When your staff articulates why THEY get care, it grows their confidence and competence as a team player. I’ve met too many doctors and CA’s that don’t’ have a regular care plan. Ask your staff if they know when they should be checked next. If they’re not sure, this is a good indicator that there is a gap in how much they understand about what you do, why you do it and if they want to be a part of it.
Could they and would they be willing to sincerely tell a patient their story? Do they know YOUR story? Too often, I’ve seen offices put great emphasis on procedure and script, but miss the mark when it comes to sharing the vision and mission of the offices with the staff. In the same way every organ and tissue express their design and are orchestrated to function well, our staff can be empowered to contribute authentically when given the proper support.
Sadly, as a profession, we aren’t walking our talk. When was the last time YOU were evaluated, honestly examined by a chiropractor, given a care plan and FOLLOWED it? Does your staff get more than just “fit in” to your schedule when they’re uncomfortable and “feel like they need an adjustment”? If we don’t have a care plan, it’s tricky to be very convincing that someone else should have one.
Here are some flags to watch for that could alert you that you may prefer a robot, need new staff or need to invest more time to support your CA so they that can inspire and empower patients through THEIR experience in chiropractic:
- The CA isn’t getting adjusted, connecting them to their Innate expression of Life.
- Your CA doesn’t have a chiropractic story to tell or doesn’t know yours.
- Staff know procedures, but can’t tell a patient WHY they do them.
- Staff know the words (scripts), but not WHY you’ve chosen them.
I’ve been in CA classes for decades and the story is too common; CA power is stifled. You have a living, breathing VOICE that can be a strong advocate for your profession and given the chance to BE A PART of the greater whole, but the voice isn’t given the practice to learn the language. It takes time, but more, it takes energy and intention.
To start, try these 3 simple steps to move you toward having a more congruent team:
- TELL your story (this gives them an anchor to attach to – nobody can anchor to an unanchored ship)
- Ask them to tell you theirs (gives them practice like a rehearsal, great tool with patients too)
- Create a care plan for your STAFF and FOLLOW it (DO the exam, ROF, care, re-eval, and on and on and on…what does LIFETIME care look like?)
I know that for me, I can attribute my well-being (social / emotional, physical, spiritual) to the chiropractic profession, lifestyle, and the adjustment. It taught me about integrity and making choices in alignment to my beliefs. I believe it can do that for your staff too.
Do you?
Lisa Engle is widely known for her passion, dedication and commitment to the chiropractic profession. She is famous for inspiring patients, especially mothers, to connect more fully to the expression of their health potential. With nearly 3 decades of service in the chiropractic profession; integrity, congruence, and “inside out health” is her first language. In turn, she has created a safe, effective, and reflective coaching model for mothers without the judgement, comparison, and overwhelm that often inhibits change and growth for families. To learn more about Lisa’s work or to contact her, please visit www.optiMOMcoaching.com
