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R. J. Chwalek – Pioneer In Strategic, Connective Communication
First and foremost, my father was a problem solver. He solved complex engineering problems as well as mediated some precarious conflicts between groups of people. While he actively took part in developing these solutions, it was his ability to effectively involve others in the process and develop the right foundation for success.
This interrelated, connective, and preparatory structure built with ongoing communication makes it essential for participants to validate and accept the solution. Connective communication is proactive, lessening the impact of variables such as ignorance, stress and emotion, which often override the solution development process.
While my father was a very good communicator, his strong focus on those in need or being wronged, and an immense energy spent solving very complex engineering problems caused a fault line in his "corporate success" trajectory.Read what I have written, review the images I have presented, and what he said in these recorded interviews. Then we can discuss how we can take what he did with communication and add to it -- vital promotion of your dental expertise -- and deliver a more effective public health solution - not just a few clinical ones here and there.
His “fault line” centered around his inability to back down when he saw the wrong direction being taken, which is one reason his successes are not as well known, as his background suggests.
From what I know, he also did not “promote” himself as an expert and was more focused on his “clinical/engineering” prowess. While the “my work will speak for itself” concept can be helpful, it is made more difficult when you are focused on doing things right in a world where “success” is not always related to doing it “right”. However, the “nose to the grindstone” philosophy can mean you look up just in time to see everything going by you.
One of the reasons I am writing about my father is how his superior “clinical abilities” and lack of promotional assertiveness is similar to the dentists I work with. He was not so much against promoting himself, but in his day people still thought your work would get noticed and from that you would get the promotions and raises you deserved. As you can see and hear, he did exceptional work – but he needed to expand his network beyond the company he worked for so he was not totally relying on them for his career and financial success.
> This picture shows my father standing next to the plane Tyrone Power flew "around the world". He painted most of the flags you can see on the nose of Tyrone's plane. His first job after the war, was as a plane tech at Santa Monica airport in California.
- Click to see Tyrone Power next to same plane (goes to another website).
- Link to back of photo with explanation of event by my father.
ARTICLE CONTINUED...
Dentists are often as insular in their promotional network. “My patients will refer me if I do good work for them.” This made a lot more sense when most dentists had almost the same skills and training, when your back fence was actually short enough to talk over, and when dentists actually lived in the same neighborhood as many of their patients.
Maybe I am just a proud son thinking you should know who my father was. But the reality is too many consumers don’t even know where a dentist office is in their town. Over 50% avoid the dentist and many of them have little idea that dentistry has improved significantly and why they should pay much more for it.
And as noted in my January 2009 dental marketing consulting newsletter, from 1996 to 2004 the percentage of dental visits did not increase. The undeniable diagnosis: the lack of a dynamic, connective communication structure for dental health development has caused bleeding gums of ignorance. Generic dental marketing flossing is doing little to keep our public teeth stable, in place and confident looking.
TWO COMPELLING • Real Life Stories of CONNECTIVE Communication.
In this article I have included audio of my father overcoming extremely difficult and complex problems with his communication skills: one as 17-year-old sailor in 1943 and the other as an automotive engineer in the 1960s.
> PHOTO: Carrier Crew - however, not his Naval Base Boot Camp group
I recorded these interviews of my father in 2000 along with many additional interviews about his life. When he died in September 2008, I rediscovered these interviews. Sometimes it takes real life at its most powerful to slow us down and grasp what is most important.
He gave me some of these skills and I have tried to improve on what he started me out with. Hopefully you can find some vital nuggets to improve your communication strategies as well.
My Father • RJ Chwalek’s Background
In 1974 my father, was laid off from his job as an automotive engineer--I was 12 years-old. From his own perspective, it happened because he was a thorn in the side of short sighted and short-term focused “leaders” and their strategies. While he went on to accomplish other very important goals, his career in the automotive industry ended.
Ironically, from what I can see, his abilities would have been very useful over the last 30 years. Once again, I might have a conflict of interest in my viewpoint, but you can see and listen for yourself.
