Today’s Lesson in Excellence…
To be the best, you have to give it your best. Excellence is more than a state of mind; it is a commitment. Over the last few, months we spoke of attitude and organization. This month, we will speak of systems. An excellent office is about the entire office buying into the program of success. An excellent doctor with a poor staff will have a mediocre practice.
Are You Trying to Do It All?
Take a few minutes before each task to ask yourself if you are the only one who can do it. Do you want to keep doing it? Can it be delegated? If so, to whom?
Delegation done poorly is worse than doing everything yourself. However, you can multiply your productivity when you become an expert at delegating duties and authority to others. By issuing a clear request, and receiving a commitment in return, you can leverage your time and accomplish far more—rather than working alone and accomplishing less. The secret is to reach a clearly established agreement of exactly what needs to get done, by when, and by whom. The great clinics I have studied have imposed this formula. The world is moving to larger clinics: clinics offering more technology and more specialties all under one roof. Doctors are looking for same store growth to deliver more profit. My clients are familiar with the importance of systems; the key component to any system is proper delegation.
You’ll never get to what’s most important when all your time is spent doing things you could have delegated. I ran six offices, yet could only be in one place at one time. Find out what you like to do and do it. Find out what you don’t like to do and delegate it.
Today’s Quest…
What tasks on your To Do List can you delegate today?
Which more important task would you be working on right now, if you had the time?
What jobs on your desk right now could be delegated to someone else? A doctor should never have a cluttered desk. Take a day, maybe Saturday, and clear your desk. This act of production will make way for a more organized week. Be a leader; leaders lead by example. You must be committed, to succeed. A lack of commitment suggests you may never get to the action part of your plan. You continually delay implementing a plan because you’re not sure which direction will guarantee success. You can deliberate the possible outcomes for days on end, and never make any real progress. You spend hours trying to arrive at your best guess, but never think to test your theories, and let the real world tell you which is correct. This month, I ask you to test yourself, to exceed your limits. There is no speed zone on the road to success. Put your foot on the gas and let go of the brakes. Only you can hold yourself back….
Leadership is defined as the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it. Is your intention to heal the world? It is an honest admirable intention. But, remember, you can only touch one person at a time. Yet, how do the great ones see two hundred patients a day? This is done by utilizing three criterion:
1. Having a commitment to excellence,
2. Acquiring the ability to delegate philosophy, commitment, protocols,
3. Being willing to put in the time, whatever time is necessary, to achieve numbers1 and 2.
For a long time, it seemed to me that my practice was about to take off, but there was always some obstacle in the way. Something had to be resolved first: some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last, it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
You can get more of what you want done, if you simply stop confusing EFFORT with RESULTS.
Again, I ask you: Is your level of organization sufficient…or is it an impediment to your success? Be honest. Be honest with yourself.
How much is this area of your performance costing you? Are you putting in 100% effort? Do you work everyday? Is your office working for you when you are not there? Are you working harder and not smarter? Is your lack of organization wearing you out and wearing you down…draining your physical and mental energy level?
Is terminal frustration setting in, whacking your attitude and causing you to lose hope in your goals and plans? This is a disease common among doctors today: “Hardening of the Attitudes”
Does a lack of organization make it difficult for you to find other people to help you…reducing your interpersonal synergy and leverage?
Do your systems hold you back from taking bold action…perpetually making things far more difficult and harder on yourself than necessary?
Do poor systems and procedures cost you precious time and money?
Obstacles are a fact of life. “It is the rocks in the stream that give the river its music.” Are you sufficiently organized to overcome them? If not, why not?
Look at Coca Cola, Wendy’s, Burger King, Subway, KFC, and Domino’s. Last year, I lectured at the Presidents Conference in Arizona to presidents of these and other leading billion dollar companies. At the end, I received a standing ovation, not as much as for my content, but for my perception of their success and my energy. The success of these companies is based on two components:
1. Successful Branding/Marketing
2. Systems
Go to one of these stores in any State and observe how they are all similar. They are clean and all run quickly. This is what the consumer wants. Rarely is an owner on site.
Yet, many of my doctors, prior to signing with me, will not take a vacation. They are scared they will have no practice when they return. With proper systems, delegation and implementation are simple and effective.
I believe the difference that made my practices was not effort, not philosophy, but replicable systems and proactive management. Whether you’re a straight DC practice a DC/PT or a DC/PT/MD, without replicable systems, you will fail. Regardless of the practice you have, the first line of business should be building sound replicable systems.
Get More of the RIGHT Things Done this Month…
Create systems to help automate your most productive activities.
Sometimes a small shift in perspective gives you a huge shift in power. Patients can smell confidence and organization, as easily as dogs can smell fear. A confident doctor will delegate and a confident on purpose staff can follow through.
The Bottom Line…
If you have a great attitude, crystal-clear goals, rock-solid plans, and an army of people to help you, you are well on your way to the success you desire.
However, if you do not have the organizational systems necessary to support your efforts, they will torpedo your success. But, if you do and if you implement them, the world is your oyster.
1. Be PROACTIVE! What decision have you been agonizing over for too long? Take action.
2. Be PRACTICAL! Thought of any new ideas today? Where could you test them out? Keep it simple.
3. Be PRAGMATIC! What will it cost you to test and see vs. stalling forever and still not knowing? Just a level of success.
Making a plan is never enough. You must take action. You can modify your plan as you go, but success depends on your ability to put your plans into action! Stop getting ready to get ready. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% experimentation. Don’t wait until the last detail has been determined. Start by putting your plans into action immediately. Test. Observe. Correct. Repeat until you succeed.
Dr. Eric S. Kaplan, is CEO of Multidisciplinary Business Applications, Inc. (MBA), a comprehensive coaching firm with a successful, documented history of creating profitable multidisciplinary practices nationwide. For more information, call 561-626-3004.