By Chris Barrow on 16 February 2012
Dental associates are like the clay on a potter’s wheel.
Before the age of 35, you can mould them – spin the wheel, add or subtract, change the shape.
At age 35 they are fired in a kiln and then set – never to be changed again.
Tap at them after this and they will break.
You have to get it right before you fire them in the kiln – teach them the habits of a lifetime.
Clinical habits as well as communication habits.
By the way – if the potter just sits them on the wheel and never spins it, they will just flop into a lump of clay.
You are the principal, YOU are the potter.
Posted in Blogging, Building a Business, Chris Barrow | Tagged 21st Century Dentistry, business development, dental training, team |
About the Author
16 February 2012 by Chris Barrow
Chris Barrow is co-founder of Barrow Kwong Hing Group of Companies, a private dental corporate active in independent and retail dentistry and post-graduate dental education, operating in the UK and Canada.
Chris has been active as a consultant, trainer and coach to the UK dental profession for over 15 years. As a speaker he is dynamic, energetic and charismatic. In 1993 Chris moved into business coaching and became one of the first UK students at Coach University, from where he graduated as a certified coach. In 1997, he created The Dental Business School (DBS) and the development of a 12-month business coaching programme for dental practice owners and their teams, delivered to over 400 UK dental practices in the following 10 years.
In the last 5 years Chris has acted as a Non-Executive Director, Director and Consultant to a number of dental corporates, whilst maintaining his freelance activity as a dental business coach for independent practice owners. BKH is the culmination of his past experience in the business of UK dentistry
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(@ChrisBKH) (@ChrisBKH) said 
Richard Hughes said 
chas lister said
Ideally most associates would hope to be a principal by 35!
My latest blog post – The potter’s wheel http://t.co/5MKCFP8P
That’s a bit insulting isn’t it. Depicting associates as a different, less intelligent species of dentist. The all mighty principal can learn and mould her/himself until old age picking up new skills be it in communication, business or clinical, but the inferior associate has an expiration date of 35 years. Did you stop learning at 35 Chris?
Great feedback Sam and point taken. Perhaps what I could have added is that my observations are primarily based on the types of dentistry delivered and the average productivity.
Interestingly, at the age of 35 I became self-employed and left corporate UK and at the age of 40 I embarked upon a 100% career change.
I take your point – could have been more specific in the metaphor – and thank you.