A day of coaching calls

Yesterday was what we call a “call-in day” – which means that we use www.appointmentquest.com as an on-line appointment manager that clients’ use to book themselves a 15-minute coaching call with me (I call them).

They are amongst my favourite professional days as the cut and thrust of so many conversations:

1. keeps me very sharp;

2. lets me put an ear to the ground and listen to what’s going on and

3. exhausts me by the end of the day!

I randomly decided to keep a note of the questions asked on the 13 calls booked yesterday – here is what I dealt with:

1. How do I set bonus targets that my team can relate to?

2. How do I enrol my team in the process of writing a practice mission statement?

3. What questions should I ask Isoplan before we instruct them to start working for us?

4. How do I measure associate profitability?

5. How do I measure hygienist profitability?

6. What external marketing ideas would you recommend for National Smile Month?

7. How should I approach an associate who doesn’t seem to care or want to be a part of our team?

8. Should I bring my associates on your leadership retreat?

9. What should I do – I have bought a Denplan practice and I am living in a world of inherited supervised neglect and litigation!

10. I have allocated the time for your business planning retreat – what preparation do I need to do?

11. I am depressed and have no motivation – help.

12. I have just joined The Dental Business School – what next?

13. I am struggling to complete the sale of my practice because the purchasers are dragging their feet – can you suggest tactics to move the sale forwards.

Phew!

So that was a day in the coaching life of Chris Barrow.

Most of these questions were answerable in the 15 minutes – some will require follow through – especially “9” as this client is in deep trouble and I intend to visit his practice with a potential new accountant and a lawyer – he is in great danger.

After all of that, at 6.00pm about 10 of us joined a conference call to discuss further issues, notably:

1. Associate remuneration under nGDS and

2. Provision of services for children under nGDS.

A really enjoyable day of coaching.