Chiropractic Practice: An Olympic Sport?
Have you been watching the winter Olympics this year? I’m from the northeast and my wife is from Minnesota. We’re no strangers to the snow, and love the winter games. What a display of talent and execution! As I’m watching the technical aspects of each event, I’m in awe how precise the athletes are in all aspects of their sport. They are true professionals.
Just recently we were on a short ski trip with some friends. Their two kids had never been on skis, while our son has been on skis every winter since he could stand. Watching these six and seven year olds struggling to grasp this new concept then negotiate with their muscles to stop and turn on the snow was quite a scene. Our son was zipping around them trying to show them what to do, and it occurred to me how ineffective he was at helping them.
When my wife, a former downhill racer and ski instructor, started guiding them through the basic principles, the light bulbs began to come on.
Now what was the difference? My wife and son both could ski, but only my wife owns, understands and can communicate the principles needed to ski properly. As you can guess her approach, with expertise, was much more effective than my six year old saying, hey watch me.
Why is it that when we come out of school with our chiropractic degree we automatically assuming we are Olympians? Experts in all aspects of opening and running a successful practice. There’s no doubt that as clinicians we’re prepared to treat patients exiting school. But come on, we haven’t been training intensely for years to market and manage a business, staff and office procedures? No wonder the success rate of new Chiropractors is atrocious, and student loan defaults rank among the worst of any profession. To be the Olympian in your new chiropractic office, you need to train in all aspects of the business. Operating at peak performance in all aspects of your trade consistently. That’s the definition of a true professional, and leads to ultra success!
As you start preparing for your new chiropractic practice, take a moment and ask yourself
, where do I stand? Am I seasoned professional, able to execute turns, moguls, jumps and ski through the trees?
More likely there are many aspects of your business that need studied and perfected before heading down the black diamond into your chiropractic practice.
Question: What are your weak areas, and how do you plan to overcome them?
