December 2005

Creating competency instead of complacency

by Dr. Timothy Gay

The building blocks of your practice are all based upon doing. Planning is not considered doing but it is an integral part of creating a higher‑level competency.

Many times we're sidetracked by the planning part of practice so that doing actually becomes secondary. Over‑planning can take precedence when a doctor wants it all to be perfect before the doing starts. That is the area where complacency comes into play.

Complacency can come dressed up in many costumes. It may be that you're not continuing to motivate and train the people around you to the point of complete mastered competency. When people are trained to mastered competency, they're trained to the point of subconscious rote. The level of competency in your practice equates to how much effort you're willing to put in.

Can you imagine the great inventors of our time sitting on their laurels and being complacent to the point of maybe getting around to inventing the light bulb, the automobile or the telephone...or any number of things that have made our lives more comfortable?

It's one thing to be comfortable and content where you are in your practice and not complain. It's quite another to complain about where you are in your practice and do nothing to make the changes necessary to improve it.

Competency is the key to enhancing every avenue in your practice.

Competency and complacency are in direct conflict with each other and you need to decide which one of them you're going to use in your future practice action plan.

Let me help you with your decision. If your practice is exactly the way you want it in all aspects, then you may wish to stay in a complacent frame of mind. This means that you have nothing to do but manage the practice and continue to receive whatever the practice will give you.

However, if there is discontent, then you need to examine your options.

If you're leaving your office with work still left to be done, then you're complacent. Stop complaining and start doing what it takes to get the job done.

Delegate to staff. Staff members who allow themselves the luxury of complacency need to get to work doing what's required of their positions. Make them accountable for getting their jobs done within their departments.

Help train any new employees and make sure they understand the job requirements fully and the various duties they're responsible for. Training is an essential component of competency and training together will help to develop a cohesive cross‑trained team.

As the leader, you cannot let your guard down. Following through on tasks and assignments is crucial to your clinic and your staff's success. If you delegate a task or project to a staff member, provide him or her with a date and time that it needs to be completed, then be sure to follow up on the completion.

Confront the people in your office and let them in on the vision and mission that you have. Make them feel as though they are a part of something bigger and more important. Build a new level of excitement that's shared by the entire office. If there are people who don't feel as strongly as you do about the excitement and your mission, then you need to eliminate the complacent factors and move forward. Everyone in the practice needs have the same interest in where you are going together.

You must develop a sound promotion and marketing program that has to be carried out each month. This program should have internal and external components that enhance your practice and add value to your services. Internal information programs such as patient orientation, brochures, handouts on various conditions and the benefits of chiropractic are mandatory educational tools for each patient.

Think about the areas you have been complacent regarding your practice. Write these points down and the steps you must take to improve. Complacency may mean a source of contentment, but if there are sick people requiring your assistance and you're not giving it to them, you may need to look deep inside yourself and reconnect to the bigger purpose behind what we do.

Join into a bigger purpose. The World Chiropractic Alliance and the doctors that are involved want to accomplish and help as many people as possible achieve a higher level of health and wellness on a global scale.

(Timothy J. Gay, DC, is a 1977 Palmer College graduate and chairs the WCA Council on Chiropractic Mentoring. Founder and director of Ultimate Practice Systems, a chiropractic management and consulting company specializing in personalized chiropractic consulting [on the web at www.ultimatepracticesystems.com], he is a highly respected and nationally recognized speaker. Dr. Gay holds several seminars around the country on a variety of topics and may be reached at 866‑797‑8366, or ultimatepractice@sbcglobal.net.)