I've seen all good people turn their heads each day, so satisfied I'm on my way

I was recently asked to serve on the CDA Foundation Board of Advisors. While this is an honor, it was a little frightening as well. The CDA Foundation is our charitable fund, and it was started in 2001. Right now, we provide grants to community dental clinics, and provide tuition relief grants to recent graduates who are serving in low-income areas or other areas of the state with poor access to dental care. Our primary goal is to provide greater access to dental care in California, especially to children and to the elderly who don't have dental coverage through insurance or government programs.

Some of the success stories are very touching, and emotions run close to the surface. We have had many successes, but we can't help with every worthy project.

That is where we come in. The Board of Directors voted to appoint a Board of Advisors. Our responsibility is to help to capitalize the fund so that we can make a bigger difference to the underserved in California (no, that didn't say the undeserved!). So we are a committee of ambassadors and fundraisers.

I attended our second meeting in Sacramento yesterday (we were at the circus during the first one). It is an interesting concept to me to fly 400 miles for a four-hour meeting, then fly home, but I enjoyed it. Sacramento was gorgeous (for Chrissy and Matt, I'm referring to the weather). I arrived three hours before the meeting started, and found a bench by the Cathedral on the K Street Mall (this is right by our CDA building, and a block north of the capitol), and read and enjoyed the fresh air until it was meeting time. Please see my book report below.

I met dentists from all over the state, and we had to time to socialize before and after. Tom Wilson, who is a philanthropic fundraising consultant (I bet he enjoys using that title), gave us a great presentation. We shared a cab back to airport, and he said he rarely sees the level of enthusiasm that our group has.

When we introduced ourselves at the beginning of the meeting, I was struck by the absence of ego. In that room were four Past-Presidents of the California Dental Association, as well as the current President and President-Elect of CDA, many of our CDA Trustees, and a number of component officers (like me). I sat among some the elite of our state's dental leadership yesterday. And yet no one mentioned position or tried to present themselves as someone important. It reminded me of our Stake High Council (where I also feel dwarfed), where we have a unity of purpose and we sit as a group of equals. It is a special privilege to be part of something like that. I suppose true selfless service brings that out.

I'll have more updates on my activities. Next week I return to Sacramento for a Membership Recruitment and Retention Seminar (sounds a little like missionary work, doesn't it?).

I should mention that it is years of training in the Church that has brought me these leadership opportunities in dentistry (no riches, just leadership opportunities), and the chance to associate with some awesome people. I can't help but feel great gratitude for these experiences. My church service has enhanced my dental service and vice versa. I never imagined I would be President of my Dental Society (next year), nor did I seek to be, but the things I have learned over the years about conducting meetings, following through, etc. have positioned me here. I wish I could thank everyone who made a difference in my life. I am unable to do so. But if you have read this far, you are probably one of those who has made a difference, so I thank you for being an important part of my life.

By the way, our fundraising goal is $39 million. If any of you need a great tax deduction for a great cause, let me know (not all at once, please).

So listen, so learn, so read on, you´ve got to turn the page . . .

I went to a meeting in Sacramento yesterday (more about that later). On the flight up, and while I waited for the meeting to begin, I read a great book. In fact, it was wonderful just to sit outside on the K Street Mall and enjoy the good weather and the sunshine.

I have really enjoyed Patrick Lencioni's books. He is a prominent management consultant who teaches through (semi-) fictional stories, in which the protagonist learns the principles that Pat wishes to teach. It isn't great literature, but I find myself sucked into the stories, and I have learned along with the protagonists. After the happy ending, there is a summary of the principles with additional practical applications. A Past-President of the California Dental Association turned me on to Lencioni's writing, and I have liked all of his books.

In The 3 Big Questions, we meet the Cousins family, Theresa, Jude, and their 4 children. They are typical of the families we know: very busy, very frantic, and overwhelmed at times. Jude made the comment to Theresa "If my clients ran their companies the way we run this family, they'd be out of business." Those could be fighting words in our home. Theresa decided to explore this instead of sulking. She was taught by her husband's partner in the consulting firm what they teach their clients. Then she distilled it into a useful, simpler formula and put it to work in her family. When she began to see positive results, she was elated. Then she began teaching it to her friends.

The three questions are these:
1. What makes your family unique? The answers to this question provide a basis for making family decisions, and help to provide a focus in our busy lives.
2. What is your family's top priority---your rallying cry---right now? This serves as the primary family goal for the next two to six months. This helps to get you out of Covey's Quadrant One.
3. How do you talk about and use the answers to these questions? This is where the first two answers are implemented. The benefits come when the answers are used in day-to-day decision-making and planning.

Some families we know are already doing something similar, but I'm not smart enough to come up with things like this on my own. We will be using it in our family, and I will modify it slightly in my practice, too.

Something else I like about Lencioni is that he posts worksheets on his website for free downloading. Stephen Covey charges for all of his stuff (don't get me wrong on that count---I count Covey as one of the most influential non-fiction writers in my life). You can get the basic worksheet at www.thefranticfamily.com. But I would recommend reading the book to get the full effect. As I said, his other books are excellent, too, and all are quick reads. See his website at www.tablegroup.com. Death By Meeting is particularly good if you are responsible for meetings at work, in Church, or elsewhere. Check them out, and let me know what you think!