Every naturopathic doctor I have met in the last five years has had a pretty specific vision, either for their practice, or the type of role they would like to play in a bigger clinic or team. With the growth of interest in integrative and holistic medicine, many practitioners find themselves in a position where they can see colleagues being successful around them, but are struggling to make significant progress towards their own vision. Many of these practitioners have even written out a full business plan, a necessary first step. But implementing with confidence is crucial for forward progress, and here are a few tips to make it work.[protected]
“Vision without Execution is Hallucination” – Thomas Edison
1. Book time in your schedule to wear your manager/entrepreneur hat. Practitioners’ lives are typically very full and busy, so booking time to be “the boss” and not “the doctor” is a crucial first step. Treat this time as a “Most Valuable Activity” and prioritize it above seeing patients. In the long term, if you look at opportunity cost, it is actually your most valuable time allocation.
2. Set micro-goals for the first quarter. To overcome inevitable speed bumps along the way, gain momentum by setting short term goals (daily then weekly) so you can start to get used to forward progress. This momentum will give you the confidence to take bigger and bigger steps.
3. Initiate systems for your team to implement. How could your current staff be used creatively to grow your business? For example, most practitioners see their front desk as a necessary part of infrastructure, but with an effective script and a call list (ideally generated by warm leads from you e-newsletter ) could be a easy way to get more from your current resources. Getting your overhead to directly improve your practice numbers is a great way to start to grow your practice without extra effort from you.
4. Make connections. If your vision includes other practitioners, start looking for those people now. If you can surround yourself with the right people it gives an opportunity for collaboration and synergy, two powerful forces you really want on your side. Share your visions, they are inspiring! Three of the most effective ways we have seen to make these connections are by a) putting on an open house for local professionals b) start an meeting group (online) for local practitioners c) send letter of introduction and set up individual appointments to meet with key future collaborators.
5. Get some support. Your patients need a guide to venture out of their comfort zones and that is your job. Implementing will take you out of your comfort zone, so make sure you have someone who can help on hand. Make sure those whom you ask for help have the experience and empathy to be able to really help you.[/protected]
