Why Practice Systems Aren't Enough
- Ed Petty
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
What you need to do
"The size of a chiropractor's business depends upon:
1st – His ability to notify people who he is, what he is, and where.
2nd – His systematization to take care of it as it grows and increases in volume."
- B.J. Palmer (1920, from Up From Below the Bottom)
B.J. was prolific and industrious. After all, he built a chiropractic college, which, by one account, had an enrollment of 1,000 by the 1920s. He was THE individual to promote chiropractic in the first half of the 20th Century.
In the 1980s, Michael Gerber popularized a similar concept about systems with The E-Myth. Here are three quotes from his book:
"Systems run the business and people run the systems."
"True entrepreneurial success lies in creating systems, not in doing everything yourself."
"If your business depends on you, you don't own a business-you have a job."
I like and agree with the importance of systems.
But something essential is overlooked in these quotes. I have been to many offices, and doctors have all told me they like Gerber's book. However, I rarely saw the "systems" run smoothly in those offices and others, which helped their business grow.
Something was missed.
WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE SYSTEMS?
What was missed was who was going to implement these systems. Who was in charge of them?
Staff are busy with their duties, and you and the doctors are busy with patients.
And let's be honest here: as a doctor and entrepreneur, do you want to sit down and work out systems? Do you want to check on them weekly?
This job is for a trained manager – and a Goal Driven team.
We are actually covering this subject this Wednesday on our Practice MBA course.
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW TO IMPLEMENT SYSTEMS?
Be the leader. You will need to devote just a few hours of your working time each month to be the CEO of your practice. This was the role B.J. Palmer took on. He drove the expansion and innovation of chiropractic and the school.
Teach your philosophy and Why. Spend (at least) two hours per month with your team. At a team meeting, teach them about your philosophy and the purpose of the office. This will help keep the team aimed in the right direction. This process never ends.
Manager. Assign someone to be your administrative assistant, administrative coordinator, or office manager a few hours per week. Secure for them 2-4 hours per week to fulfill this role.
Manager's Job. Their first duty is putting together job duties for each position. They develop these with the team and review them with you later. Their second job is to make sure that the duties stay in place.
Work with the manager. Twice per month, review the manager's job checklist. Did they do this? Great! Did they do that, uh oh! Coach them and help them. Secure 1-2 hours per meeting.
Leverage Frameworks: Use The Goal Driven Business to structure implementation. Systems thrive under guided leadership.
The Outcome
A manager acts as your practice’s engine, handling daily operations while you focus on growth.
Final Step
Read The Goal Driven Business to for more detail on how to implement this. Need help? Book a session (May 2025 only). Assign a manager today, and you’ll shift from surviving to thriving.
And stay Goal Driven,
Ed
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For more information on how to create a more profitable business that is more fun than what you are doing now, please purchase and then use the book,
The Goal Driven Business at www.GoalDriven.com
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