Since reading Seth Godin’s excellent book “Tribes” and also Peter Block’s book “Community” I have observed with increasing fascination the way in which groups communicate and individuals evolve most effectively.
There seems to be a common denominator emerging – a phenomenon that I will describe in very poor English as “quarterly-ness”.
The Dental Business School workshops were quarterly workshops – and many Mastermind Groups I have been involved with or observed over the years have had a 90-day meeting frequency.
I’m beginning to recognise that the “90-day” cycle is one that works for humans to stay connected with a programme, an idea, a philosophy, a culture, or themselves.
Here are some ideas and questions for you.
On a quarterly basis:
- do you publish a patient/client newsletter?
- do you invite your referring dentists to one professional and one social networking event?
- do you meet with your team to review and establish goals?
- do you review your personal finances?
- do you collate financial data and measure KPI’s?
- do you monitor the effectiveness of your marketing funnel?
- do you update your web site?
- do you make a special offer to your target market?
- do you meet with your suppliers?
- do you meet with your strategic alliance partners?
- do you meet with your coach!
- are you a member of a mastermind group?
- do you arrange a special event for your family and/or friends?
- do you treat yourself to something special/
- do you measure your fitness?
I’m currently revisiting some of the core material I developed in The Dental Business School “all those years ago” and realising that nothing has changed over the years and that a “back to basics” approach is what we all need.
I believe that if any aspect of your business or life remains stagnant for 91 days – then you are in danger of extinction.
On a separate note:
I continue to be dismayed by the gloom on the media.
Leaving Cornwall at 6.30am this morning, I loved the drive towards the dawn and the freezing temperatures over Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor – fantastic frosty landscapes.
What I didn’t love was the three hours of Radio 4 telling me that:
- Woollies are finally closing their doors
- Wedgwood are celebrating 250 years by calling in administrators
- House prices are tumbling
- Estate agents in London are 50% down on revenues
- Jews and Arabs are killing each other again
- Financial Services regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have screwed up
- Women and children in the Congo are raped by men from all factions
and so on and so on and so on.
These are all serious and real issues that must be addressed by local, national and global communities – but I’m getting kind of “doomed out” now and, rather like media charity appeals, after you’ve heard it over and over again – it stops meaning anything.
My concern is that clients and customers will become “doomed out” as well – and stop spending OR stop responding to “amazing offers”.
President-elect Obama won because he delivered a simple message – “there is hope” – and that must be the message we give to our families, our clients and our teams.
There is hope.
We can be confident.
I intend to dedicate my professional life in 2009 to creating confidence – that will be my mission, vision, value and goal.
In the same way that Michael Bungay-Stanier wants to “infect people with the possibility virus”.
Chris Barrow wants to create confidence in the minds and the lives of everyone I meet.
And to remind them at least every quarter how and why they can have reason to be confident.
