True to the KISS principle it is pretty clear – Your practice and everything in it is either growing or it is dying – there is no standing still. You can’t hold it where it was last week, last month or last year let alone 10 years ago. In fact, if you are not growing you are going backwards.
If you are not continually working on your practice, revising systems, training your team, improving delivery, mastering communication, educating your people and stimulating the community your practice will wear down.
If you’re not continually doing these things you’ll have to put more effort and money into your office just to keep it ‘above water’.
The sad truth is that unless you are in the fortunate position of being an associate in a well-managed practice the practice of Chiropractic will be so much more than just taking care of your practice members. If you own your practice you must pay attention to this necessary component of practice.
There is a natural tendency amongst chiropractors to coast when all is well at home or in practice and to panic when all is not well.
If you find yourself experiencing a lack of growth, it can be traced back to a lack of input on your part. It’s not someone else’s fault, it’s not the economy, the government, big pharma or the chiro haters. It’s not outside causes that control you. The issue is that you are not actively working on your business. Without this, there can be no sustained growth.
“Are you willing to do what it takes to be successful?”
Its been said that problems in the workplace are infrequently people problems (although that is what it appears on the surface). The majority of problems are systems problems. The system is what’s not working and when the proverbial ‘hits the fan’ we often throw the ‘baby out with the bathwater’. When something doesn’t work we give up on it. When a system doesn’t function we blame the people and get rid of the person who was causing the trouble leaving the offending system plugging along ready to entrap its next victim.
So let’s have a look at the three critical elements of a well functioning system
- The system itself
- The people assigned to run the system
- The application of the system
Firstly, let’s consider the system itself
The system must be based on your practice’s core values.
- You practice’s purpose must permeate every aspect of your practice’s function and operation. Your purpose must be expressed at the most minute level of your practice’s operations.
- The system must be outcome oriented. For every system in your practice, there must be a purpose. The purpose defines the outcome that the system will achieve.
- The system must be designed to be as simple a possible. The simpler a system is the better but also it must be no simpler because then people will make it up as they go.
- A system must involve the minimal number of steps. Try the test of particle flow analysis when you are designing a system. Make sure that there are a minimal number of steps involved in the system. If a particle of information needs to go from point A to point Z then design as few stops as possible along the way. For every stop on the particle’s journey, there is an opportunity for it to be altered, distorted, delayed, misinterpreted or misconstrued. Every time a person has to make a decision on and interact with a piece of information there is an increased opportunity for the information to be corrupted, damaged or have its intent reshaped.
- The bottom line is that the system must work. This is a very pragmatic position. It is a test against the reason or overriding purpose that the practice exists. The New Zealand America’s Cup winning team had a simple question around every one of their systems – it was “Does it make the boat go faster?” This was quite simple really. No matter what, the question had to be does this specific action improve our performance.
Now, here’s a task for you.
Apply this simple test to every one of your practice’s systems and operations? I guarantee that you will be amazed and horrified as to how you are shooting yourself in the foot costing you in time, money and depriving you of the opportunity to serve more people. All this is accomplished by delivering contradictory systems.
If you really can’t find anything contact us and we will give you a complimentary assessment of the violations of this vital necessity.
Secondly, let’s consider the people assigned to run the system.
While this topic could cover many pages of lengthy discussion it is useful to consider whether you have the right people in the right position for the given position in a system.
The many types of people in this world are best suited for some positions or activities better than others. Suitability ranges from temperament, physical size, shape and stature to the myriad of neurological differences that make us distinct.
Many people spend a lifetime trying to fit into a mould that they are not cut out for. Square pegs don’t fit into round holes (unless you destroy the peg or the hole in forcing the process).
Because you have done something in a certain way in the past does not mean that you must continue to do it that way in the future. A useful question to ask is whether your future must equal your past?
Are you chained to a life of struggle and mediocrity just because that is the way its always been – can you break the chains?
Many people consider their life to be just what it is with little chance of it changing. In other words, if someone’s successful they’ll always be successful, or if a chiropractor has an average practice and life he or she is doomed to stay there and experience more of the same.
The truth is, your past does NOT equal your future – unless you want it to.
There is always scope for you to redefine how you slot into the system that you have taken to be true for you. Are you forcing yourself into it? Are you in struggle? Are your systems producing the outcomes that you want?
The third area is to apply the systems that you have chosen.
Showing up at the gym to work out is a great first step, but you need to move on to the real thing -the workout. Likewise, many practitioners mistakenly think that the effort in just showing up for work is enough to have an amazing practice. Sorry, it’s about lots of hard work on top of your significant presence.
“To become successful and outstanding at something, we don’t have to come up with something new; we need only find ways of doing it better.”—Earl Nightingale
You can change yourself and your practice anytime that you decide. So often it is the smallest of tweaks that make the biggest of differences. But it still comes down to you. You must decide to take the step to reinvent yourself and up-skill your systems.
Practice requires a constant process of upskilling, upgrading and training. This is why they call it practice – the day of the big game, the grand final is every day – right there with your next practice member. You must be prepared. You must be on your game. Not preparing is like entering a triathlon with no preparation. If you rock up unprepared you’re in for a rude awakening.
Ever have the nightmare where you arrive in class unprepared for a test? Most chiropractic colleges haven’t prepared us for lifelong learning. We must accept that now, more than ever we have to continually train and study to grow professionally and personally to just keep up with the rapid pace of societies development.
Ask sports figures how far natural talent takes them. It may get them into the top team but it won’t keep them there. They must continually train or it’s back to the lower grades.
As coaches, we’re constantly amazed at what chiropractors invest in rather than in themselves. So often houses, cars, shares and the rest of the physical world comes before the most important asset that you have – your life, your mind, your chiropractic skills and knowledge.
Throwing yourself into investing in yourself and your profession easily becomes a way of life – it just takes discipline. Commit yourself to certain money, time, energy or attention to be applied to certain aspects of your daily activities. Make sure that the systems of your life are constantly being reinvented and rediscovered, reborn and regenerated.
This process of excellence is a circular thing. Your practice growth begins with YOUR personal growth – but at the same time personal growth comes from practice growth – one begets the other. You can’t have one without the other.
So, get to it and Keep Improving your Simple Systems.
