It’s Monday morning—a fresh start, a clean slate and an open runway for your practice to gain momentum. But here’s the question: Does your team know what the top priorities are for this quarter?
If the answer is “probably” or “I think so,” you could already be losing precious time, energy and resources.
One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming everyone is on the same page simply because goals were discussed in a meeting or sent in an email. Your team can’t read your mind. Alignment doesn’t happen by chance—it’s the result of clear, consistent communication.
Here’s a simple test: Ask each member of your team what the top priorities are for the quarter. If their answers don’t match yours—and each other’s—it’s a sign that priorities haven’t been communicated clearly enough.
The good news? Getting everyone aligned is simpler than you think. Here’s a three-step process I use with the practices we coach.
Step 1: Write down your top three priorities (but one is ideal)
As a leader, clarity begins with you. Write down your top three priorities for the quarter—just three. If you can narrow it down to one, even better.
Why three? Because too many priorities is the same as no priorities at all. When everything is a priority, nothing truly is. Your top priorities should be the essential, practice-moving outcomes that will have the greatest impact on growth, efficiency or patient care.
For example, in a chiropractic or multidisciplinary practice, this could be:
- Launching a new service line (e.g., regenerative medicine, orthotics, weight loss program)
- Improving patient retention by a set percentage
- Increasing collections or reducing outstanding accounts receivable
If you’re not crystal clear, you can’t expect your team to be.
Step 2: Share with your team
Once your priorities are set, share them openly with your team. This doesn’t need to be a long meeting—sometimes five minutes of crystal-clear communication can accomplish more than an hour of discussion.
Be specific. Avoid vague statements like “We need to grow.” Instead, use measurable language:
- “Our goal is 20 new patients this month from internal referrals.”
- “We’re aiming for a 15% increase in therapy compliance by the end of the quarter.”
Post the priorities somewhere visible—whether it’s on a whiteboard in the break room, in a shared document or as part of a weekly team huddle agenda. Repetition builds alignment.
Step 3: Connect individual work to the priorities
Here’s where leadership moves from talk to action. Ask each team member:
- How does your role contribute to this priority?
- What will you specifically do this week to support it?
If they can’t make the connection, don’t expect success. It’s your job as a leader to coach them through it.
For example:
- A front desk CA may connect to the new patient growth priority by tracking every referral and making follow-up calls.
- A nurse practitioner may connect to the patient retention priority by ensuring treatment plans are explained clearly and patient concerns are addressed proactively.
- A rehab tech may connect to revenue goals by improving documentation for billable services.
When everyone understands how their daily work ties back to the bigger picture, you create a culture of ownership and accountability.
Leadership is about clarity, not being the smartest in the room
Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about ensuring everyone knows where you’re going and how to get there together. When your team understands the top priorities, they can make better decisions, take more initiative and keep the practice moving forward without constant micromanagement.
This Monday, take a few minutes to write down your priorities, share them with your team and connect their work to the plan. The clarity you create today will pay off in focus, productivity and results all quarter long.
After all, your team can’t read your mind—but they can absolutely help you achieve your vision if you make it clear.
MARK SANNA, DC, ACRB LEVEL II, FICC, is the CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, a practice management company for chiropractic and multidisciplinary practices. He is a Board member of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a member of the Chiropractic Summit and a member of the Chiropractic Future Strategic Plan Leadership Committee. Sanna is the author of “Cracking the Code: Marketing Chiropractic—How Chiropractors Align Spines and Minds,” available on amazon.com. To learn more, call 800-723-8423 or visit mybreakthrough.com.
