Westchester Oral Surgery - November 2019

Execute Strategy and Kill Stagnancy 3 Tips for Every Business Leader

perfect script, creators executed their visions and make changes as needed.

The Harvard Business Review states, “Having the discipline to organize people, assemble resources, and then generate a plan that others can commit to will collectively improve execution.” 3. Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate We’re not saying you should micromanage your team, but you do need to be checking in on a regular basis to evaluate progress on your plan. Schedule monthly or quarterly meetings to go over the strategy. This is where you look for any changes that need to be made and refine the strategy. A smart strategy feels reassuring, but learning to execute a plan is the onlyway to make progress. The best business plan in the world is worthless if you never follow through. five of NewYork’s 200 remained in the society. The AmalgamWar is said to have “broken up friendships and even threatened to disrupt the profession.” More scientific research supporting the safety and effectiveness of amalgamwould come out and eventually, the society rescinded its ban on amalgam. This move came too late. The American Society of Dental Surgeons folded in 1856, replaced by the pro-amalgam American Dental Association. In some ways, the AmalgamWar continues today, as fringe websites spin horror stories about the dangers of mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings. However, when faced with over 160 years of scientific research, the American Dental Association’s stance on amalgam remains unchanged: “[A]malgam is a valuable, viable, and safe choice for dental patients.”

“To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed ... Execution is worth millions.” –Steve Jobs

Anyone can take this advice to heart, whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ideas are easy, but no one becomes successful because they had a great idea. Success comes from putting that idea into action. Being able to execute a plan is a skill every business leader needs. Here are three steps to help you improve your execution. 1. Ditch Perfection Have you ever watched a behind-the-scenes featurette of your favorite movie? Some of the most successful films were all but unrecognizable in their early phases. In fact, a lot of early concepts are terrible. Look up the original designs forWoody in “Toy Story” to see for yourself. Fortunately, rather than wait for the A long time ago, in the 19th century, to be exact, the dental communitywas turned on its head as dentists clashed over fillings. This clash came to be known as the AmalgamWar. Rather than relying on the traditional gold fillings, some dentists were turning to a mixture of silver, tin, copper, trace metals, and mercury. It was a presence of “quicksilver” that caused many dentists to violently protest the use of amalgam. The idea of putting mercury in a patient’s mouth seemed akin to malpractice. However, at the same time, scientific research was starting to show that, when used properly, amalgamwas a safe and effective restoration material. How did amalgam gain such a poor reputation so quickly? The trouble started when the Crawcour brothers came to the United States in 1833. By claiming to be surgeon-dentists to European royalty, the Crawcours catered to the wealthy and elite. The

Putting off action in favor of creating the perfect plan or strategy leads to stagnant business. Successful people know that plans take many shapes before they reach their final form. Don’t jump into something without a clear plan, but don’t be afraid to define your strategy as you go. There’s a reason audiences won’t be flocking to theaters to watch the latest galactic adventures of Luke Starkiller this December. 2. Be Methodical While you shouldn’t wait for the perfect plan, you shouldn’t be flying in blind, either. You can be too energetic about execution. Make sure everyone involved in a plan knows their responsibilities. Confusion will torpedo any strategy faster than you can say, “Who was in charge of this?” brothers used a cheap coin silver amalgam they called “royal mineral succedaneum” and quickly became popular with patients thanks to their painless dentistry. However, their work was only painless because the Crawcours didn’t remove any tooth decay and instead filled cavities with their cheap amalgam. Soon the expanding amalgam caused fillings to fall out, tooth discoloration, and painful fractures. Rather than face their angry patients, the brothers fled back to Europe in 1834. The Crawcours’ amalgam left a bad taste in people’s mouths. In 1841, without conducting any scientific tests of silver amalgam, the American Society of Dental Surgeons issued a statement condemning the use of amalgam over gold. When a number of dentists defended the use of amalgam, the AmalgamWar began. The society ordered members to sign a pledge against using amalgam or risk being expelled. Many members chose to resign. By 1847, only

The History of the AmalgamWar GOLD OR (QUICK)SILVER

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