ASP Retreat I

As a leader, I had the privilege of being part of a life-changing experience. An extraordinary vehicle for open discussion with our team about what we want out of our work. The vulnerability, the honesty, the sharing helped us get a clear vision. Finally, watching a young DDS's efforts pay huge emotional and monetary dividends.

Janet, Laura and I had a ball! That will be a family vacation we will remember fondly. What great beauty and adventure. We look forward to joining you again!

For me, the overall A.S.P. Series was a process that was long overdue for the USA Section. As I stated at Retreat II, this planning technique was entirely different from the others I was involved with. With our continued diligence, I have great faith that this will be of enormous benefit to the Section. In addition, it was a great learning experience for me personally. I believe this will make a difference to me in my practice and in the way I conduct my life.

My involvement in the Environmental Scan was most meaningful part from the retreats. Such work! However, what I learned about everything that will have an effect on the College, the profession of dentistry, and me personally was incredible. That and working with such an energetic, professional committee was a great reward.

For the College, this process set an agenda with a mission and goals for us to proceed in a productive and efficient manner. As we proceed, the Section should gradually strengthen and rise in prestige and influence. For me personally, it helped me to align and realign my life’s priorities. Professionally, it became a method of reexamining the way I conduct my practice and my professional goals.

The first retreat was a great intro to the ASP process and how it differed from other SP processes. It tied together the books we had read by Covey and Sinek, as well as the Organizational Health Survey and other resources you provided us to make sense of what we were going to do and to inspire us to exert the energy to get it done. The Values audit helped us define our core values and how to create a new Mission for the Section.

As we proceeded from the first retreat forward, it was exciting to take all our work and formulate a strategic business model, and then the integrated action plans to give us an actual roadmap and timetable for achieving our goals.

Thanks, Bob, for a wonderful life experience. I believe it will be valuable for the Section and for me personally.

I believe Applied Strategic Planning is a most valuable tool for practice development and team building. After all, I am back for a 3rd time, my 2nd with you. ASP has been an incredible tool for taking my practice from one level to the next. By working with my team to develop our personal visions and by sharing with one another, we build a foundation for creating a vision of our mutual future of choice. When such a group goes through this process of defining values and creating their vision, a very powerful sense of teamwork and mission is realized. This synergy has propelled my practice to new heights each time we have participated in the process. I cannot wait to see how quickly things change again. Thank you for creating such a great process for dentists to use in their practices.

Years before Lucy & I attended your Applied Strategic Planning seminar you had been instrumental in helping me change my office from one in which I was a benevolent dictator to one in which everyone played a role in planning and carrying out shared visions and goals. The ASP Series gave Lucy & me the tools to complete the very important transition to retirement. It really took work to achieve our goals as we proceeded into retiring. Your whole process in the seminar truly guided us each step of the way and for this I will always been indebted to you. My office was truly grateful also. I wanted this to be a win-win-win situation for Lucy & me, for my staff (as many had been with me 25 – 30 yrs) and finally, for my patients. Your ASP Series was vital in me achieving these three goals.

I wanted to thank you for such an enlightening weekend. I’ve been using the Awareness Wheel (positive conflict resolution tool) often and its working! My husband is learning to use it in his business w/employees with great success. The ‘dance’ you and bill do in the workshop is very comfortable and you compliment each other well.

“I have known Bob personally since the mid 1970's and have been a part of his Applied Strategic Planning series in the 90's and have continued to use Bob as a Mentor, being a part of his National Study Group for the past eight years. I can highly recommend him for his incredible expertise in helping you to Know and Truly Understand Yourself, Your Team and Your Personal Life. He has provided a web of intriguing ideas which have virtually transformed my life since I began working with him. And this is not to mention the people he has exposed me to, whom I would have never crossed paths with had I not known Bob. I place Bob at the same level as The Pankey Institute in changing the paradigms of my life and practice.” June 10, 2010

Dear Bob,

What a wonderful, rewarding, productive time. Thank you so much for all you did (and continue to do) to help bring the Dawson Center to its greater potential. In retrospect, I think every minute of the session was critically important to the process. Thank you (and Bill) for your magnificent leadership. And by the way, it was a really fun time. Looking forward to further progress.

Warmest regards,
Pete Dawson
August 6, 2006