The Script, The Score and The Choreography

After yesterday’s newsletter and social media posts, I want to thank the two practices who signed up for the Bridge2Aid Unity Partnership Christmas Challenge – yesterday we began the journey of delivering emergency pain relief to 20,000 new patients in Tanzania (and they both qualified for three months free business coaching in 2019). Just in case you missed that news – it’s HERE.

I also want to acknowledge the additional two practices who agreed to join the Extreme Business Workshop Programme in 2019 – including my first Spanish client who will be travelling in to the UK to attend the workshops.

Both of those news items inspired me at 20:30 last night as I walked back to my hotel along O’Connell Street, crowded with Halloween costumes, tourists and marathon runners – it was a fantastic way to end a very long day of client meetings.

It will also spur me on to today’s workshop at Dublin airport, where I’ll be talking “patient experience” all day to 7 orthodontic practices.

Yesterday afternoon I delivered a team training session to the customer service teams from a 4-practice orthodontic and specialist referral group here in Dublin.

At the start of the afternoon, we all introduced ourselves with my usual:

  • Name
  • Place of Birth
  • Job description
  • Interesting fact that has nothing to do with dentistry

The TCO from one of the practices shared her “back story” – a long term passion for “amdram”, with particular reference to musical theatre.

I asked her what her last performance was and she shared some interesting stats about her appearance in Cabaret:

  • 7 performances
  • between 50-60 rehearsals

I further inquired as to the material she was rehearsing from:

  • a script
  • a score
  • the choreography

You can probably guess where I went next with this line of conversation – given that we were discussing my usual “6 Moments of Truth in the Patient Experience” (download HERE).

Q1 – “so where is the script for your patient experience – the “what we say, when the patients asks this” manual?

Q2 – “so where is the score for the way in which we present our treatment plans?”

Q3 – “so where is the choreography for the way in which the patient moves around the business?”

Need I say more?

How often over 22 years have I shared with my workshop audiences the fact that, every morning, the lights dim, the band strikes up, the curtains open and – “it’s showtime folks!”

Les Miserables is just about to re-open in Dublin – it will cost 85 euros for a good seat. An initial consultation at my client’s practice costs 120 euros. I asked my team yesterday afternoon whether they thought their patient experience was 40% better than a night at the theatre……

So here’s my thought for the day.

Where are your script, your score and your choreography?

Did you rehearse your team members 50-60 times before they went on stage?

Is it showtime this morning?

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Chris Barrow

Chris Barrow has been active as a consultant, trainer and coach to the UK dental profession for over 20 years. As a writer, his blog enjoys a strong following and he is a regular contributor to the dental press. Naturally direct, assertive and determined, he has the ability to reach conclusions quickly, as well as the sharp reflexes and lightness of touch to innovate, change tack and push boundaries. In 2014 he appeared as a “castaway” in the first season of the popular reality TV show “The Island with Bear Grylls”. His main professional focus is as Coach Barrow, providing coaching and mentorship to independent dentistry.

One thought on “The Script, The Score and The Choreography”

  1. When Jason Newsted joined Metallica he gave an interview where he was asked about the differences between it and his previous band (the not as well known outfit Flotsam and Jetsam). One of his comments was that Metallica didn’t rehearse much. F&J rehearsed all the time so they would be on peak form when a gig came up. Metallica played 300 concerts a year.

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