Years ago, I decided to combine on-the-job training skills with formal education and be a consultant while co-creating clinics and the company now known as The Pettibon System®. This series is based on first-hand experience and it is my profound hope that something shared may spark a change in your life or reignite a passion. One could offer many platitudes about the beauty of teamwork, the attributes of the players, and the dedication to humanity. Surely, all of them would be appropriate. The truth is that there is no magic potion to turn the basic core of a human being from being unaware and self-absorbed into an empathetic healer. No matter how great a team leader one may be, he or she cannot transform the soul of another. My message is: what you see when you hire is what you get. Also, how about the old adage, "You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." My first contract took me completely across the country, alone, to test my abilities. Nervous, but resolute, I walked into the clinic to find not a soul in the waiting room. The only staff member present to greet me was sitting with her head down while polishing her nails. I waited to give her the opportunity to greet me, but I did not exist to her. When her nails were done, I cleared my throat and she asked me what she could do for me. When I told her my name and my purpose, she did not seem embarrassed, fazed, or concerned that she had not even noticed that I had entered the building. Practice Building 101 dictates that the team has someone at the front desk who really loves people. I knew then that the hiring practices in this office needed a new perspective. My job had just become more interesting. The bottom line on this misplaced employee was that the person who hired her put no importance on the front desk position and employed the first warm body that applied. Her work history included six months at an auto repair shop answering the phones. I also think she may have been a relative twice removed and just needed work temporarily. This woman did not like being there and was vocal about it. She was very relieved when the decision was made for her to pursue her dreams elsewhere. Through the years, I have met teams from many clinics. Most have been blessed with good folks who work with them, but many have experienced a massive learning curve to finally understand the simple principles of hiring. One needs to remember something very important when adding a person to a clinic: healing hearts are compassionate, empathetic, and critical to every position. Humans with a deep, abiding love for their fellow man are an asset when that quality is coupled with business acumen and common sense. These attributes are critical to growing a practice. Assess your team right now by answering the following questions: What is the ultimate goal for our practice? What tasks that I presently do in the clinic can I share with staff? When I share some of my workload, what would it mean to me professionally and personally? (For example: If I shared more of my workload, I could leave the office when everyone else does and spend more time with my family.) What attributes does each of my team members have? Am I utilizing them and their abilities to grow the practice? Do I have the players in the right positions? When was the last time any of my staff referred to our clinic? When was the last time I evaluated my staff for their spinal health? When was the last time we shared a discussion about the positive results as shared by patients? When was the last time I felt excitement about going to the clinic? Have you ever noticed how complacent people can become after being in a position for a while? They don't even look at your face as they process your order; they talk in a monotone, bored tone; they tell you they don't know and do not offer a suggestion as to who might be able to help you; or their body language clearly advises they don't want to be with you or in this place. Perhaps it is time for the leader (doctor) to walk through the clinic and pay particular attention to the interaction of staff and patients. People who are not well organized tend to run around with their agendas in hand and their negative energy affects everyone on the team. Often the doctor is the culprit, sabotaging his or her own office. Once in a while, he or she is blessed with honest, caring teammates who confront the issue and offer their help. Practice-building and the increasing satisfaction of the team are synonymous. Sometimes just entering an office was enough to tell me that there was a problem with the team. Negative energy might as well come with a long, red banner trailing throughout the corridors; it is palpable. The "a-ha moment" for most clinicians assessing their clinic is when I ask them if they are having as much fun taking care of folks as they had in the beginning? Many share that the rules imposed by state and federal laws and statutes and the witch hunt for fraud has bled the joy out of practicing. For the most part, chiropractors who leave the profession do so because they are not inspired to remain. They are no longer encouraged by their belief that chiropractic is the answer to many healthcare problems. They are no longer motivated to get up and fight to be paid. They are not enthused to hire people who quit or have to be fired. They lost their passion. I profoundly hope we reach you before you have lost your reason. Let's fire up some passion and see where the path leads. Do yourself the favor and see your office through a stranger's eyes. What do visitors hear, see, feel, enjoy, and fear when they enter your doors? Doctor, if you should discover it is yourself and not your team that is the problem, there are things to consider to repair your soul and fire up some heartfelt joy. For those of you who want to ask questions as we proceed, you may e-mail them to me at [email protected]. My passion is helping folks to be the best they can be at whatever position they hold within a clinical setting. This is what I know and believe: we who have been fortunate enough to be able to make a difference in the lives of others have an obligation to strive for excellence. It is my profound hope that this series may reach just one person looking for positive answers to a negative problem. Sharon Freese-Pettibon, President of The Pettibon System, Inc, has been in the chiropractic trenches for 39 years. She ran a successful staff training and practice development consulting company for Pettibon practitioners and set up 12 chiropractic clinics. Her passion is seeing people succeed. Sharon can be reached at 888-774-6258 or [email protected].
