Chris Barrow’s Blog

I had always intended to write a blog post this morning to “celebrate” exactly one year since I decided to end the tolerations that were making my professional life so miserable and strike out alone with very few guarantees.

It has been an extraordinary year of activity which began with a month’s sabbatical and followed with the development of my role at IDH as well as continuing freelance work within independent dentistry.

Many people have kindly commented in the last 6 months that I seem to “be back” in all my bold, outrageous and provocative glory – upsetting some and inspiring many.

Never knowingly average.

I can honestly say that I am enjoying “work” right now more than I have done for perhaps 10 years.

This post gives me the opportunity to thank those who have made the last year such an exciting pleasure.

I don’t want to give a Hollywood acceptance speech or a eulogy – but just a HUGE thank you to my family, my friends, my support team, my suppliers, my strategic alliance partners, my clients and my colleagues.

Business is good, there’s always room for more and I wake each day, ready to enjoy myself.

I was reminded this morning of the book True Success by Tom Morris and his (I paraphrase) definition that we are truly succesful in our professions when we

• love what we do
• love when we do it
• love who we do it with

perhaps I could add that the final component is to know that we are loved.

However, I’m going to end this post with a simple statement that overshadows all.

In the last week, many of my community have been waiting and hoping as Harry, the newly born son of David and Dawn Cunningham from Spring Grove Clinic in Glasgow, has struggled on a life support system.

I hope that David & Dawn will not object to my mention that Harry is now off the danger list and expected to make a full recovery.

After an enormous sigh of relief, I’d like to end my post with the comment that the health of one solitary vulnerable and innocent human is worth more than all the “bright shiny objects” of commercial success.

I’ll have a smile on my face all day today – for many reasons.

Go Harry!

My iPhone rang on Tuesday evening as I drove over Bodmin Moor – and there was Ian Wilson, Co-Founder of Bridge2Aid, wanting to schedule a coaching call later in the week.

I asked him where he was calling from and he gave me map co-ordinates.

View Larger Map

I suppose I ought not to be – but I’m amazed at the technology that allows him to chat to me, from there, to where I am.

Car to car.

The wilds of East Africa to the wilds of Cornwall.

I asked Ian to send me a photograph of what he was looking at from his (stationary) car whilst we spoke.

Not quite what I was seeing.

When you are in Taiwan, looking at a total eclipse of the sun, its a big issue.

The sky has darkened, the birds have stopped singing, nature pauses.

But when you are on the NASA Earth Observatory, looking at the eclipse over Taiwan, its no big thing.

and so it is with many of the “problems” you are carrying around with you at the moment.

They may seem to dominate your life – but a coach can see them from a different perspective – and can help you to realise that they may not be so grand – and are solvable.

Don’t be eclipsed by your problems – get help.

ARE YOU ….UP FOR A CHALLENGE? AMBITIOUS AND COMMITTED TO WORKING HARD FOR GREAT REWARDS? IF SO …WE WANT YOU!

Due to expansion, The Polwarth Group are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, hard-working and committed dental associate to join our forward thinking, friendly and dynamic practice in the heart of Edinburgh.
We are a new patient-orientated family of clinics set up to provide easily accessed clinical and complementary services for new and existing patients.

We now want to build on our existing team by introducing a dental associate who wants to work across two locations and provide the highest standard of care that we deliver to new and existing patients. This is a fantastic opportunity for the right individual to join an established group with new facilities and develop the business further.

(Check out our website www.polwarthgroup.co.uk)

We are offering:

• Private Group Practice
• Competitive rates of pay with potential to develop business further under the brand
• Fully computerised and digital radiography
• Hygienist
• Dental Therapist
• Fantastic Support Team
• Superb surroundings in highly desirable locations of Edinburgh

IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR ….please email your details to sheonamathewson@hotmail.com.

Just thought I would mention that we are looking for dentists in all areas of the company – and can boast a good track record:
BBN_601Dentistry_revisedV5

• 4 days in London and the South East – road trip with Ellie first #
• daughter returned in one piece and I am sad to see her go – lovely dinner in Clapham with friends and now at Melia House http://tinyurl. … #
• http://tinyurl.com/mn7k5c #
• Daughter returned (sadly), dinner with old friends in Clapham and back to Melia House for the night #
• three days of early morning emails, full day presentations and then working dinners – hardly time to think! #
• Amazing day, highs and lows of business. Tell all to Annie. She needs to finish watching drama about Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. What? #
• Feel as if I need to take the day off and write about what I witnessed yesterday – but I have work to do and a full day of meetings #
• Pre-Raphaelites last night – this morning we discuss the jet stream – not just sexy – I think I'm in love with the new Joan Bakewell. #
• At the Hilton Dartford Bridge after an oustanding meal at Chez Bruce on Wandsworth Common. Here they are filming Harry Potter in the tunnel #
• Stop saying that what you know isn't rocket science. If they don't know – it is! http://bit.ly/15hdgC #
• If you applaud yourself you just look like a seal #
• Beyond "wow" is Chez Bruce http://www.chezbruce.co.uk/ – many thanks to Elliott for a superb and funny evening #
• Batteries empty. Miles to go. Counting my blessings after news of a friends loss. #
• good to be back in Falmouth – slow day as I'm burned out #
• http://bit.ly/rqQZ1 visiting a beautiful new practice #
• after clearing the garden for the 1st time in a month – its a lazy day of reading, sleeping and quality time with my girl #
• Urgently need contact details for Chris Shore, Midland Ortho! His building has had a power cut and the team cannot get in. call 07816029637 #
• It's a rainy Sunday morning in Cornwall – I have some work to do on personal finances – so sat here with a nice cuppa #
• it's lovely when there is money left at the end of the month. Finances are like gardening – once a month, a pain – once a week , easy. #
• let the rain pour, it's Prison Break Series 4 #
• Let the rain pour, it's Prison Break Season 4 #

