Years and years ago, I wrote a blog called ‘Ellingworth's Clock’, which you can read here. Essentially, it was about a coach in British cycling that Dave Brailsford had said could see the next 10 minutes, the next 6 months, and the next 10 years, all at the same time. It was a gift, something really useful.
I suggested then that it was a skill we should try to develop, because if we only focus on the next 10 minutes, we'll miss out on what's coming down the track in the next 5 years.
And so, on Thursday, we had a visit from a young friend of ours who's recently qualified in dentistry. This is someone I've known for approximately 8 years, whom I met while they were still in year 12 at school, and I tried to encourage them to become a dentist because I thought they were exactly the type of personality that dentistry needed at that time (and more at this time).
This individual stayed close to the practice throughout their dental training, navigating the ups and downs, highs and lows that came with it, including the COVID years. They are now just about ready to start their DFT job in a practice not a billion miles away from where we are now.
We discussed the possibility of future career pathways and floated the idea that maybe in a little while they might come and work here, maybe on the two-year plan that Faith is on at the moment, and Beth will be on and that Dominic did, and Beatriz did, and Maria did and others. And so, we've essentially sealed the deal on that, provided the circumstances are right for this individual to come in a little while.
This is kind of the path we took with Beatriz Sanchez, who's now an ITI fellow speaking at the EAO congress in Monaco this year and a nationally and internationally renowned lecturer and implant surgeon. The same pathway we took for Dominic, who's now becoming one of the best young implant surgeons in the United Kingdom (in my opinion) and Maria Fernandez, who's now a key opinion leader for ClearCorrect in the aligner side of things for Straumann and a developing speaker and orthodontic clinician.
And so, with those guys, we had a 5-year option, a plan, and we're way past that now, and they've matured, and they are the real deal, and with the individual who was in the practice (name withheld just at the moment for dignity), that could be the same.
I spent an hour of my day today talking to this person with both Faith and Dominic, so that they can get the perspective of younger dentists. I had too much to do today to spend another hour on something else, and I was at risk of cutting out any time I might have to exercise or even time with the family, but I can tell you that in 5 years' time, I think I'll be pretty glad I had that conversation today.
Time invested well, seed planted onto other things, let it grow.
I did that with this person 8 years ago, and it's worked well; there's no reason to think it wouldn't work for another 5.
Blog Post Number - 4265
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