Transformational leadership requires thinking INSIDE the box.
Often we are told that problem solving requires ‘outside of the box’ thinking – an entertaining Ted Talk from Lars Sudmann proposed the total opposite. Transformational leadership requires us to think INSIDE the box.
For the past 2 years, we have all been undergoing what seems to be constant transformation. Changes to the way we operate, the way we keep our patients safe, and even the way we hire. Sudmann suggests that navigating our way through these changes can leave many with transformation fatigue and that coming out on the other side of it is only possible with transformational leadership.
When you think outside the box, anything is possible; therefore, nothing is often done. He identifies the importance of a variety of boxes – the time box, the space box, the ritual box and the sand box.
Let’s explore the TIME BOX.
“I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines, nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.”
– Harry Shearer
Ah yes, the TIME BOX. My maiden name is Nation, and my parents often joked that one of us should have been named “Procrasti”, so I am fairly familiar with the pressure of a time crunch. I don’t necessarily advocate putting things off until the last minute, but this did make me stop and reflect on the true power of a deadline.
Putting a time box around a project promotes more productive results. The pressure created by time advances us toward a decision. Sudmann has an hourglass timer on his desk that he turns when he has set aside an hour for writing that day – a physical reminder of the time he had set aside for the activity.
What is the value of a “TIME BOX” in your dental practice?
I’ve got a great coach who reminds me of the importance of “enders.”
You can create goals in your practice with 30, 60, and 90-day enders.
Have visual reminders of those goals throughout the office, including the deadline to accomplish them. Set the timer on your phone and take 30 minutes to work on the reactivation report you have been avoiding for the last three months. Identify the Top 20% of your patient base (Your First Class Cabin) and develop a plan to co”surprise and delight” each and every one of them in the next 90 days.
When we create these boxes and think inside of them, the possibilities are no longer endless, but they are much more efficient.