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Here’s a look around Jeremy Peak’s beautiful new practice in Truro, Cornwall

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Sometimes it’s necessary to protect yourself from the outside world – so that you will be best able to fulfil your roles and responsibilities when they are genuinely required.

It’s Friday, it’s my buffer day – and I am completely burned out after a week of back to back meetings and travel (yes, I know, coaching clients on work/life balance).

There was no 05:00 alarm call this morning – arriving back late last night after a 335-mile drive put paid to the 5th early start of the week.

I “do” burned out now and then – it happens no matter how well organised or supported you are.

The secret is to keep it to maybe 2 or 3 times a year – and not every week – and that’s what the “balance” thing is about – not trying to be some kind of super-hero but retaining your humanity as well as more good habits then bad.

I set myself up for this – as well as 4 days of early morning emails, 4 days of meetings and presentations – I also agreed to 3 successive evenings of working dinners.

The three over-dinner conversations were immensely enjoyable and informative – but I know there’s something not quite right when I don’t see the news all week – and I take my current novel in the suitcase on Monday morning and it’s still there, unread, on Thursday night.

“You’re overdoing it” my Mum used to say.

Why am I doing that? I’m supposed to know this stuff.

Answer….

Because I’m having more fun at work than I have had for 10 years.

I’m not commercially lonely.

I’m making good money.

I see opportunity wherever I look.

I’m superbly supported.

I work with people I trust, respect and like.

The “journey” right now is an absolute blast.

Although, by choice, I don’t write much about my IDH experience, I’d love you to know that I’m revelling in the challenge and respectful of the people I meet.

Remember all that well-poisoning about corporates full of people who don’t give a damn?

The opposite is the reality as far as IDH is concerned.

IDH is a great company.

Don’t get me wrong – there are challenges in influencing 3000 team members and 900 dentists – real challenges – but that’s the job.

I’m inspired by the quality of the Board and the head office team. By their willingness to allow someone like me to invest the last 9 months in getting to know what makes the place tick and experiment with ways to move the business forward.

What has impressed me the most about IDH has been the quality of the team members out there in the market-place wherever I go – really committed people who want to make the company a success.

In the Private & Specialist Division we now lead and manage almost 50 practices with sales in excess of £30m and we are innovating in marketing, in customer service and in leadership & management.

A project I have always wanted to get involved with – I’m loving it.

And then there is the freelance work that I still do.

What can I say?

Again, wonderful principals and team members who are innovating at the leading edge of private dentistry.

Probably another 50 practices, directly or indirectly – with perhaps £50m in collective sales.

Practices re-branding, re-locating and reviving their sales and profitability. New practices lifting off the runway with remark-able retailing.

Perhaps the simplest explanation is the appreciative emails from the clients, many of whom are reporting record sales in June.

I’m sometimes asked whether there is a confict of interest between my work with IDH and in the independent sector. Its a question always asked by people who:

• never hire me and
• live in scarcity mentality

Competition stimulates demand and I’ve realised that although my priviledged position requires confidentiality and integrity, at the same time bringing the business knowledge of corporates to the independent and equally from the independent to the corporate is a genuine “win-win” for patients, suppliers, teams and the owners.

Yes – best ever months.

What recession?

All of this PLUS invitations to conferences and meetings with product and service suppliers who realise how much harder they have to work to win customers – and are just getting on with it.

Thought leadership around:

• hygiene-based assessments
• therapy-led maintenance
• web attraction
• branding and marketing
• retail sales
• branded experiences
• financial modelling

Goodness me – this is a good!

But I’m burned out.

So I’m protecting myself today, in my metaphoric castle, my fortress of solitude – keeping contact with clients to a minimum and only doing the work that is absolutely necessary – because I have emptied my batteries this week.

When I get like this, the most important things to do for me (especially after days on the road) are:

• unpack
• get the washer going
• take my suits to the dry cleaners (and my shoes to the cobblers)
• clean my car
• open all the envelopes
• put all the paper in my beloved clear plastic folders
• make a list – a big list – of absolutely everything that needs doing
• A, B, C the list
• delegate
• time activate the projects

and then

• walk away from it all and
• chill

Which is what I’m doing – sat in The Shed in Falmouth and just playing around with the Macbook Pro, catching up on RSS feeds, messing around on the web, Facebooking, thinking, cappuccino and soup, before a couple of meetings later this afternoon.

But I do so with an enormous smile on my face and in my heart and soul.

Business is great – and there’s room for more.

As if all that wasn’t enough – just you wait until later this year………….