Intelligence has been in the news a lot recently, specifically with respect to “artificial intelligence.” The technology is interesting, but it remains to be seen whether AI responses are truly intelligent or simply mimicking our expectations of intelligent responses.

AI can easily generate content that meets our preconceived notions of intelligence … grammatically perfect responses filled with facts and figures. But there have been some well-publicized AI errors that indicate these systems still have a long way to go. They can regurgitate and synthesize information, but appear to lack the vital critical-thinking skills that we also expect from intelligence.

Einstein’s criteria for intelligence

Albert Einstein famously said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” To be clear, he is not talking about change solely for the sake of change. He’s referring to change that is informed and motivated by a desire to improve.

True intelligence isn't just about book smarts. It's about our ability to adapt, learn, and grow. In a world that's constantly changing, the ability to think on our feet, embrace new ideas, and adjust to new factors and evolving situations is more important than ever.

Rather than being rigid and resistant to change, truly intelligent individuals are open-minded and curious. They're always seeking new knowledge, exploring different perspectives, and challenging their own assumptions. This flexibility allows them to solve problems creatively, innovate effectively, and seize goals and opportunities that others might miss.

Practice and team intelligence

When it comes to your practice and team, intelligence is the blended result of everyone working together. A highly intelligent team develops a mindset that every day is an opportunity to do better than the day before. Improvement and growth for each individual, for the team as a whole, and for the results achieved by the practice is a steady focus.

Many practices want to operate at that level of positive innovation and growth, but struggle to do so. Often, it’s not due to a lack of ability, but competing worthwhile objectives that can interfere. For example, consistency is also highly valued in teams and business operations. That often creates an emphasis on fixed predictable processes, which can be at odds with the goal of making intelligent changes.

In my view, the best measure of practice intelligence for doctors is to look at their goals. First, have those goals meaningfully evolved from year to year, and has the practice kept up with new goals and achieved the results you expect and want? Second and equally important, within the broader context of endodontic practices in general, are your goals in alignment with comparable practices and are you responding to your opportunities as well as your peers?

To evaluate your practice goals and get a comparative understanding of your practice relative to other practices and possibilities in endodontics, take advantage of a complimentary practice analysis with Endo Mastery:

• Schedule your free practice analysis with Debra Miller