It's nearly the end of 2011, but in many ways if feels like 2008 all over again. The economy is rocky, unemployment figures are frighteningly high, belt-tightening has been elevated to an elite sport, and politicians continue their partisan bickering and grandstanding.
How do you react and respond in uncertain times like these? Some people bury their heads in the sand, others get angry. Maybe you refuse to follow the news, or perhaps you're more tuned in than ever. I know people who are hunkered down in anticipation of a long, slow recovery and others who are taking new business risks, confident that the economy will turn around soon, or that they'll be fine even if it doesn't. Who survives during unstable times like we are in now? Or, better yet, who thrives in the face of uncertainty?
It has been my experience, in working with chiropractors for several decades, that the individuals who thrive in the face of an uncertain future possess a distinctive collection of attitudes and skills that see them through difficult times. Thriving in a changing world requires embracing continuous transition as the new norm, letting go of old expectations and mindsets, developing creative strategies and flexible systems, and being clearer than ever on how to deliver value to patients.
Practice Today
Today, many chiropractors are experiencing a high degree of anxiety about maintaining financial solvency in the face of declining reimbursement and economic instability. They're also dealing with an increasing emphasis on compliance, transparency and accountability, the demand that they improve documentation and embrace electronic record keeping, and an enhanced focus on measurable outcomes. Add to all of this questions and concerns about scope-of-practice and the constant, rapid, and dramatic changes in technology, and it's easy to see why anxiety exists among chiropractors.
In times like these, your tendency may be to become emotional and reactive. Slipping into denial about the reality of the situation is a common response, as is anger, blame, and feeling uncertain about what to do next. Procrastination and apathy sometimes take hold, making it difficult to make plans and achieve goals that would lead to a more successful future.
Practitioners who are successful moving forward will draw on past experience as they analyze and adapt to new trends in chiropractic. They will attend to the operational demands of business, while not neglecting their passion and purpose for practicing. And, perhaps more importantly, they will work toward adopting attitudes and skills that will help them thrive as upcoming changes unfold. At best, they will become change masters and will not fall into the trap of allowing external forces detract them from their reason for practicing – to deliver high quality care to patients who are interested in optimal health, while enjoying satisfying careers and successful businesses.
How to thrive
Here are eight attitudes and skills that I've found to be common among chiropractors who, no matter what external pressures they face, remain strong and committed to their purpose. These doctors are:
1. Self-aware. Uncertain times call for being more aware about how you tend to function, especially when dealing with rapid changes that demand decisions on your part. It's important to recognize the patterns that determine how, when and why you make the decision you do. See which of the following statements apply to you.
- I make plans based on past experiences. If it worked once, it will work again.
- I just work as hard as possible and hope I'm doing the right things.
- I never make a decision without all of the data.
- I plan for the worst and occasionally I'm happily surprised.
- I assume everything will work out.
- I am always on the lookout for opportunities.
- I never plan. I believe in living for the moment.
- I don't want feedback. I make my own decisions.
- I am guided by my intuition and tend to make decisions quickly.
- I make a plan and then stick to it.
The ability to recognize your usual approach to planning and decision making can help you better understand how your attitudes either limit or support your future success. Moving beyond habitual ways of reacting to challenges can allow you to identify opportunities that may be presenting themselves in the wake of change.
2. Steadfast. Practitioners who succeed even when times are difficult have a clear purpose and vision, and they stick to it. No second guessing themselves, no twisting in the wind. They know what makes their practice special and they leverage that uniqueness. Their "mission, vision, values" statements are more than something to hang on the office walls to impress patients. Doctors who, when the going gets tough, change their strategy, their goals, and their minds with each new bit of news out of Washington or Wall Street end up feeling whipsawed and exhausted, making them less able to cope with the very challenges they are trying to manage. How steadfast do you feel today? What are your grounding principles? What can you always fall back on as being true related to how you manage your practice?