Our physical therapy practice has embarked upon a new and exciting adventure! We recently expanded our practice to include a new, additional clinic in Bonita Springs, Florida – about 30 miles from our original practice headquarters clinic in Cape Coral. Our organization is maturing – and our new goal is that our new office will outperform the original office within five years..
Whenever you take a big step like this – in either your business life or your personal life – it is both exciting and scary. And stressful! In our case, there are considerable risks; it requires significant capital and a great team of trusted allies to lead the new endeavor.
In my July 2018 blog post, I wrote about your current reality and the journey to achieving your vision. Unfortunately, realizing your dreams is always a journey fraught with tension. Knowing that there are two types of tension – outlined in author Peter Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline, helps us to understand not only where the tension originates – but how to deal with it most effectively:
- Creative Tension: exists when there is a gap between what we truly want to create – our vision – and what exists today. Creative tension doesn’t feel; rather, it simply is.
- Emotional Tension: is based on feelings of stress, anxiety, and emotional worry.
About two weeks ago, when the excitement of our new office opening had settled, our team – myself included – began to experience the reality of the magnitude of our undertaking. Our journey toward success, it would seem, was fraught with tension! I was feeling stressed, anxious, and worried. I began to doubt everything I am and everything I convey as a leader. Then, I teetered on the edge of full-blown panic. “Matt stop!!!!!” shouted the voice in my head. “You know better!!”
I pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper and wrote myself a letter, excerpted below.
Dear Matt,
Matt there are no secrets to success and life, go back to basics, go back to principles. The Bonita office has been open for 5 and ½ weeks in a brand new market. The seed has been planted, the soil is fertile, but a plant does not come out immediately – no matter what we do. What is the proven method? Believe in your people; lift them up, If we operate on true principles of high trust, good intent and competency, the clinic will be a tremendous success in time. As the old saying goes, “The cost projection to start something is usually double what you thought it would be.”
…you are high in people capital – which is a company’s most valuable asset. Be careful not to minimize your people to objects that need to be directed, corrected…you will lose them. And failure will be a foregone conclusion. Remember, nothing makes us stronger than being in the game and taking some blows to the face. We learn quickly, adjust, and step back to regroup.
… You need to be sure your team is equipped with people and tools to operate as a mature multi-site practice. Listen to your team, hire the right people, train them, and understand that this all costs money. Understand that all of this is necessary to operation as a unified mature practice.
Remember, the Lord wants success for you. Jeremiah 29:11. He knows your heart is in this to serve, to grow your team, to be a servant leader, and to have a greater impact on your community. Consider the disciples, Gideon, Moses, Nehemiah, St Paul, Abraham – were they equipped when they were asked to follow God? NOOOO! They also made some major blunders. Did God give up on them? No. You will suffer. You will feel alone. You will feel defeated. But hold on and trust GOD! Even it seems like it doesn’t make sense. Look and consider what the Lord has done for you already! An amazing, beautiful wife. Four phenomenal children. A great church family. A comfortable home. Great health, great friends, great parents – the list goes on. Giving up is NOT an option!!
Sincerely, Matt
This was quite a fruitful experience for me and I’m surprised I have not done this before. I can promise you that I will be doing it often in the future!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks