No, this blog is not about some chiropractic question … it is about relationship building.

A new book by Keith Ferrazzi entitled Who’s Got Your Back is one worth reading.  Mr. Ferrazzi dispels the myth of the lone professional, the superman, the eccentric genius working alone.

He maintains that the real and only path to success is through a circle of deep, close relationships created with a few trusted individuals.  Those select individuals will give you the real truth and honest feedback about your self-destructive habits. 

His earlier book Never Eat Alone has a similar message about forming and nurturing a few trusted relationships. The author lists a series of steps designed to help you create the lifelong relationships that will help you get the advice you need. 

The Personal Success Wheel lists these elements to personal growth and development: 

• Giving Back
• Spirituality
• Intellectual Stimulation
• Physical Wellness
• Financial Success
• Professional Growth
• Deep Relationship

In almost every book about success, these elements are present.  Perhaps before you attempt to use your skills on others backs, answering "who’s got yours" might be a good start.

I'm not one for getting pumped up by false praise or insincere compliments, but I do realize that without some form of inspiration, some use of imagination, I can get bogged down by the day-to-day rigors of the working world. 

As a full-time student myself, I understand how narrow the focus of life can be with all the studying, tests, etc. So how can one break through the monotony of school and work so that you are able to look beyond today to where your success lies?

It's a funny answer. Read more!

The president of NCMIC, Dr. Louis Sportelli, shared a quote by Charles "Tremendous" Jones that has stayed foremost in my mind. 

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

No truer words were ever spoken. Reading can encourage you when you are in a slump, give you a way to move beyond the roadblocks you might see ahead of you as you plan for your new business. A book can help you establish your plan, lift your spirits, or offer a little humorous respite from your daily grind. Books can change your outlook on life!

I've recently picked up a book called, The War of Art : Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield. The book is about values and focus. It explains how you can keep a drive inside of you and have the focus and discipline to get done what needs to be done. Isn't that what we need to do when we are feeling overwhelmed? 

Whether you are a student, new doctor or seasoned D.C., sometimes we all need a little break as we work toward our future. Summer is here. Why not take that break with a good book that could be just the medicine you need to reinvigorate yourself. Now pick up that book and get reading!

Do you have any special books you've read that have made a difference in your life? Share them with us, won't you?

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to watch the movie "Happy Feet," a tale of an oddball penguin with big feet who couldn't seem to keep his appendages still. I found myself tapping my own toes along with the music of the movie and smiling wide whenever the penguin started to dance.

It reminded me of the way I usually feel when I head off to work. I'm fortunate enough to work for a good company and work beside some great people. That combination makes NCMIC a great place to be. Happy feet!

Creating an environment that keeps your staff satisfied enough to keep coming back to assist you in growing your business is important to your future. It's easy enough to say your employees are critical to your success, but showing them is a different matter. 

Are you serious?  What reasons might send a good employee down the path of discontent? Can you stop the process and retain a valuable employee?

Here's a short list of answers and, yes, I know you are serious.

• Give a compliment - even the toughest skinned employee needs to know the job they are doing for you makes a difference.
• Reward when you can - a gift certificate, a thank-you note or a small surprise now and then shows you care.
• Don't sweat the small stuff - taking away a priviledge or calling someone on the carpet for things that you "heard" without giving an employee any opportunity to explain shows that you don't think they are trustworthy.
• Rules - don't have so many of them that an employee couldn't possibly retain the information
• Communicate - when an employee gets news second-hand,they feel blind-sided which creates a lack of trust. Keep all employees in the loop.
• Finally, take time to listen and ask for ideas. Front-line employees see your clients every day. They know what works and doesn't work with office procedures. Ask them for input and utilize what is feasible for your office.

In the end you CAN stop the process of discontent by including your employees ideas as you grow, showing them that they have value with your organization! It will make for employees with HAPPY FEET!

Any experiences or lessons you'd like to share about times you've felt valued or under-valued?

Very soon, doctors will be graduating from chiropractic colleges throughout the United States.  It is truly an exciting time in your career. But if you do not proceed with caution, it could ruin your chances for a successful start.

The contract is a legally binding contract between you and another party.  That other party may be an employer, a business partner, a practice management company or an insurance company as in the case of a PPO.  Whichever it may be, it is your responsibility to thoroughly read the contracts, ask questions and in most cases, seek guidance from family, peers and/or legal counsel.

Recently, a soon-to-be-graduate, asked me about an associate contract. The pay was not bad, but I noticed that the contract had a 50-mile non-compete clause. 

Isn't that too excessive? 

Maybe not in the tundra of Alaska, but in a metro area, it may not hold up in court.  Time to talk to an attorney.

Are you going to be an independent contractor?  You must make yourself aware of the IRS rules as an independent contractor.  Are your hours being set?   Will the other party involved schedule patients for you?  Will they collect for you?  Will they provide equipment for you?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you most probably will be deemed an employee and not an independent contractor.

