A virtual chiropractic assistant could be your key to practice success

Master delegation and rise to your level of success and fulfillment

THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP cannot be stressed enough in today’s fast-paced chiropractic environment, especially as it is often overlooked in chiropractic school. Through delegation and empowerment of your team, you set yourself up for success, both on a procedural and productivity level, as well as by fostering meaningful patient and team member relationships.  

Delegation can serve as a tool for empowering leadership, and chiropractic virtual assistants (CVAs) can play an important role in providing clinical and administrative support so you can focus on your patients and have the freedom of additional time we all desire. 

Delegation’s transformative power

Delegation goes beyond assigning tasks; it’s about empowering qualified individuals to take ownership and contribute to the success of your practice.  

When you effectively delegate, you tap into the strengths and expertise of your team, fostering a shared sense of accountability and nurturing a culture of growth and development. Explore how you can successfully master delegating in your chiropractic practice and harness its transformative power. 

Developing Core Competencies — You can ensure team optimal performance and job satisfaction by delegating responsibilities based on each team member’s strengths, interests and areas of expertise. Team members who are engaged in duties that align with their skills are more likely to achieve exceptional results, find fulfillment in their work and appreciate the growth in their positions. 

Pro Tip: A simple questionnaire for your team members will assess their areas of interest, and give you insight into who can do what in your practice. Your team members will appreciate being asked, and it will help you realize each team member’s superpowers, which oftentimes remain hidden.  

Communication that Inspires — When delegating tasks, it is most important to communicate clearly and effectively. Explain to your team members your expectations, desired outcomes and timelines. Give them all the information, resources and support they need to smoothly execute. Communicate regularly with your team to offer guidance, address concerns and provide constructive feedback. Open and transparent communication fosters trust and gives your team a sense of empowerment and support.
Pro Tip: We start with a “project clarity” document to ensure everyone is on the same page. The time it takes to write up this document: 15 minutes. The time it saves: priceless.

Trust and empowerment

Trust is the bedrock of delegation. When you trust your team members and their capabilities and have confidence in your own decision-making, it creates a positive and growth-oriented work environment of empowerment.  

By providing opportunities for growth and showing confidence in their skills, you empower your team to take on greater responsibility. When team members feel trusted and empowered, they are more likely to show initiative, think creatively, take ownership of their work and thrive. They will innovate improved ways to do things, giving them pride and fulfillment, which keeps them invested in your practice.  

Thoughtful Delegation Planning — Create a comprehensive plan for delegating tasks in an organized manner. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance, and assign them to the most suitable team member. Consider their workload and availability to ensure a fair distribution of responsibilities. When assigning tasks, aim for a mix of routine and challenging assignments that allow your team members to utilize their strengths and enhance their skills. This approach maximizes their potential while facilitating their growth and development.
Pro Tip: Never assign tasks or projects without clearly communicating, in writing, when you expect them to be completed. If for some reason they will not be completed on time, make sure your team members know to alert you as soon as they know, not the day it is due.  

Autonomy and Accountability — Rather than micromanaging, empower your team members to exercise their judgment and problem-solving skills. Effective delegation entails granting autonomy and encouraging accountability. Your team members will grow as individuals and professionals if you encourage them to take responsibility for their delegated tasks and hold them accountable for their outcomes. By doing so, you will create a sense of ownership. 

Pro Tip: When a team member seeks my guidance on a project, my go-to response is often, “What do you think?” This simple phrase, delivered with the right tone and body language, empowers team members to make independent decisions. Doing so saves you time in the future and helps prevent decision fatigue caused by constantly making numerous, often minor, decisions. 

A personal example

After years of rushing through every new patient’s consultation, a crucial task for spreading the chiropractic message, I made a transformative decision: I empowered each team member to learn how to effectively convey to a new patient what chiropractors do and how they do it, and I ensured effective delivery.  

Surprisingly, one team member excelled in this and he took over this responsibility, which saved me time and energy. Recognizing his untapped talent, I created a “patient advocate” position for him, leading to his greater success and fulfillment. By delegating this role, I also experienced profound professional and personal benefits. 

