Change happens.  And you either are making the change happen and evolving your business, or the change will happen to you and to your practice. It is a matter of either being proactive or unresponsive.

Too many offices seem to be changing, but they are actually caught in a kind of neurosis: compulsively putting out fires, and like a dog chasing its own tail, never getting anywhere.

Other offices go to the seminars and read the books, and talk about improvements, but never really change. They stay stuck and hide in their comfort zones, doing business the way they did back last century.

You have to change. All you have to do is look at other business models for examples. We have a McDonalds a few miles from our office (who doesn’t?). It has been there for many years. A new Panera moved in near to it. It is a beautiful and convenient restaurant with all the things people want now: upgraded coffee, salads with chicken, and some no-fat bread. Oh yes, with Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity).  And it is very busy.  So what is McDonalds doing? About two weeks ago heavy equipment moved in and started demolishing the building. Today, it is completely destroyed and plans are underway for building a new McDonalds with a new design and improved features. I assume with Wi-Fi and fancy coffee.

Peter Drucker, one of the world’s foremost management consultants who recently passed away, said that “business has only two functions — marketing and innovation.”

You have to change, or to put it better, you have to innovate.  And you have to market.

We have recently talked about the process of Continuous Improvement. The Japanese call it Kaizen. We have begun implementing a process called Continuous Improvement Reviews (C.I.R.), which is an adaptation of some of our basic consulting procedures that have been so effective. The CIR looks to be a vital tool for improving practice innovation and marketing. We will be posting more information on how to do the process in the future.

A new month is coming and it is time for a change. Time to innovate and market and grow your practice.