FEATURE PRACTICE MANAGEMENT PASSING THE TORCH Don’t leave succession planning to the last minute M BY TOM PRESTON ost chiropractors I interact with share a proactive and preventative approach to health and well-being with their patients. They teach them the value of not just focusing on their health when they are symptomatic and achy, but to focus on their health on an ongoing basis. They teach them to invest in good lifestyle habits like eating healthy, staying hydrated, stretching and exercising, cleans-ing toxins from their bodies, managing mental stress and being conscious of their thoughts and feelings. Yet, many doctors don’t apply this same headspace to their practice and, as a result, they often do not have a succession plan. Succession planning is wise for several reasons: • ensures continuity of service for your patients and com-munity • provides an opportunity for legacy transition to younger practitioners of the massive body of knowledge and skill experienced chiropractors have developed • provides a way to protect your family from the confusion and stress of dealing with the business aspect of evalu-ating and selling your practice • provides a way for you to maximize the return on in-vestment from the sale of your practice Planning for your retirement early on can ensure continuity of your chiropractic practice for the community you serve. CONTINUITY OF SERVICE There is no doubt that every chiropractor reading this arti-cle realizes the phenomenal gift of service they provide their community. The essential primary health-care service we offer our communities is vital for not only the alleviation of suffering and pain but for the maximization of health, DR. TOM PRESTON is the founder of Full Circle Coaching and Consulting. He is a highly acclaimed speaker, trainer, consultant and coach, and has authored several books, audio and video programs. You can contact him by email at [email protected]. 42 Canadian Chiropractor October 2014 vitality and human potential. If taken to the extreme, it could be reasoned that not having a succession plan translates to not serving your community at the highest level or even to selfishness. Regardless of your philosophical slant on chiropractic, your community learns to know and trust the level of service your clinic provides. They count on you being there when they feel they need your care. Without a succession plan the continuity of care for those wellness and prevention oriented patients is not there. Without the vital component of an optimally functioning nerve system in their personal health plan, their health and well-being will regress and the great service you provided them will be minimized or lost. Without a continuity plan, the patients that are more symptomatically focused will not have your clinic to turn to in their time of need. As a result, they may suffer longer and/ or turn to other forms of treatment, like medications, that will not offer them the same value, and might even be harm-ful for them. Ensuring the health and well-being of our communities for generations to come, and not just during our short time on this planet, is the highest level of service we can provide, and succession planning ensures this. www.canadianchiropractor.ca Photo: Fotolia
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