October 2004

Teamwork

by Dr. Rob Schiffman

When you talk about success, most of the time you would think that you are the reason behind the success. But in reality, the success of your practice largely depends on whether you have developed a strong staff of associates who are all on the same page as yourself.

You must have a team spirit deep within you and your team must share that spirit or you will fail. When you're unified as a team, there's much power and room for growth and success. I've mentored many doctors with practices that were not growing because they were stifled by an environment of distress. This occurred when the group or teamworked as individuals rather than team members.

Teamwork is never by accident. It's always deliberate and voluntary. Teamwork is defined as "the work of a number of persons in close association as members of one unit." You must remember that you're not working alone in the effort of promoting chiropractic. When you have at least one person you can associate with and work with, you have a team.

The first thing that you need to do is express the need for and the importance of teamwork. Describe what you are all about, why you have a practice and what your purpose is. Having someone on your side assisting you and believing in what you believe in only makes that idea stronger, and more powerful.

On a daily basis you can either be filled with increase or decrease, with difficulties or possibilities. You need to teach your team positive techniques to react to problems. As the leader, it's your responsibility to effectively train your staff and team how to overcome difficulties and problems. Remember to instill in your team your values, ideas and goals.

There are many different ways you can look at your team and examine and re‑examine whether or not this team is the best it can be. Many factors and a lot of plain old hard work go into making a team that works!

The dictionary definition of the word "purpose" is "an object or result aimed at with determination." This word is one of the components of a great team. Reviewing many points of chiropractic with your team causes them to understand it. Always have team meetings to cultivate and develop knowledge of the fundamentals and principles of chiropractic.

The main reason I am in practice is to see people healed and delivered from interferences. One of our mottos is: "We want to see the hospitals emptied and the churches filled up." The only way that's going to happen is if you educate the patients and your staff about what chiropractic and health is all about. You have to be a team, and promote chiropractic, with all your substance. This is your reason or purpose for motivating your team, to get to the people and teach them about chiropractic.

(Dr. Rob Schiffman, Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman manage Teach The World About Chiropractic, a coaching, seminar, and product company and Body by God International. They have three of the highest‑volume clinics in the history of chiropractic. Dr. Lerner, author of the New York Times best‑selling book, "Body by God: The Owner's Manual For Maximized Living," was the chiropractor for the Olympics of 1996 and 2000.)

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