How to Choose the Right Coach for Your Practice
By Keith A. Maule

What should you look for when searching for the right coach for your practice?

The first thing to consider is reputation. Don’t ignore this neon sign. Consider the quote: “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history." If someone is good, they should have a history of good. Success leaves a trail. You must have a coach that you can trust.

The second thing to consider is the coach’s ethics and standards. Make sure your coach has the same standards and morals you have. Don’t allow anyone to take you into a gray area where you’re not willing to go. You should buy into a management system to which you can give a total commitment.

Another consideration is experience and size. You may want someone who has recently gotten into management and has only a few clients so they can give you more of their total attention. They would be sharing with you their own personal experience and business knowledge.

There is also a personal style of coaching based on years of experience in management, which can provide effective coaching for many different styles of practices and personalities. Both of these styles of management are good and effective; you simply must choose what best fits your needs.

You may be wondering if you even need a coach. Everyone’s needs are different, but here are seven reasons you might want to consider chiropractic coaching:

A different perspective: As an example, Tiger Woods is arguably the world’s greatest golfer; but he still has a coach, because it is so difficult to see yourself objectively. Management is not just for doctors getting started in practice. It is also not just for doctors who are having a hard time in practice. Practice management is for everybody who wants to reach and stay at his or her peak potential.

Staff management and training: Every practice that has a staff knows how important employees can be to the growth or decline of that practice. They can be your greatest asset or your biggest liability. It is essential that your staff have the best in procedures and training, because that is what your practice and your patients deserve. A well-trained and motivated staff can help your practice grow, more so than perhaps any other factor.

Keep up with changing times: Any doctor who has been in practice for more than five years can testify to the fact that the health-care market is ever-changing. For example, managed care was not even a concern for most practices 10 years ago. Back then, doctors also weren’t concerned about having an effective website. What causes the practice to grow today is considerably different than what we would have done in the 1980s. You can also be sure that healthcare has not finished changing.

Invest in your business skills:
Take a look at how much you invested to learn how to get the body well. Doctors are graduating today from chiropractic colleges with $125,000 in student loans. The only problem is, chiropractic isn’t just healthcare, it is a business. You must protect your investment in learning how to get the body well with an investment in your business skills. Everyone can agree that chiropractic college does not prepare you for the business side of practice. Just as you would have never adjusted the patient before having been trained, you should not be in the business of chiropractic without continual training in the business side of practice.

To practice smarter, not harder: Practice should be fun as well as effective. You might be surprised at how many things you are doing in practice that are causing you to work much harder than someone with well-developed management skills. You really do not have to be in the office 14 hours a day, six days a week. You can have a practice and a life.

Motivation: There are subluxations of the mind just like there are subluxations of the spine. Just like the day-to-day events of life cause subluxations of the spine and a need for chiropractic maintenance care, the day-to-day events of practice cause subluxations of the mind. It’s a good idea to have someone around who can remind you of the big picture and the reasons that you should work hard in practice.

Accountability: One of the great things about being a doctor of chiropractic is that you are your own boss. One of the worst things about being a doctor of chiropractic is that you are your own boss. There is no one in your office to keep you straight and accountable. You need someone to put a deadline to your goals and hold your feet to the fire so that you take the action steps necessary to see your dreams become a reality. It isn’t enough to attend a seminar and write down ideas; someone needs to make sure you actually do them. Everybody does better with accountability.

Mr. Maule is a national speaker and the CEO of Kats Management. He also functions as the head of the consulting division in Kats Management. He can be reached at 800-843-9162; info@katsmanagement.com; or sign on to www.katsmanagement.com.