July 2004

Let's talk success

by Dr. Madeline Behrendt

In May, I went to the WCA 2004 Summit in Washington, D.C., which energized and excited me. WOW! It was spine‑tingling to be with so many principled chiropractors. Congratulations to the organizers, speakers, and participants, including the Chiropractic Coalition. I know the success of this synergy will move chiropractic forward.

With success on my mind, let's talk about chiropractic and success, and please, send me your thoughts.

When I started chiropractic school, success was defined by size ‑‑ specifically how big your practice was. A BIG problem for me, as I didn't see it that way. No hate mail please, I'm not criticizing high‑volume practices or those who promote this model. Read on...

Prior to chiropractic, I was an executive at one of the top companies in the world where I learned that success is more than just volume. I ask you, does defining chiropractic success as "500 visits per week" say that anyone is getting better? ... more people are being introduced to chiropractic every day? ... the chiropractor is prosperous? ... research documenting clinical results is making news? No, no, no, and no. While a high‑volume practice is an accomplishment, what about all those other things we care about?

As I progressed through school, volume gave way to another size‑oriented model of defining success. This approach embraced size the way sports cars and cell phones do. It was about how small you can get while revving performance. Chiropractic related this model of sleekness to office hours as in, what's the smallest schedule you could work? I didn't see it that way. This was a small problem for me.

I've known top businesspeople and while it's true they play hard, they love to produce and so spend most of their time working! There's a lot to do in chiropractic. Does defining chiropractic success as "working just 12 hours a week," say that anyone is getting better? ... more people are being introduced to chiropractic daily? ... the chiropractor is prosperous? ... research documenting clinical results is making news? No, no, no ‑‑ and NO.

Finally, once I was out of school, the "it's all about me" model made its debut. We've all interacted with doctors from this perspective ‑‑ they can be hard on others, hard on themselves.

I needed a success model reflecting my life experiences and chiropractic goals, so: P+PA=S. I love practice (P), and I love adding professional activities (PA) to my life, and this defines success (S) to me.

My professional activity is that I am a collaborator. I build through creating projects where chiropractors who are also collaborators can express their talents. Many people share the success, such as the JVSR fertility research project. I feel blessed to work with the WCA. If you love subluxation‑based chiropractic and are an achiever, this is a tremendous environment for success.

Can chiropractic function like a successful business, or better, like an un‑subluxated nervous system with fully coordinated subsystems such as research, advertising/PR, education, publishing, and politics? Chiropractic needs prosperity in all these areas. At this level, success isn't about money but a choice you make about achievement.

Yet, chiropractic's subsystems have not received fuller participation because of money ‑‑ professional activities are usually self‑funded. This is beneficial because these positions then fill with professionals still connected to the public at heartbeat level: practitioners. But this is also a challenge. Practitioners need to be financially and emotionally prepared. I know that DCs think big. I listened to you at the WCA Summit. The questions now involve balancing "P" and "PA" and where to make a big impact.

Transitions can be vulnerable times ‑‑ student to practitioner, or practitioner to practitioner plus professional activities. Let's engage in an open dialogue about: professional activities and income, spousal support, the negative chiropractor down the street who does nothing, traveling, how to increase personal capacity, and setting boundaries. Let's have real conversations with leadership, coaches, and peers who are sharing this path. Let's connect with support.

One year could include participating in a research project. Perhaps you hired an associate so you can contribute politically or at the national level. Maybe your involvement is concentrated for the two months before the Summit. Or, life moves and you have new boundaries ‑‑ time off for a baby, a break‑up, or to relocate your practice. This all works.

I found my success model and the results speak for themselves. P+PA=S can demonstrate that people are getting better through chiropractic care, that chiropractors are prosperous, that more people are being introduced to chiropractic each day, and research documenting clinical results is making news.

Success. Find YOUR model.

I look forward to seeing all you achievers at Summit 2005.

(Dr. Madeline Behrendt is chair of the WCA Council on Women's Health and associate editor of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research [JVSR]. An author and speaker, she is committed to connecting women to chiropractic and chiropractors to women, and may be contacted at drmadeline@drmadelinedc.com)

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