When getting into a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)  you must carefully read the contract.  Once you sign the contract, you are legally bound to follow all the PPO rules and regulations. 

The reimbursement rates are not the only criteria to consider.  As an example, some Blue Cross PPO plans also control what services are billable and, as in the case of physical therapy codes, who can perform the services.  One recent case with a Blue Cross Federal PPO plan stipulated that trigger point therapy had to be done by the chiropractor and could not be delegated to staff, such as a massage therapist.  Since the doctor had several massage therapists performing this service on his orders, it led to a demand of repayment by Blue Cross of several hundred thousands of dollars.

You made an informed decision when you decided to become a chiropractic physician.  Using that same investigative attitude may pay off huge in future dividends, a successful career and multitudes of patients benefiting from your care. 

It's that time of year again...tax time!

Every year, I write a blog at this special time of year about my taxes.  Usually, I'm not in a great mood about the topic as it requires a great deal of prep time to get everything organized and off to my accountant.

I'm fortunate that I've found a great accountant who I trust completely.  It wasn't always like that.  I found my current accountant through a series of trials and errors.  I think finding a good accountant is the biggest challenge of tax time.

But now there is a new tool to help.  Teaspiller.com is an online application that allows you to find an accountant, submit your tax documents, file and track your taxes, all online.  It looks like a great way to shop for an accountant because it not only provides the contact information for accountants in your area, but also reviews of their work by clients.

Like I said, I've found a great CPA who I've used for several years now.  But if you are looking, you may want to give Teaspiller a try. 

If you do, I'd be interested to hear about your experience in the comments to this blog!

At this time of the year, I am reminded of one of my favorite movies, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."  Eddie is the dufus brother-in-law, who has a heart of gold.  In a scene of the movie, Clark is upset because he didn't get the bonus he was planning to get, but rather got the "Jelly of the Month Club" membership.  Eddie comments that it is the "Gift that keeps on giving!"

As we get into the holiday season, we reward our staff in different ways to show our appreciation.  Gifts are used or returned and bonuses are spent.  Do you give the gift that keeps on giving?

Without the chiropractic assistants (CA), we would not be able to function as we do now.  Without the CA we definitely would not be as prosperous.  Many times we take our staff for granted. 

If you were to really give the gift that keeps on giving, how would you change the way you do things?  Here are some best practices you and I may wish to ponder and adopt in the coming months.

• Be an enthusiastic and passionate caregiver to our patients and staff.
• Learn how to coach people to become more effective and productive.
• Provide five times more positive recognition than negative feedback.
• Take regular action to improve moral.
• Seek to encourage teamwork.
• Tune up your staff's skills each year, through continuing education.
• Set goals with fellow employees that result in increased patient care, productivity and pride.
• Delegate to give people opportunities to learn and grow.
• Talk about the practice’s vision, not just collections.
• Set and clearly communicate expectations.
• Model a balanced lifestyle between God, family and work.
• See every person as possessing unlimited potential.
• Take time to get to know the people who work with you
• Know your staff's goals and help them achieve them.
• Send personalized cards or notes on special occasions.
• Catch people doing the right things and praise them.
• Find ways to make work fun.
• Use the chiropractic lifestyle to guide your lifestyle, therefore being a model for your staff.
• Leave an inspirational book in the breakroom, in hopes that it may speak to someone as it spoke to you.
• Take your staff to the state society convention to learn, expand their mind, see what other offices are doing and increase their self-worth.
• Never forget that your success is a result of the success of the people who work with you and for you.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!

Does every staff member in your office have a supply of business cards?

This may seem like a small item but it can make a huge difference for your practice and your staff.

Every staff member is an integral part of the office.  Having their own business cards is a great way to demonstrate their importance to the office. But it also enables them to spread the word about your office everywhere they travel within your community. 

Staff members will immediately feel the significance and importance of the essential function they play in your office.  Their business cards are your office greeting cards.

This is a small cost for a huge return.  

While we are on the subject of staff importance, have you considered providing uniforms to your staff? 

The entire office will demonstrate an air of professionalism when all staff members are “in uniform.” Not only will the office look more professional, but patients will feel a sense of competence by the appearance of a team approach to care.  Staff will feel a sense of worth and belonging and patients will perceive they are in the right place.

Create the perception and the reality will follow. 

Warning:  This blog is completely unrelated to chiropractic practice....or is it?

Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are of Thanksgiving morning, the smells of my mother's delicious Midwestern cooking filling the house and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV with my sisters.

Last night I had a late flight home to Des Moines from Palmer West.  The inflight entertainment featured a History Channel documentary on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  I found it fascinating and I thought I'd pass on some of the facts about this iconic American institution.

