Episode #463: A Big "Key Word" for Your Future Success, with Heather Crockett

How often do you say yes to something, only to regret it for days, weeks, or even months? Sometimes, you just need to say no! And to help you say it effectively, Kirk Behrendt brings back Heather Crockett, one of many great Lead Practice Coaches at ACT, to remind you that saying no is okay, and that “no” is a key to your success. Stop saying yes to the wrong things! To learn how, listen to Episode 463 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Stop saying yes to everything.
• Be courteous but firm when saying no.
• Saying no will free up your time and energy.
• If you can't say no, find alternative ways to say it.
• Know what you're giving up every time you say yes.

Quotes:

• “The word “no” feels kind of icky when you say it. And you regret saying it, like, ‘Ugh.’ But . . . you can regret saying no for a few moments, or you can regret saying yes for days and weeks.” (5:43—6:05)
• “If we say yes to too many things or the wrong things, then we’re going to regret it for a lot longer. And when we say no, we might regret it for just a little bit, but not quite as long as if we said yes to it.” (6:09—6:23)
• “There are so many good things that we can say yes to. And we need to pause and reflect on all of the things in our life, including our company practices, our work life, what are we giving up by saying yes to something good? Are we giving up something great in its place?” (10:33—10:59)
• “What are you saying no to if you are saying yes to having weekend and evening hours for your patient?” (11:37—11:44)
• “There's such a gray area, sometimes. There are good things that we’re saying yes to that might be affecting other people. For example, if we’re saying yes to a patient to same-day treatment, but we haven't taken into consideration our team — which comes before the patient — consult with your dental assistants first, doctors. Have a system in place for when you're going to do that same-day treatment, because your assistants will be very upset if you do same-day treatment for this patient and you're saying yes to the patient, but you might be saying no to your team.” (14:39—15:14)
• “Those core values have to be there. Your leadership team and all the dental partnerships that you're talking about, that is really going to get so much easier when your core values are in place because they help you to make decisions.” (19:54—20:10)
• “It’s crazy important to take time for yourself, for your family, for your leadership team, and for your entire team. Reflect on the decisions that you need to make, vet them against your core values, and get a little bit more comfortable with saying no or, ‘I'd love to. Can't.’” (22:39—22:59)

Snippets:

• 0:00 Introduction.
• 2:25 Heather’s background.
• 3:13 The big key word.
• 5:27 What you need to know about saying no.
• 6:48 An alternative to saying no.
• 7:25 How saying no will change your life.
• 10:18 Reflect on what you're giving up by saying yes.
• 14:29 Talk to the people your decisions will affect.
• 15:28 Be clear on your systems and shared agreements.
• 20:34 Love/loathe/no homework.
• 22:36 Last thoughts on saying no.

Reach Out to Heather:

Heather’s email: [email protected] 

Heather’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.r.crockett

Heather’s social media: @actdental

Resources:

The EOS Life by Gino Wickman: https://benbellabooks.com/shop/theeoslife/

Traction by Gino Wickman: https://benbellabooks.com/shop/traction/

Heather Crockett Bio:

Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting. 

Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues. 

She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.