From Personality-Driven to Goal-Driven
I don’t recall a single doctor — chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist — telling me they wanted to be chained to their practice so they could never leave it.
Nearly every doctor I’ve worked with wanted a business that was not entirely dependent upon their daily production or constant supervision.
Michael Gerber (The E-Myth) wrote about the system-driven business. Others talk about team-driven practice. I talk about a Goal Driven Practice.
In every case, the objective is the same:
The business should not depend on the personality of the owner.
I make a clear distinction between a Personality-Driven Practice and a Goal-Driven Practice:
An essential difference is accountability.
HOW ACCOUNTABILITY TRANSFORMS A PRACTICE
In a Personality-Driven Practice, results rise and fall with the owner’s energy and oversight. They are the driver of everything.
But a structured accountability system changes this.
A Goal-Driven Practice operates like a team sport. There’s a scoreboard. There are defined positions. Everyone knows their role, and everyone can see the score.
The numbers provide objective feedback. Roles clarify ownership. Goals define what winning means. Regular review keeps the team aligned and improving.
There is a great deal of science, actually, on how accountability improves performance. (See below)
THREE DRIVERS OF A GOAL DRIVEN CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE
1. Clear Ownership of Outcomes
Every role should have one or two numbers that answer: “What results am I responsible for?”
These are the practical goals that need to be achieved each month.
2. Regular Review and Supportive Feedback
Numbers must be:
- Reviewed consistently (Monthly, weekly)
- Shown in trends, not just totals
- Discussed openly, without blame
- Action plans and coaching for improvement
We don’t always face, as Jim Collins says in his book, Good to Great, the “Brutal Facts.” Just facing up to them each month is a step forward.
For example, you can look at your bank account at the end of each month. Is the trend going up, or down? Discuss this with your spouse and consider what actions to take to improve what you see. Do this regularly!
3. Clear Purpose
Numbers without purpose become mechanical and soulless.
It is what the numbers represent that counts. When people understand why their role matters and how their outcomes serve patients, performance becomes meaningful.
The purpose is the higher level goal that gives you the reason for everything you do.
A SIMPLE EXAMPLE of CREATING A GOAL DRIVEN CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE
At a monthly team meeting, each team member reports on their key numbers.
“Cheryl, how did we do at the front desk this month?”
“We beat our goal — 91% kept appointments, up from 88% last month. Visits increased from 1150 to 1204.”
The doctor acknowledges the wins and may ask what was done to improve performance. Then, the next team member gives their report. After everyone is through, the doctor asks each person about their goals for the new month.
Lastly, the chiropractor-CEO discusses some version of the purpose of the clinic. Perhaps with a story or testimonial and ends the meeting.
This process done over and over can help create a goal driven chiropractic practice.
I think the funny thing is… that we are all on scoreboards, we just don’t know it! (Lol) Maybe we look at our numbers now and then, but not on a regular basis! Or get our teams to do the same.
Read this newsletter/article again and put it to work. You’ll see your numbers improve!
And, as always, stay …Goal Driven,
Ed
P.S. If you have questions or would like some help transforming your practice into a Goal Driven business, please contact me. (Ed at goaldriven dot com.)
**References
Goal-Setting and Feedback
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002).
Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation.
American Psychologist.
Key finding:
Specific goals combined with feedback produce significantly higher performance than vague goals or no feedback.
Feedback Loops Improve Performance
Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1996).
The effects of feedback interventions on performance.
Key finding:
Performance improves when feedback is frequent, task-focused, and tied to clear standards. Poorly designed feedback harms performance; structured accountability improves it.
. Scorecards and Visibility
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996).
The Balanced Scorecard.
Key contribution:
Organizations that use visible performance metrics aligned to strategy outperform those that rely on financial results alone.
Thoughts on The Goal Driven Business
I WISH I WOULD’VE HAD THIS BOOK 30 YEARS AGO!
Mr. Ed Petty takes his reader on an entrepreneurial safari, complete with a roadmap for success. This is a relatable, actionable business or practice guide for conquering the challenges that come along with business ownership or private practice. I have personally worked with Mr. Petty for years as he has helped me to convert my extremely personality-driven practice to a goal-driven practice. I am so grateful our paths crossed when they did. I wish I would’ve had this book 30 years ago! What an amazing compilation of the process of building a solid, goal-driven business. The author takes you through literally every “phase” of business practice and “chunks” it up into actionable steps. If you own a business, you need to read “The Goal Driven Business.”!!
Ann Metzler, D.C. Group Practice Owner ( 2 offices, 5 doctors) [LINK]
“Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better… as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.”
In this newsletter I was going to show you some neat tricks to improve team accountability. Accountability is a powerful and positive trigger that drives excellent practice performance.
Just wrapped up an outstanding chiropractic convention put on by the Wisconsin Chiropractic Society here, you guessed it, in Wisconsin!
