"Logic, Chiropractic, and then Medicine." I am repeating something told to me one day many years ago and I have never forgotten the importance of this statement. I have used this principal to govern my actions in day-to-day practice. This principal, along with a focus on being the best I can be as a CBP practitioner has never failed me. For me, CBP emanates what Chiropractic is; in it's purist form.
When it came to building a practice I instinctively applied the same principle! I applied logic to what I heard and put it in context. This meant removing the grandstanding and the self promoting infomercials and really listening and thinking through everything that was presented as solutions. Building a practice requires that we stretch our thought process/comfort zone on several levels. Each of us may have different issues to tackle; but applying logic when stretching our thought process /comfort zone can never be overlooked.
There are three general principles one needs to follow when building or maintaining any level of a practice. First is the benefit of effective systems, procedures and order within your practice. This principle is almost universal in design regardless of where you practice. The second principal is regional; factors one needs to consider in building or maintaining a practice. The requirement for effective development of a practice within the heart of New York City is dramatically different than those in the heartland of upstate New York. Lastly, the third principle is doctor individuality. As doctors of Chiropractic we have many belief systems in common. The flip side to this is we are all very different. It is important for each doctor to enhance the positive side of their individuality.
When considering a practice management person or group, here is some of the questions I would ask and then apply my own logic to their responses:
- How may years have you been in active practice as the primary adjusting doctor?
- Did you start up your practice or did you buy an existing practice?
- Where was your practice located?
- How many practices did you have? past and present?
- This might sound funny but make the connection of years in practice to their family dynamic; are they single or married, is their wife a chiropractor, are there children? What was the timeline in relation to their practice? In other words, were they starting a practice with other responsibilities requiring their time and attention or did other responsibilities come later, after the practice was established?
- How may years have you been in practice management?
- Names and location of the top ten practices that they consult/ manage? Are these doctors still in practice?
Management has its place but it can't replace logic and some of the non-physical laws that govern our existence, such as compassion, empathy, etc… Management, at times, oversteps its boundaries. If there is one inherent fault with management, it is that they try to hang onto a client longer than they should. A good teacher (coach) knows what they can teach. At a certain point, a good teacher knows when to stop teaching. At this point, the teacher needs to let that student go, either to succeed or fail on their own, and in this process, learn even more than he could if he stayed on as a student. During this time a student will learn what he knows and what he doesn't. This is how one gets to the next level, and maybe, moves to the next teacher.
Chiropractic is governed by innate. I innately treat others, as I would want to be treated! I try to never be judgmental or sanctimonious in regards to any patient's decision to choose a medical route to care. After all, whose health is it anyway?
By the way, Don Harrison told this principal to me during a very stressful time in my early years of practice. By using this principal, it kept me focused and I was able to help my wife make some very good health care decisions at a very critical time in her life.
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