.

The only “to do” is to to employ people “to do” the “to do’s” on your “to do” list.

Delegate to a business development manager, do dentistry, communication and leadership and let others do everything else.

My favourire comment of the day (from a client) – “have you noticed that there is a tit in the middle of practitioner?”Â

Mental week ahead – DBS workshops in Watford (today) and Cobham (tomorrow) – one to one client coaching on Thursday and my own day at The Strategic Coach Programme on Friday.

This morning I am sat answering emails in the Watford Hilton reception at 6.30am and a voice calls “fancy meeting you here” – my old friend Guy Levine is checking out on his way to a gig – and we share stories about the hopeless check in team at this hotel last night.

I’m a Diamond VIP card holder with Hilton and, last night, the check-in team made me feel like a £20,000 a year rep.

Finally, I have to thank Sital Ruperalia for taking me into Stanmore last night for a traditional Indian meal – I loved the vegeterian mild curries we enjoyed – but not the “Pan” he ordered to clear our palates after the meal.

A “Pan” (I discovered) is a leaf dipped in sweet oils and enclosing a variety of spices and nuts.

It tasted like a toilet block.

The waiters were very amused at my facial expressions.

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Last night I arrived at an old favourite – the Thorpe Park in Leeds, and was surprised and delighted to be upgraded to a suite – although how fun is that when you are alone?

Having a desk to work at is cool though – and the hotel provide free wireless – better even than Hilton, who subcontract to i-bahn and charge £15 a day – scandalous.

Yesterday was the first of 3 practice visits this week – the morning spent in Woods Tea Rooms, Doncaster with the principal, his wife and practice manager, discussing his strategy for the next 8 years in business.

In the afternoon, I visited with the whole team in the practice premises and we discussed customer service and the transition of dentistry from a profession to a retail business.

It’s a testimony to the principal and his practice manager that they have ruthlessly weeded out negative people from the team and now have a positive and very young group who are “up for it”.

In discussing the sale of private dental treatment to their 8,000 NHS patients, I reminded them that selling dentistry is entirely ethical if it is:

• Available – in other words, the patients know what the dentist can actually do for them – dentists are lousy at this, assuming that patients know stuff when they don’t;
• Affordable – that payment options are given – early-bird discounts or spread payment plans and
• Appropriate – that the treatment suggested fits with the patient’s lifestyle requirements and is also clinically sound

There are good reasons why this practice are choosing to remain with the Health Service for the foreseable future and so I will be working with them to create a Patient Journey that encourages the sale of private treatment options.

Just one final point though (and I hope the client won’t mind me saying this).

When I arrived at 9.00am I was impressed with the gigantic plasma TV on the wall behind the reception desk.

I was not impressed that they were showing The Jeremy Kyle Show – which, for the uninitiated is a morning chat show along the lines of Jerry Springer – human freaks being paid to discuss their relationship problems on air.

I’m standing in a reception watching Moron A wait to find out if the DNA tests prove that he is the real father of Moron B.

No, no. no.

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And, oh dear, the Sheffield Hilton haven’t got it quite right:

• Check in at 9.00pm last night was a bit of a farce. Arriving after a 360 mile drive in lashing rain wasn’t what I wanted. Euan, the receptionist, was a student on work experience who clearly hasn’t got the brand standard sorted yet. Telling me that “the computer has been playing up all day” was of no great interest to me, although he did give me vouchers for two free drinks at the bar to compensate;
• My room was enormous (two double beds) but cold;
• The shower this morning was cold no matter how many taps I turned;
• The girl on breakfast reception hasn’t heard about eye contact. “room number please?” “Is that Mr. Barrow?” “Tea or coffee sir?” All delivered as she stared over my left shoulder as if a parrot were sat there winking at her.

My only memorable customer service experience was with the man who, as I write, is hoovering around me in the lounge – very chatty and a local bloke with a sense of humour.

It’s a lovely, modern building but the team need more training.