Physicians Practice - September 2008 - (Page 54) GREAT PRACTICE MAKEOVER ASK YOURSELF Is your patient flow like a skilled gondolier sculling through the canals of Venice? Or more like the herky-jerky boinging of a grasshopper freaking out inside your car? and unrelenting introduction of new ideas cause a near-constant, rippling unease through the practice. He has expressed a deep desire to learn how to more effectively make the decisions that cause change within the office. “Not just on the fly,” he says. “I want to understand the consequences, and get staff on board.” With a little mental discipline, he can certainly make that happen. Here’s how he — and you — can accomplish that. the employees. “He changes his mind 10-fold,” she says. “The girls around here work hard. If they stop and take a breather, he hands them another project.” Wouldn’t written job descriptions ease that problem a bit? “We just had them done, but I think they’re all changed now,” says Chatham, who is not even sure she has a hardand-fast job title. Notably, Eckerling seems very aware that his decision-making style Define your overall purpose. Perhaps there’s something that really sets your clinical heart all a-twitter — asthma care, diabetes control, geriatrics. Or maybe you totally dig medical technology. Decide on one — and only one — area as a focal point for your practice. From now on, this focus will underpin every decision you make. Set specific goals. Now that you know what you’re all about, you can start achieving it. Research and purchase equipment and software, attain certifications, and gain any other necessary skills for you and your staff. But hold on there, pardner. You need to carefully plan by setting a reasonable number of goals. Taking on too much is a common foible of visionary types like Eckerling. Consider this schedule: • One large annual goal — This is the overall purpose you just defined above. Let’s say it’s “high patient satisfaction.” 54 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | SEPTEMBER 2008 WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM
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