As a clinician with more than 20 years of experience as a business owner – I can tell you that your approach to your practice will change over time.
I have learned that my business is a lot like a marriage:
There is the passion of the madly-in-love courtship phase where everything is new and exciting and you are in love all the time. You’re infatuated. You spend every moment thinking about your love; spending all your money on dates and gifts and you are sincerely happy to do it. You enjoy every single moment of this stage and can’t seem to get enough.
It’s the same with your business. Opening your practice and hanging that sign outside is a thrill unlike any other! Patients start coming through the door and you start hiring staff. The excitement of your infatuation has you eager to get up every morning and greet the coming day with energy. You are living the dream – enjoying the moment – unconcerned with systems, cash flow, etc…
Eventually, in both your marriage and in your business, the newness wears off and a routine starts to take shape. You learn what works and what doesn’t. You’re always trying to move things forward – realizing in your business that YOU are solely responsible for everything, from picking the color of the trash can lids to deciding what the messaging should be on your website.
Eventually, in both your marriage and in your business, the newness wears off and a routine starts to take shape.
And then – reality hits. There are bills to be paid, obligations to be met. There’s electricity, rent, payroll. You realize that you need a whole team of people you can trust to make it all work – and somehow, it does work. It’s a lot like having a child – you bear the responsibility for bringing it up – and it’s really exciting to see growth – but eventually, they take their own place in the family, bringing their own personalities and thought processes to the table.
It’s the same for your team. They give up parts of their own lives to contribute their own ideas to your organization, making it better. But 99% of your thought process is still focused on the business – you’re in a good mood when things are going well, and down in the dumps when there is any kind of a struggle.
It’s in the third life-stage of your business that you, as a leader, begin to realize that life cannot be all about business. There needs to be a balance. You develop hobbies and interests outside the business. Where the first stage is all hustle, the third stage is all intentional. You start reflecting on how many hours you spend at the office, distracted from family and life in general.
It’s necessary to develop systems and processes to automate operation. You realize that all problems are really a breakdown in systems. Without proper procedures in place, staff members flail, and frustration builds. You soon realize that you need to bring in outside people to help build automations and systems to streamline operations.
We are in this third stage now. We are aware of the importance of regular communications with staff so everyone is on the same page. This predetermined Cadence of Communication (covered in my last post), allows us to review and refine these systems and processes as it becomes necessary. It’s all “wet cement,” because real-world application will always generate change. But that is what the communication schedule is all about.
The second half of your business journey will always be about bringing more balance into your life – because your true identity lies not in business – but in faith and family. Family lasts forever. Business does not.
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