Think Like A CEO

Sometimes you’ve got to take some time out and have a think about things.

I know what it is like to be working in the NHS, to have a young family at home and trying to build up a private practice.

You can’t see the wood for the trees

You are so busy.

…but I have realised that everyone is busy.

Successful people don’t have any more time to do stuff than you do.

The difference is in the things they choose to do with their time.

As doctors, we are used to getting stuck in and performing practical tasks that have a direct effect on outcomes (and income) – like doing clinics and procedures.

…but this is the sort of thing that an employee does.

Of course, when you work in the NHS, you are an employee.

…but if you are trying to build a private practice, you are a business owner.

If you think of all the successful business owners – Bill Gates, Alan Sugar, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, they don’t spend their time delivering the service.

Jeff Bezos isn’t boxing up parcels for Amazon and Bill Gates isn’t fixing bugs in Microsoft Word.

The CEO of a business spends time thinking about the strategy and direction of the business.

They are paid to think, not to do.

How much time to you spend thinking about your private practice?

You want your business to grow, but you just have one employee (you) who spends all day ‘on the tools’, so what is your strategy for growth?

I know it’s hard.

There never seems to be enough hours in the day

…and there is always something ‘more important’ to do.

…but if you really want to start making changes in your practice, you need to change your mindset and realise that the things that you think are more important, aren’t!

I have written a free guide based on my experience of setting up my own Private Practice with my 5 Steps To Build A Valuable Private Practice and you can download it here:

Just take one area – how you handle enquiries.

A pretty important area, right?

…but how much time have you spent thinking about the best process for dealing with new enquiries?

Let me guess, none?

Yet you make sure that you respond to that email asking you about your clinic utilisation last month, or you can find the time to spend half a day learning about moving and handling, or how to spot radicalisation.

…because you have to do these things.

The Divisional Manager or Clinical Director will be on your back, so you prioritise these things.

No one cares whether you have a robust process for dealing with enquiries, so why bother?

Because you are trying to run a business and you are the CEO, that’s why!

…and if you don’t have a decent system for dealing with enquiries, you have a pretty rubbish business.

No one else cares, but you should care!

If you want to have an idea about how you should be thinking about new enquiries, I have recorded a short video, you can watch it below:

Remember, phone is the kindling and email is the fuel!

If you want to spend a day on this stuff – think of it like mandatory training for your business, come along to my clinic on Monday 11th November 2019 and we will spend some time thinking like a CEO and putting systems in place for your business.