He worked for over 20 years at Bendix Corporation in South Bend, Indiana. As Bendix’s youngest Chief Engineer at 39, he also worked with some familiar Detroiters: John DeLorean, Lee Iacocca, Henry Ford II, as well as Australian inventor Arthur Bishop. He worked on Tomorrow’s Car: as profiled in Popular Mechanics, August 1964 (cover pictured first part of article and article pages and enlarged cover linked below).
MORE PHOTOS
- Enlarged Cover of Popular Mechanics, August 1964
- First Page of article: Tomorrow’s Car
- Inside Page: pedal-less brake system - some explanation by my father
For all the big egos he bumped into and once in a lifetime things he did, his success path was almost completely focused on problem solving. He was very proficient at achieving success through his strategic, ethical and respectful connective communication approach. While you will hear in his own words that some of it came to him as an innate talent, he also worked on these skills. This training included what he considered the most important continuing education (CE) he was involved in, which was from Kepner-Tregoe.
The initial recorded segment will take us back to an earlier time when the “Greatest Generation” was first making its way in the world. In 1943, as a 17-year-old at the Great Lakes Naval Station, my father showed his innate abilities in connective communication. This story is even more pertinent with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict exploding again in violence, destruction and death.
Listen for how my father made it almost impossible for the situation to deteriorate into violence. He walks into the middle of tremendous tension without pre-conditions – using his foundation of connective involvement. The aggressors rely on him and this reliance (not force) improves communication clarity and makes the right solution undeniable and unavoidable.
In the second recorded story, we move ahead about 20 years. My father is now part of a team put together by a VP at Bendix from various disciplines that traveled around the country and overseas to solve various engineering problems. This problem was located very close to home, at a plant that supplied the U-Joints for a well know automotive company: Willy’s Jeep – the precursor of the Jeep Cherokee and the other Chrysler Jeep models.
This audio of my father focuses on a U-joint problem Willy’s Jeep had as they were moving from selling mainly to the military and now bulking up their consumer division. The main plant engineer and other line technicians could not figure out why the U-Joint, which is engages the four wheel drive, was not coming off the line the way it had during the war years. Click a link: part one is about 20 minutes - part two less than 3.
- Part One: Finding Answers to Willy’s Jeep “U-Joint problem".
- Part Two: Conclusion, Willy's Jeep, Problem Solved!
CONCLUSION
Really being one of the best, as I believe my father was, only happens when others trust and follow your lead. To be focus on only being a good clinician, and not developing a communication strategy for yourself and your dental practice, means few people will know about the value you offer and worst yet, not experience it. You can keep the percentages where they are at for dental visits or you can lead by constructing and connective communication environment.
Communication creates opportunities while holding everything of value together. Family, friends, people, consumers, patients, even adversaries (those who still rely too much on dental insurance) – want something better for themselves. You need to give them the opportunity to make a change NOW rather than later. Waiting for the perfect opportunity reduces the chance for any opportunity.
The fear of dentistry seems to be as strong in consumers as the fear and/or loathing dentists have in communicating assertively and consistently about its benefits. What have you communicated lately? What if your patients or the public reacts negatively to your dental marketing? That could be very problematic. Maybe you need allies. Perhaps you need to take bold action to survive and thrive. You could avoid this confrontation and possibly make out all right, but what if merely a few words could dramatically improve the situation?
While stepping in front of 40 rough-hewn, angry sailors (WWII story audio) is more then most of would do at the drop of a hat, stopping the ravages of oral health requires that more than a few good men and women step up to the challenge. And as far as I know, you already took the oath to solve that problem.
Too many consumers are still dental health MIA – we can find more of them and bring them in with a more advanced level of dental marketing communication. Now is the time to build your connective communication structure. Compared to the anemic percentages and near zero growth in dental visits of the last 10 years, the affects of the current economy seemed to be almost irrelevant.
Without this type of communication structure, the first rule of health care will continue to fall by the wayside. Do near zero dental marketing and the chances of doing harm are fairly obvious.
> PS: I found this online late last year. I was searching for other public information about my father: this link should get you to the book Driven by Ideas, about Arthur Bishop, and my father's name in the index.
Dental Communication Commentary by Dick Chwalek
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> PHOTO: My father with a Navy buddy.
