Mentorship and Accountability

Mentorship and Accountability

Growth in business is a multifaceted process and takes focus and determination.  The #1 reason that most chiropractors never achieve the practice they dream of is DISTRACTION.  Distraction comes in many forms but the most common is our personal and family lives.  In fact, that is the why it is so difficult to keep on track since the reason we are practicing in the FIRST place is to provide a better personal and family life!  So we have a circle that feeds each other but also creates distraction.  So the burning question is, how do we avoid distraction, create the practice of our dreams, have personal time to grow and think and devote time to family and friends?  Well, if you have that answer you need to find a publisher and start writing!  Thousands have suggested the right path, but to date I would argue that no one has found the true answer, so all we can hope for is to take it day by day and struggle through it.  You see, it is the CHOICE to struggle that will ensure your success however, struggling without guidance or a partner will result in discouragement and eventual failure.  I have had mentors as long as I can remember, some were family members, some were business people, but I always have a network of people that have expereincies that do not which I constantly run ideas and thoughts past.  No one person knows everything.  Here are some points to consider for this program to help you leverage MY experiences and MY network of mentors.  The MD program continues to evolve ahead of you, so having short and long term goals and attaching them to an accountability program is key to success in both business and family life.  Remember, it is not about the AMOUNT of work you do, it is about the TYPE of work that you do…

1:  Email me daily – the simple act of writing down what you did for the day [even if it is nothing] is planning in it simplest form.    It could be an email that says “did nothing today”, “have 2 new patient referrals from the MD office I saw last week”, “struggling need help and focus” or a 500 detailed explanation of your MD meeting or CE lecture.

2:  Have staff email YOU – this is the worst mistake you can make.  I have talked to many of your staff and gotten them on track, I tell them ALL to email me when they are done with an outreach day, guess what???  Less than 1% email me.  IF you are delegating without accountability YOU LOSE!  You need to have people report to you when they are working for you, otherwise you will loose momentum and slide to failure.   Create an excel spreadsheet, save in GOOGLE DRIVE and share the file.  They staff member can update the spreadsheet and you can review when you have time to work.

3:  Use technology – update your computers and give your staff the tools they need to succeed in their positions.  I use MS Office 365 online subscriptions which are $5 per user per month for the basic level.  They download all the MS tools [word, excel etc] to their computer.  You have a integrated calendar, messaging system and a shared file system.  ALL your office work [outside of health records of course] are saved on the shared drive.  That allows EVERYONE to access what you need.  If you do not understand these things, get over it and get trained.  There are training modules through Microsoft and many community education programs are available as well. It is absolutely essential that you understand how to leverage technology to keep up with today’s business requirements.  If you call me and say “I don’t understand computers” I WILL HANG UP ON YOU!

4:  Build a network of providers – when I was in the hospitals building two chiropractic clinics, one was in a level I trauma center, the best part was having providers of different specialties down the hall.  I had an instant network of providers all with different board certifications that I had access to.  It is NO different in practice outside of the hospital environment.  This is ESSENTIAL if you want to work with the primary care medical community you need to have places to send people that need medical management.   To be the PORTAL of entry you have to have answers…here is a list of providers that you need to have in your referral network.  I have had many over the years as relationships in business come and go so you must keep an eye open for new specialists that are looking to grow.  These are your “stable” of providers. THESE GUYS WORK FOR YOU…remember that. 

–    Neurologist – this is for nerve injuries and concussion

–    Surgeon – orthopedic or neurological spine surgeon

–    Interventional Pain Management – this is different from just a pain management MD – this is a type of pain management NOT a specific provider – the one I use is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist which as far as I am concerned is the top of the pain food chain.  These providers lead with injection and functional rehabilitation so they get chiropractic and love it. 

Get your focus and keep it. That is how you get what you want I am here for you.