Continual learning can help you build credibility in your dental practice

Learning should be a lifelong endeavor. I remember when I was in high school memorizing facts and data, wondering if I would ever need to know any of it again. I’m sure that I was not alone in that feeling, and although I memorized a lot of information that I never used again, there are a ton of things I wish I had paid more attention to. At some point, I finally figured out that continual learning is the best way to get through life.

There are several reasons we should prioritize continuing education. First, if we don’t learn things to help us improve, we will not get better and we will make the same mistakes over and over. Life will become boring if we continue to do the same things and do not increase our knowledge or ability. For example, when I started as a dental office manager, I didn’t know much about the industry or how dentistry operates. If I was still at that level and had never taken the time to educate myself, I would not have grown personally or helped the office improve. I had to train and grow, and that meant finding people with the ability and knowledge I needed so I could learn from them. I also had to make mistakes, figure out what went wrong, and change the way I did some things the next time so I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

The second reason we need to keep learning is because if we think we know everything, we won’t learn anything. People who think they’re the experts in a field might be for a short time; however, things are constantly changing and growing. If people don’t learn and grow with the times, they will no longer be an expert.

Here's an example. I’m part of a small local study club of dental office managers, and one office manager has been in our industry longer than the rest of us. She has experience and knowledge that most of us wish we had. However, when we discuss anything that is not the way she sees it or is not how “it’s always been done,” she pushes back. She shuts down with a scowl on her face and crosses her arms. When she does that, many of the other members stop communicating and tend to distance themselves from her. She comes to these meetings to provide help and guidance to younger office managers, but because she is not open to change and believes her way is the only way, she has lost our respect.

I learn something new every day. It might not be something philosophical or from a book, but I still learn. I learn life lessons, things about friends, how to do part of my job more efficiently, or something about myself. Learning is the reason our lives improve, our relationships get better, we become more secure in our jobs, and we just feel better in our own skin. Learning and training can improve life and our ability to get through it more easily. I am a much stronger, more knowledgeable person in my 40s than I was in high school, when I wondered when I would ever need to know all of this stuff.

Training and learning also give us credibility. People who take the time to learn new things are those who can serve as mentors to others. Most people who are open to learning, training, or growing understand that a large part of success is listening. Gaining knowledge is not about telling others how great we are or how much we know, but instead listening and finding out what we don’t know. The first step is acknowledging that we don’t know it all, then finding our knowledge gaps and ways to fill those gaps.

Unlike the very knowledgeable office manager who thinks she already knows it all, when we continually strive to improve, grow, and learn, we will increase our network of like-minded learners and thinkers.

Laura Hatch is known worldwide as the Leader in Dental Front Office Solutions and Training. A keynote speaker, author, and coach, Hatch is best known as the founder of Front Office Rocks, a virtual training platform for dental teams. Front Office Rocks offers virtual training in all areas of the dental office and teaches exceptional customer service.