Off the Cuff: Ramsey Master Series
This week I've been attending the EntreLeadership Master Series in Nashville, TN, offered by the Dave Ramsey group. If you don't know who Dave Ramsey is, he is a radio/online personality from Tennessee who specializes in personal and business financial advice. It has been a really eye opening experience to learn how to work on my business, rather than just work in my business.
The curriculum has been more focused on practice culture and growth than on the day-to-day functionality of things like coding and billing. The first lesson was to determine your core values or beliefs, and the driving force behind your business. I think of it as the personality of the practice. Obviously, our practices are far more than just seeing patients. Additionally, there's been great information on interviewing, hiring, communication styles, compensation, how to delegate, strategic planning, and team alignment. Another focus has been personal wellness on all levels of physical health, mental health, and spiritual well-being. This really aligns with the increased burnout we're seeing across the board in healthcare. You can't take care of your business if you don't take care of yourself.
This conference is the first time I've actually focused on the practice as a business. It's easy to get stuck in the day in and day out of patient care and putting the fires out as they occur. Sometimes, though, your practice needs you to step back and look at the processes you have in place that allowed the fires to start in the first place.
Shannon L. Steinhäuser, OD, MS, FAAO - Chief Medical Editor