Do you care too much?

With a tip of the hat to comedian Jeff Foxworthy of "You-might-be-a-redneck-if..." fame, you might care too much if you...

...feel a twinge of anger when patients miss an appointment or disregard your recommendations.

...adjust a new patient on the first visit because you hope it will validate you or your subsequent recommendations.

...become defensive when a patient mentions they're unhappy with the pace of their recovery.

...assume that when patients discontinue care unexpectedly it's because of something you forgot to say or do.

...permit patients to run up large balances because you're uncomfortable asking to be paid.

And it's not only what you say. It can be a raised eyebrow, a judgmental tone or imposing an expectation beyond the patient's limited level of commitment.

Care, but don't care too much. It's the "social" part of "...optimum physical, mental and social well-being" of healthy chiropractors.

Yes, I freely confess. I’m a Seth Godin junkie. So it was great delight that I saw his newest book on my visit to the bookstore on my way home from my chiropractor Tuesday. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? does not disappoint. And while I’m only on page 39, Seth (I think since I’ve devoured every book he’s written, I’ve earned the right to call him by his first name) has done it again by picking up on a nuance others overlook and teasing it out for everyone’s benefit.

Naturally, if you’re the one moving the freight, sweating over a hot adjusting table all day, then you’re indispensable. But how do you attract and train your staff to “own” their job and rise to the many opportunities of a paraprofessional? I predict you’ll find some helpful answers between the covers.

Enormous amounts of energy are consumed in an attempt to get patients to do the “right” things to promote healing, advance their health and improve their well-being. Many professional caregivers seem bent on saving patients from themselves. Others seem resigned to the apparent fruitlessness of the effort and apply their ministrations with a detachment almost bordering on indifference.

Can you change the priority that patients place on their health?

Without looking through a spiritual lens, you might see the task before you as merely using the right videos to educate patients or delivering a persuasive rof. Certainly these can be helpful, but there is something else at work here that you might want to consider. And it may dramatically change how you communicate with patients.

Continue reading "Spine Mechanic?" »

Are you a clingy chiropractor?

One way some chiropractors keep their practices small is to overly concern themselves with getting patients to like them. This is often motivated by two unhelpful beliefs:

1. If patients like me they will more likely follow my recommendations.

2. If patients like me I can influence them without taking an uncomfortable or unpopular stand.

Don't fall for it.

Showing up as a chameleon, anxious to please others and avoid confrontation, is hard work. Changing colors with every patient, carefully editing every word, abdicating your influence so not to ruffle any feathers is practicing Cowardly Chiropractic. You know the truth. Be bold! Walk in confidence! To be respected you must risk rejection. To attract you must repel. To lead patients you must use your compass, not theirs.

Absolutely be friendly. But be careful that you don't cross the line between being friendly and being friends.

If you’ve been seduced by the widespread belief among many chiropractors that your purpose is to adjust patients, you’ve reduced yourself from a human being to a human doing. A meat computer. A carbon-based pneumatic device.

Your purpose isn’t to adjust patients. More likely, adjusting patients helps advance your purpose.

True, delivering adjustments, the “doing” of chiropractic, can be performed as a mere physical maneuver; a linear, biomechanical intervention. And often is. Even devoid of the principles of chiropractic and the intent of reconnecting “man the physical with man the spiritual,” chiropractic can still deliver results appreciated by patients.

Those who write off chiropractic philosophy as weird, unscientific and the dated rantings of Palmer cultists, fail to see that the metaphysics of chiropractic have been largely hijacked by the Chopra’s, Weil’s, Dyer’s and similar multi-millionaires. What mechanists are left with is the spinal therapy of chiropractic medicine.

Continue reading "The Doing of Chiropractic" »

The tendency to strive for perfection constrains far too many of us. Whether waiting for the perfect staff member, waiting for the perfect circumstances, waiting for just the right time to have a difficult conversation or waiting for a clear sign before making an overdue change. When you're burdened with perfectionism there tends to be a lot of waiting.

However, success favors action, not perfection.

Software is routinely shipped with bugs. Cars are sold with minor defects. The best surgeons make occasional mistakes. And virtually every parent wishes for a "do over" from time to time. When you aim for excellence instead of perfection, you're in action, striving for improvement. Next time.

Ready? Fire! Aim. Actualization is better than intention. And even the smallest step taken in faith is better than a well planned leap never taken. Act! You can fix it, improve it, refine it and move towards excellence later.