Opening soon near you - a brand new dental practice

The challenge, however, is that the practice that's opening is yours.

There simply is no way that the return to work will be a "back to normal" call.

A decision that every lockdown leader has to make now is whether that bottle is half empty or half full - and to then communicate that to your team.

Yesterday I took the dogs out for their usual late afternoon walk and listened to The Coronavirus Newscast from the BBC. That has become a new habit and pretty much my only connection with the media, apart from the Government Daily Briefing from Downing Street.

I like the Newscast, as it's balanced, well presented and not afraid to look vulnerable like the rest of us.

However, yesterday's review of the post-virus economic outlook was sobering indeed. We may as well be coming out of a World War when this is over and reference was made to the 10 years that the British economy took to fully recover from the 2008 banking collapse.

What I know from experience is that innovators and adaptors survive and, indeed, prosper during periods of recession. Equally, that applies in dentistry as much as any other profession or sector.

It is obvious that consumer habits have changed and will stay changed post-virus. For me it is equally obvious that certain demographics (notably my own) are riding the storm with little effect on their personal finances. That they will still want clean, straight, white teeth for life.

All that happens next is that you have to be smarter with your marketing and your product mix. You and me both.

Spare a thought, however, for your lockdown teams, whether still working from home, furloughed or waiting for redeployment.

The diet they may be consuming at the moment is:

One of economic collapse:

Headline - 2 million jobs to go!

One of scare mongering...

Headline - 5G spreads coronavirus - Eamonn Holmes says so!

One of internal sabotage....

WhatsApp message - we don't have to do all this training during furlough - they can't make us do it - my relative works in HR and has told me we can say "no".

One of Victim/Persecutor behaviour....

We need someone to blame for this so that we can punish them. The Chinese/The WHO/The Government/The NHS/CDO/BDA/CQC/GDC.

Your job as a lockdown leader is to provide regular reassurance that, whatever happens, you are agile enough to respond quickly, adapt and evolve.

To explain to your team NOW that a brand new practice is opening near you after the return to work and that the practice is yours.

As soon as we return to work, every one of us is going to have to pivot around the new normal.

So confirm that you will adapt to whatever changes lay ahead and request their support in return for your commitment to lead.

Then share the key words associated with the future:

Agility

Resilience

Stamina

Optimism

Enthusiasm - because it's contagious.