Don't look now...two months GONE!

Ouch! It's the last week of February 2009. We have been having a pity party, America. We have been wondering what the economy is going to do, how bad it's going to get and how Obama can save us. We have been counting cancellations, scrutinizing collections, watching employees and generally worrying ourselves to death. And we don't even know if we are on track or if we need to change something to get back on track.

Your "product" may be widgets, or you may think of it in terms of the number of new patients, how much they “buy”, and/or the number of productive hours you work. The structure of business is the same no matter what your profession.

There is only one way up and out of a recession. It's called work. But you have to plan your work and then work your plan if you are to reap rewards. That's call strategy.

So, instead of sitting there feeling bummed out waiting for someone to give you answers, tell me, what have you done before and what do you want to do now? What is possible?

Do not be afraid to set a goal. Set it in stone and strategize! Here's what it takes:

• Your Calendar - How many days a week will you be “open?” When will your practice care for patients? Weekends? How many hours a day will you work? When will you take vacation? What is your schedule for continuing education? Put everything in your Calendar. You can only make money if you are open for business. That doesn’t mean that you can’t take time off. Nevertheless, don’t miss a goal because your calendar changes! Pay attention.
• A Goal Tracking System needs to provide you with a snapshot of your Yearly, Monthly and Daily Goals compared with your actual productivity. At every daily morning huddle, review your Daily Data and your forecasted production. Update your daily goal amount every time you adjust your production days in order to stay on track. A team that knows where they are today can see where they need to go tomorrow.
• Monthly Production Summary Reports - You must have a monthly report that shows your providers’ productivity, as well as your total production, collections, and accounts receivable aging reports. Your data should easily compare your current productivity to both your past production and your annual plan.
• Bonuses and Incentive Tools - Yes, you can, and you should build a customized incentive plan that will help you track your daily achievement. You can have complete control. Just don't give away more than you earn. It's really not complicated. Pepper the year with games and incentives to reach short-range goals. Use your team bonus program to cement your long-term goals.

Use this strategy to lay a firm foundation, focus on growing your practice, and then let yourself enjoy the fact that it is also growing you. You are becoming a bigger person with each milestone you hit, with each person you empower, and with each day that you work toward your goal.