Utilizing a CVA

A chiropractic virtual assistant (CVA) is a person who supports you and your team remotely, bringing numerous benefits to your practice, resulting in greater fulfillment and success. 

Relationships with Patients — By delegating repetitive administrative tasks, marketing efforts and other non-patient care responsibilities to a CVA, you free up valuable time to focus on building meaningful relationships with your patients. In order to create a practice that truly thrives, you need to dedicate time to understanding your patients’ needs, providing personalized care and building trust. Remember, the most success in practice comes not from your technique, but from the positive relationships you build with your patients.
Pro Tip: In my neighborhood, there is a chiropractor whose practice thrives despite his less-than-stellar adjusting skills. I would get sore after every one of his “low-velocity” amplitude thrusts. Intrigued by his success, I wanted to understand the secret behind it. To my surprise, I discovered that his true gift lay not in his adjusting skills, but in his exceptional ability to build genuine relationships with his patients and local business leaders. It was this unique talent that paved the way for his remarkable success, proving that strong connections can be the ultimate keys to a flourishing practice.  

Enhanced productivity and efficiency

As remote professionals, chiropractic virtual assistants bring expertise, flexibility, affordability and efficiency to your practice. They effectively handle various repetitive time-consuming tasks including digital file preparation, patient recalls, scheduling, insurance verification, billing, claims follow-ups, narrative writing, email and calendar management, data entry, bookkeeping, X-ray digitization, social media management, and just about anything you can think of.

With chiropractic VAs, team productivity and communication are streamlined through real-time collaboration via video conferencing and file-sharing tools, enabling easy exchange of information and promoting seamless teamwork. Their expert and professional assistance enhances productivity, coordination and workflow efficiency for chiropractic teams.

Work-Life Balance — In addition to achieving a better work-life balance, you can pursue personal interests, spend time with loved ones and recharge by delegating tasks to a CVA. When you create a harmonious work-life balance, you not only feel fulfilled as a leader, but you also set a positive example for your team members and family. 

Team Engagement and Growth — Your team members will be able to enhance their skills, acquire new competencies and expand their professional horizons by being relieved of administrative burdens through delegation. When employees feel valued and supported, they are more likely to contribute their best efforts to your practice and grow along with you. This promotes job satisfaction, employee engagement and long-term retention. 

A Telling Story: At a recent seminar, I met Dr. W, a three-day-a-week practitioner with an average of 160 patient visits and 20 new patients per week. He mentioned that he spends about three hours per week on notes, which amounts to a cost of $1,200, based on his $400-per-hour value. However, by delegating documentation tasks to a remote assistant for around $100, he could save $1,100 in time and money weekly, totaling an impressive savings of $57K annually. 

By transforming his time from a cost to an investment, Dr. W could focus on practice growth, team communication, patient engagement and spending time pursuing personal interests. This newfound time and energy could elevate his PVA and potentially double the size of his practice, without relying on new patient acquisition. Such a simple change has the power to profoundly impact not only Dr. W’s life but also all his relationships. 

Embrace the power of delegation

As visionary chiropractic leaders, let us embrace the power of delegation and empower our team members to reach new heights. By cultivating a culture of growth and trust, we can embark on a transformative journey that optimizes our practice’s operations, freeing up valuable time to build deep, meaningful relationships with our patients.  

With the support of chiropractic virtual assistants, we can streamline our operations even further, maximizing productivity and unlocking the potential for a truly successful practice that delivers exceptional care. 

Let us lead by example, ensuring that delegation is not just offloading tasks, but a mindset to always ask ourselves, “Do I need to do this, or can I train others to do it, so I can use my time more wisely?”  

By placing patient-centered care at the heart of our practice, we will inspire others and leave a lasting impact on the lives of those we serve. Together, let us think about work in new ways, lead with purpose and create a chiropractic practice that embodies the true essence of health, empowerment and success.

DAVID SHAPIRO, DC, with 30 years of private practice experience, is a pioneer in the chiropractic virtual assistant industry. His company specializes in recruiting and training CVAs to revolutionize the way chiropractors think about work. For more information, visit ChiroPracticeSolutions.com.