Practice Challenges:
The doctor opened her own practice in 1998, six years after graduating from school. Although she excelled in patient care, it was overwhelming to simultaneously run the practice, manage the staff and treat the patients.
The doctor felt her employees did not carry their weight. They put in their time, collected their paychecks and went home. Although the practice was making money, the doctor didn’t get to keep it; everything went back into the practice. She worked six days a week and found her life was consumed by her practice. In 2004, she started the Sterling program.
Number of Staff:
At that time, the doctor had two staff in addition to herself: an optician and a front-desk person. Currently, she has a total of seven staff in addition to herself: two opticians, an office manager, one technician, a staff member over insurance and billing and two part-time administrative assistants.
Timeline:
Jan 2004 – EXECUTIVE BOOSTER PROGRAM: The doctor did the Executive Booster Program because she wanted to implement a tried and true system others had also used. The program gave her a step-by-step path to follow and enabled her to expand her office and manage the staff. The doctor valued having a professional consultant who was in the business of helping other business owners and had an exterior viewpoint.
Mar 2004 – STERLING ATLANTA WORKSHOP: The doctor attended her first Sterling regional workshop. She reports it was fun to be around other practice owners who were applying the same materials. The doctor continues to attend because the workshops give her a boost and she learns something different each time. She sometimes brings her staff as she feels it is a good way to introduce them to the Sterling program.
✭ Jun 2004 – CHICAGO WORKSHOP
Oct 2004 – OFFICE VISIT: The doctor requested a visit to her office to help get the program basics implemented at her practice and train the staff so they would be more on board. A specialty consultant arrived and helped on organizing, hiring, appointment scheduling, phone manners and implementing a communications system. The consultant also trained the staff on the program basics and reorganized the doctor’s executive space so she could get other projects done. As a result of the office visit, the practice statistics went up along with the morale of the staff. A staff member the Sterling consultant had helped hire is still with the doctor today.
✭ Feb 2006 – NASHVILLE WORKSHOP
Apr 2006 – MAKING A TEAM CUSTOMIZED ONE-ON-ONE WORKSHOP: This workshop gave the doctor further tools for managing the staff. It gave her more confidence as an executive and improved her ability to direct the staff in what she wanted them to do.
✭ Feb 2008 – ATLANTA WORKSHOP
Apr 2008 – REPAIR OF PAST ETHICS CUSTOMIZED ONE-ON-ONE WORKSHOP: The doctor took this workshop to improve her ability to apply conditions.
Oct 2011 – OFFICE MANAGER PROGRAM: The doctor’s office manager did this program before assuming the office manager position. After completing the program, she went on maternity leave. When she returned from maternity leave and became office manager, the practice had two consecutive highest-ever months.
May 2012 – HANDLING UNWANTED CONDITIONS CUSTOMIZED ONE-ON-ONE WORKSHOP: This workshop helped the doctor address some personal matters which also helped her in the practice.
Jan 2013 – HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS CUSTOMIZED ONE-ON-ONE WORKSHOP: The doctor took this workshop to help decide what to do at this stage of her career. She had been looking at various options but was undecided on which were best. The workshop helped her define her long-term goal and make a step-by-step plan of how to achieve it. As a result of the workshop, the doctor has handled a financial situation in the practice and an employee problem. The doctor also reports that difficult things don’t bother her like they used to. She knows what she wants and why she is doing what she is doing.
NEXT UP – Continue her one-on-one consulting and open another office.
