Solving the Practice Puzzle – Part 1 Can coaches help? “A fter climbing a great hill, one only fi nds that there are many more hills to climb.” Nelson Mandela could well have been speaking to the graduating class at any chiropractic school, when he uttered these words. For, after years of grueling stud- ies, the new graduate embarks on the road to, hopefully, a successful career – most begin this journey by opening a practice. And, within the first fi ve years, many fi nd themselves disillu- sioned with respect to their work, or just not able to build the business that must sustain their careers – and families – for years to come.1 Building a practice is somewhat like putting together a puzzle. The difference is that whereas most puzzles can be completed in a measure of hours, a practice requires years of adding new pieces. As well, if left alone, a puzzle will remain intact, complete and brilliant but if tampered with, it will fall to pieces and be destroyed. The complete opposite is true if one means to cultivate success in a chiropractic practice – one must be active with it all the time. Many, if not all, chiropractors reach a point in their practice where they fi nd that something is missing and/or they need help in meeting their practice goals. This can occur at any or all levels of practice. From the new grad to the seasoned professional, independent DCs can find themselves hitting a wall, with respect to practice growth, life fulfi llment and a host of other practice issues.2 When this happens, many DCs look for help in the form of a chiropractic practice consultant or coach. A culture of these has arisen, making it diffi cult for chiropractors to decide which coach or service to work with, or whether such a service is right for them at all. Furthermore, some coaching services have marketed themselves in ways that have resulted in remonstrance from the profession, making it even harder for the independent DC to decide whether working with coaches or consultants is a good investment of their time and money at all. This two-part article will review some of the general features of chiropractic practice con- sultants and coaches, who might benefi t from these services, how to choose the coach or con- sultant who is most appropriate and what to be wary of when selecting whom to work with. CONSULTANT VERSUS COACH For a DC seeking outside professional help and guidance in practice growth and management, the fi rst question to ask is what sort of help is needed. If the answer leans toward the business and administrative mechanics pertaining to the practice, then that chiropractor might benefit from the guidance of a practice consultant.3 A consultant, or consulting firm, will employ templates to examine the existing protocols within the offi ce with respect to items such as billing, patient software, accounting practices, 8 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | OCTOBER 2008 www.canadianchiropractor.ca feature
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor October 08: Page 8