• The parade began in 1924 and today is known as the longest running show on Broadway.
• The original route began in Harlem and ran 6 1/2 miles to the Macy's store on Herald Square.  The route has since been shortened to 2 1/2 miles.
• The parade originally featured animals from the Central Park Zoo.  The giraffes had to stay home because they were too tall to walk under the elevated train tracks that crossed Broadway.  And, the animals are actually the reason for those enormous balloons, which have become the hallmark of the parade.  After 6 1/2 miles on the parade route, some of the animals got cranky and were actually frightening the children in the crowd.  So, in 1927, Tony Sarg, Macy's window designer and well-known puppeteer, created the first balloons to replicate the animals.  He called his creations "Balloonatics."
• The first balloons were actually not helium.  They were held up with sticks.  Then in 1928, Macy's partnered with Goodyear to make the first helium balloons to float along the parade route.
• At the end of the parade route, the balloons were released, adding to the spectacle of the parade.  Even better, as helium rises it expands and the balloons exploded as they ascended past the top of the Macy's building.  This was fixed the next year with release valves built into the balloons.
• But the balloons were too expensive to just release, never to be seen again.  So the next year, Macy's offered $100 gift certificates for the return of the balloons after they were released.  This turned into a much publicized treasure hunt and became a spectacle in and of itself.  Clarence Chamberlain, a well-known aviation pioneer, actually used a lasso from his single engine plane to capture the Pig balloon over Long Island.
• In 1941, with World War II looming, the parade featured Uncle Sam and Santa Claus balloons.  The Santa Claus balloon tore and deflated prophetically.  Pearl Harbor was attacked less than two weeks later and the parade went on a three-year hiatus.
• The parade returned in 1945 with a new contract with NBC for televising the event and unprecedented publicity from the movie "Miracle on 34th Street."  For the first time, the entire country could enjoy the legendary parade.
• In 1966, Manny Bass was hired to revamp the parade floats and served as the parade's chief designer until 2006.
• In 1977, Jean McFadden became Parade Director and is credited with creating the modern day entertainment event.  She made the parade a show with several "acts," culminating in the Santa Claus float.  McFadden also made a show of the balloon inflation on Central Park West.  The balloons had always been inflated in the early morning hours while NYC slept.  McFadden moved the time up to late evening so spectators could enjoy seeing the balloons take shape and come to life.  She served as Director until 2000.
• In 1980, Goodyear pulled out of their decades-old partnership with Macy's for building the balloons.  Macy's took the design and production of the balloons in-house.
• The traffic lights along the parade route are designed so they can be swung out of the way for the balloons.  Many other precautions are taken to ensure the safety of spectators and participants.  However, mishaps still happen.  In 1997, winds exceeded 45 mph and the Cat In The Hat balloon ran amok and knocked down a street lamp, which severely injured a spectator.  Today, balloons are not allowed if sustained winds exceed 24 mph. 

While I said this is not a blog about chiropractic practice, I think there are definitely lessons to be learned from this American institution.  Change is inevitable.  Innovation is survival.  And probably most of all, in the face of challenge and change, the show must go on.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We truly have much for which to be thankful!

Try to read at least one book a month ... and you will be in the top percentage of all people in the country.   The following statistics about books will give you some idea of the state of affairs relative to reading.

• 1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives
• 42% of college graduates never read another book after college
• 80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year
• 70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years
• 57% of new books are not read to completion
• 70% of books published do not earn back their advance
• 70% of the books published do not make a profit

(Source: Jerold Jenkins, www.JenkinsGroupInc.com)

Just a short 15 minutes a night before you go to bed will give you 5 hours a month to read - that's probably enough to read at least one book.

As for the type of books you might read, consider books on self improvement and business that will help overcome the negativity that is rampant from traditional newspapers and TV. 

This alone will create a positive attitude that you will automatically convey to your patients and they will subliminally be attracted to your positive attitude. 

I'd like to share the titles of five books that are favorites of mine:

1. Man's Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
2. When Bad Things Happen to Good People – Harold Kushner
3. Never Eat Alone – Keith Ferrazzi
4. E-Myth Mastery – Michael Gerber
5. Learned Optimism -Martin E.P. Seligman

You will find that your entire attitude about yourself and the world will be changed.  In future blogs, more books will be identified. In the meantime, what books have influenced you?

All great department stores and companies have mystery shoppers who are hired by the company to call the store or simply pretend to be a shopper to assess the level of customer service provided. 

The company can then use this information to improve their service.  When is the last time you had someone act as your myster shopper by calling and pretending to be a patient? 

You might be surprised at how your office handles patient calls. Your mystery shopper could pretend to be a patient who has never seen you and wants to come in now or a patient who demands to talk to you or simply tells the front desk they are shopping for a doctor. 

You might be amazed to discover that your office staff is not the least bit friendly or that they convey to the patient that the office is staff-centric or doctor-centric and not patient-centered. 

Another approach is for you to periodically come in the front door of your office and see what patients see when they walk in.  When is the last time you rearranged the furniture, painted, removed the 1980 magazines from the table, sat in a reception room chair and just looked around?

The view will be worth its weight in gold.  Often, we simply go in every day and never bother to pay attention to the little things that are truly important to those we serve.