Hey Therapist Entrepreneurs,
Some weeks, running a practice means figuring out how to use new technology without creating a HIPAA nightmare, how to let other people take ownership, and how to make sure the people you hire fit the business you’re actually trying to build. I’ve been thinking about all three lately.
My 3 Favorite Episodes This Week
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For improving HIPAA and AI at the same time…
I absolutely love Uriah Guilford's recent episode of the Productive Therapist podcast because he and his guest manage to talk about two things that make people nervous, HIPAA and AI, in a way that is approachable and related to ethics. I didn't expect this episode to focus so much on HIPAA compliance, but it was so solid that I sent it to my office manager, who is actually completing a HIPAA audit for our entire practice right now. If you feel like you want to make sure that you have really CYA'd yourself with recent regulations coming out, I highly recommend this episode.
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For giving new hires ownership without losing accountability…
I have been truly loving the Amy Porterfield Show podcast recently because, even though she is not a therapist entrepreneur, she talks a lot about how to create business processes that make sense for our practices as well.
On this week's episode, Amy dives into the kinds of instructions to give a new hire so that you are not micromanaging everything and still holding them accountable to achieving the goals that you need. Frankly, I should probably listen to this episode like three times, and I wish that I had heard it before I hired my first admin.
One of her main takeaways is that instead of telling your new hire exactly what to do, tell them the goal you want them to achieve and let them approach it their own way. This sounds scary in practice, but if you hire the right person, they might come up with a system that actually makes more sense than what you were originally going to create.
I think this might be especially helpful with vendors who theoretically know how to achieve the outcomes you want without step-by-step guidance and may have even more expertise than you. Give it a listen and let me know where you think you could apply this lesson in your own practice.
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For a deeper dive into the strategy of hiring...
There are many podcast episodes about how to hire well, so I took a slightly different angle in my episode of Worth It Practice this week. Instead of talking about how to interview or red flags to look out for, I focus on the strategy for hiring for the vision of the practice you're trying to build.
Sometimes we can lose sight of the fact that the people who join our practice become our actual practice identity and our brand. They are not part of it. They literally are the collective living manifestation of our vision. Thats why thinking ahead and planning the kind of business you're trying to create makes hiring decisions easier. And also why having an actual business plan helps. 😉
If you've been thinking about hiring soon or rethinking your hiring process, this episode is worth a listen
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Leah's Personal Story Time:
Why I'm being "pushier"
Last week, you heard me talk about being deep in the weeds (intentionally), and this week, I’m happy to tell you that I can see the path out. This “seeing my way out” part happened more quickly than I thought it would, but it was definitely based on a lot of strategy and hustle, not a happy accident.
Here’s the truth: One of my strongest skill sets is that when I want to achieve an outcome and that needle has to move today, I am incredibly good at being decisive and making things happen very quickly. Sometimes more quickly than other people are comfortable with. 😅
With enough motivation, I can eliminate all the bottlenecks that I’m creating in a situation. Then the tricky part happens: Other people start holding me up. Other people start becoming the bottleneck. And when I want (and need) things to happen quickly, other people bottlenecking my efforts can frustrate me. And it's not just that they frustrate me; they start creating delays that are unacceptable when we're moving on a timeline.
Recently, I found a solution, particularly when working with vendors outside my direct practice. It’s simple but surprisingly effective: I’ve started asking for concrete timelines. If there’s a large project, I want deadlines for when each part of that project will be done.
Historically, I haven’t been that "pushy." I've worried that I was being overly demanding. So instead of directly asking for a clear a timeline and productivity goals, I’ve trusted that I’ve paid for a project, it’s being worked on in some way, and we will see the outcome sooner or later. Unfortunately, what I’ve found is that this lack of accountability often creates a lot of vagueness. Sometimes, at the end of that time period, I realize that nothing has actually been worked on.
Now, especially in time-crunch situations, I very kindly and respectfully ask for a clear timeline: “When will you get this part of the project done? What does ‘done’ look like?” I’m borrowing from what I learned from EOS about setting rocks and deadlines and operationalizing results. You know what I’ve found already? People do things more quickly. They are more accountable, and I can actually figure out whether or not my work is getting done.
I don't know why I haven't always done this. I think I always felt like I was being too pushy or too demanding. Maybe I keep waiting for someone to get frustrated with this. Instead, I just get clear answers. Maybe I should have started earlier.
If it's Worth It, pass it along!
Got a fellow therapist or practice owner who would love this info? Send them this email! They can also join the list by clicking on this link. Let's help more people thrive in their businesses.
Hope these resources help you grow your practice this week! Here's to your continued growth and success!
Warmly,
Leah
CEO of Thriving Child Center and PCIT Experts
Host of Educated Parent Podcast
Host of The Worth It Practice Podcast
CEO of Worth It Practice Consulting
