A Fresh Perspective
By Dr. Jonathan Lazar (Class 082)
Title: Who Are You Really and What Do You Want?
We all look for ways to become more productive. We’ll buy new software, a new app, and come up with a new way to get things done more efficiently. And it all works well…until two days from now. While productivity is important, I think it’s really just an effect. Trying to be more productive without knowing why you do what you do is like chasing symptoms for your patients without addressing the root cause of their problem.
We have to start with the end in mind. Ask yourself, “ What does my life look like when everything is working perfectly? If there were no rules and I couldn’t fail, what would my marriage look like? My family? My body? My office?” You get the idea.
I got to a place in my practice that was very dangerous. I had developed this jaded, self sufficient attitude. I had gone through a lot of employees since I opened, and although I didn’t know what it was or why, I knew logically that I was the only common denominator. I’ll save you the turmoil of walking you through all the processes I considered, but here’s what I came up with.
I didn’t have a clear vision of what my practice should look like. So, if today, I thought I wanted to have a young, hip, trendy feel, I would hire a twenty year old woman who had that look and feel, but was constantly fighting with her boyfriend and coming to work crying. She didn’t last long.
Then I thought I needed a warm, nurturing feel. So I hired a woman in her forties whose kids were in school. She was so warm and nurturing, though, that she would allow patients to carry a balance of thousands of dollars because she felt bad for them. She is, obviously, no longer working with me.
Then, not too long ago, I decided that I was going to clarify my vision and commit to doing whatever it takes to seeing that to fruition. I got away and turned my cell phone off, and came up with the following vision statements:
- We have a schedule that is well organized, and always full. We work efficiently as a team, and with intense focus and resolve in order to be fully present with every patient. We are masters at patient care, customer service, and have the most joyful, happy, and enthusiastic workplace anywhere.
- We consistently attract, mentor, and train chiropractic warriors, including pre-health students, chiropractic students, chiropractic interns, associates, and chiropractic assistants.
- Patients are so blown away with our service and results and the WOW experience we offer that they refer other patients into our office on their own. The patients they refer are thrilled to be taken care of in our office.
- The top doctors in our area routinely send us the most ideal patients because of our reputation for success and professionalism.
- We are featured in major publications and endorsed by major personalities by our fifth year in practice.
- We consistently exceed our budget in revenue and profitability, allowing us to be massively generous with others.
- Our employees consistently maxing out their bonus plans, and growing beyond their wildest expectations.
In addition to a crystal clear vision, you need a rock solid philosophy and a fantastic system of evaluating and correcting subluxations. With this combination, you’ll be unstoppable.
You need a philosophy and resolve that everybody is better under your care than not. There’s not a condition known to man that hasn’t turned around on a chiropractic table. You don’t need to heat your patients up or cool them down to change their lives. Dr. Galen Price said, “You’d have to hit someone pretty hard with an ice pack to change their life with it.” Own and deliver the world’s best chiropractic adjustment. Find a system that works for you that is precise, effective, and reproducible. Please don’t find high spots or fixations and thump on them. Do your part – fall in love with a system that works and become the best at it. I’ve never met a brain surgeon who feels inferior for not clipping someone’s toe nails. While this is undoubtedly a valuable service that some people need, it is not chiropractic.
If you can let the self-limiting beliefs go that you say to yourself, like, “I need a bunch of tools in my toolkit, so everyone who walks into my office will like me,” you’ll be free to grow. Besides, what good are a bunch of tools if you’re mediocre (at best) at using them? Pick a tool or at most two, and hang your hat on that.
I use exclusively NUCCA and QSM3 in my office. NUCCA stands for the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association and has one of the most advanced and precise analyses available. It is well researched, has a strong governing body, and requires accountability. These are outstanding traits for an organization. QSM3 (Quantum Spinal Mechanics) is an upper cervical progressive add-on to NUCCA and was developed by a board certified NUCCA instructor, Dr. Russell Friedman. It uses the NUCCA analysis, but takes into account how the upper cervical misalignment is affecting the entire body.
You certainly don’t have to practice the way I do, but I will say, find what lights you up and commit to it. Even when your circumstances suggest otherwise, staying your ground will always win in the end. Because I have stayed true to my vision, I get to take care of some really fantastic people who have respect for the fact that I’m really really good at something, and I’m comfortable to admit that I am NOT an expert in other areas.
Recently, I started taking care of a surgeon’s wife, a family doctor, a chiropractor and his fiance, a physical therapist, a chiropractor’s daughter, a psychotherapist, a massage therapist, an author and her agent, and the daughter of the publisher of the area’s largest natural health publication. Why? Not because I marketed to them or even because I asked them to come into my office for care. I get to serve them because they’ve all heard that I can help with something called the atlas subluxation complex. And they’re all more than happy to drive long distances (some almost four hours), pay cash, and follow my recommendations.
The best marketing you can ever do is to provide excellent service. In order for me to give excellent, world class service, I have to know what I’m doing. I’m happy with the systems I use in my office, and so are the people I serve. If you want to know more about what we do, how we do it, and why, I will be speaking at the NUCCA club Friday morning, April 20. I’d love to meet you and answer any questions you have.
In the meantime, work on a crystal clear vision, write it down, and commit to reading it every day. You’ll be more excited about what you’re doing than ever before. This will allow you to be more productive, because you’ll find ways to daily work toward your vision. Because you’re pursuing something great, you will attract the right people, places and things into your life, you’ll plant more seeds than ever before, and you’ll find success in every area of your life you didn’t even know was possible. So find out who you are and what you really want, and let nothing stand in the way of you getting there!
Bio info:
I hate those bios that are written in third person, and it’s clear the author wrote it himself. So I’m not going to do that. I run a multi-doctor, multi-discipline upper cervical practice in Ann Arbor, MI. I have beautiful wife, three awesome kids, and I live each day to add massive value to the lives I get to touch. I’m honored to serve you in any way. Email me with questions anytime: drlazar@lazarspinalcare.com.