Motivation or Business Systems?

Vince Covino

Legacy Consulting

Boise, ID

vince@SuccedwithLegacy.com

Mr. Vince Covino is a Chiropractic Consultant with Legacy Consulting, they currently work with 200 doctors in 37 states creating personal and financial success. Note: Investment advisory services provided by Prospera Financial Services, Inc. an SEC registered investment advisor.

INTRODUCTION

The majority of chiropractors have at one time or another attended a chiropractic seminar, but have never attended business seminars that are frequently held for dentists or physicians. At these events, no one is preaching to fill more cavities, nor will you hear anyone ranting on the need to perform more root canals. Instead you would hear detailed advice on how to develop an efficient and effective business model by thinking and acting like a business owner. The sad irony is that most chiropractors would benefit more by attending business “boot camp” than just another traditional trade seminar.

If you have been to the variety of chiropractic conventions like I have, you've probably witnessed (at least once) a parade of overly-enthusiastic motivational coaches. The rally cry of such presentations is that you simply need to see more patients. Ostensibly saving more lives which requires putting in longer hours, in essence, work harder and you might make more money. In the end these “rocky moments” can be very inspirational, but the inspiration eventually tends to wane and soon dies out when faced with the rigors of the day leaving you to reflect, wondering why things haven’t improved the way the presenter passionately described.

Work Smarter not Harder

The fact is that working harder does not always equal better results. For example, you could put all the electricity you want to a lamp with a burned out bulb and not get any light. If the system itself is impaired, it may in fact take more and more energy to get the same results, or may even lead to diminished results. You have heard the old adage “work smarter not harder”, but what does that really mean? It’s a fact of life that unskilled labor generates less capital for the organization than skilled labor. Why is the person on the line paid less than the person running the organization? It’s not because she is expending anymore energy, it is because she knows how to use the energy proficiently in a systematized way, so that all the effort put into work at the end of the day actually creates the desired outcome. Granted this is basic, but when a system (or office) is poorly organized, more labor has to be invested and more energy consumed just to sustain it. The outcome in this scenario is frequently organizational inefficiency and decline.

Motivation vs. Business Systems

Not recognizing the need for office systems, many chiropractors find themselves perpetually trying to motivate their staff. As you well know, this effort is seldom effective and short lived at best. The obvious solution therefore, is to hire motivated staff, easier said than done I realize. Hiring self-motivated people into an office that has structure, accountability and measurement (key performance indicators) is the foundation for any successful practice. A motivated staff is then taught to work on recognizing duty prioritization within the workflow of your practice. These focused efforts allow staff to be effective in their roles and is in it-self a motivator as they see themselves accomplishing tasks on a daily basis. Real inspiration and motivation then result; both are essential to vibrant practice.

They know that empowering themselves to do better business, taking care of themselves and their families, actually frees them to not only offer the best service to their patients, but to do more good for the wellness of their communities.

SUMMARY

Chiropractors can take a page from dentists, doctors and other professionals that embrace solid practice management techniques. Health comes from strength, and strength comes from empowerment of knowledge. The smarter you organize your practice business systems, the more effective you and your office will be in helping the people in your community. Most Chiropractors I know are not “all about the money”, but remember, that profit does matter.