Written By: Kelly Ann Shy, Vice President, JDSM Enterprises
My children continue to be a source of inspiration for me in business! I was recently talking with my oldest son about his school activities during this covid-inspired re-opening phase and I learned that he and his classmates have re-invented the traditional game of recess tag! It is now known as “6-foot tag.” He is very proud of the fact that he and his good friend came up with this solution to their social distance restrictions! In essence, each child runs around in an imaginary bubble and when the person who is “IT” approaches from a safe distance and yells “POP!”, you are out.
Reflecting on this as I drove to the office, I recalled the one word I selected on New Year’s Day that I would focus on during 2020….”Resilience.” As defined by Merriam-Webster, “Resilience” is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Ten months ago, I could never imagine the significance and implications of this one word in my personal and business life.
Why is it that we, as business owners and managers, resist change to the point of breaking? If we are able to adopt these three principles of resiliency, we often find opportunities that may have been overlooked or otherwise dismissed out of hand.
Eliminate pre-conceived notions:
“This is how we have always done it” is not productive in today’s dynamic environment and may, in fact, cause businesses to stagnate. Much like my son’s reimagined game of Tag, we must adapt when the protocol changes. I saw this over and over in a surgical practice I ran. While, the underlying premise for our work never changed, our resiliency and ability to adjust to outside forces and find new ways to deliver quality patient care within new parameters enabled our practice to remain at the forefront of patient care.
Consider this example: As managed care providers for most major medical insurance carriers, our practice was struggling to make ends meet given the current reimbursement structures. After making a very difficult decision to withdraw as a contract provider for these medical plans, we had to address the fears that accompanied the pre-conceived notion that “patients will not come see us if we are not in their network.” Instead we educated patients about the benefits of seeing our group despite network status. By changing how we operated in the past, we were able to provide patients with solid reasons for electing care from our office, increase patient acceptance, and provide our staff with training and tools to present such services, not only as a benefit, but as an investment in their continued good health.
Remove Obstacles:
If we view change as an opportunity rather than a barrier, we are able to flex our business muscles in new ways that foster growth and strength. This pandemic has caused businesses to adjust quickly! Curbside pickup was already in place at HEB. Now in response to COVID19, most retailers and professional service firms are offering their own versions of curbside delivery. Having the necessary bandwidth to respond to adversity and competition is crucial in the current environment.
Another example from that surgical practice: There were many instances in which we had to identify and eliminate obstacles in order to improve patient services. Several years ago, the practice had two busy full-time office locations;. one of which was not in an area of town that would allow growth and accessibility. We needed to search for an appropriate location in the surrounding communities. We decided to relocate one of our existing practices in an area of town where traffic and congestion had already been successfully addressed, and to open a full time office in the hill country in Boerne, Texas. One of the main concerns with our Boerne office that it would be staffed by those living in San Antonio. Therefore, it was crucial for us to become involved in the local community and participate in many local events if we were to be seen by the town’s residents as “home-grown”. Rather than remain outsiders, we removed the barriers that would prevent us from being accepted by the community. As a result, we were able to gain the the community’s trust, which led to an increase in patient services.
Hold true to your principles:
Despite everything that is happening around us and “to” us right now, we must not lose sight of the guiding principles that form the premise for our business. These principles become the pillars that stand the test of time and will provide guidance in a confusing or emotional business environment. The highest guiding principles for a company are comprised of its Core Values (who you are) and Core Focus (what you do and why you do it). Don Maranca explains this as: Who + What + Why = Highest Guiding Principles.
https://jdsmenterprises.com/2020/03/24/importance-of-purpose-in-business-especially-today/
Our practice’s guiding principle was to provide quality patient care in an available, accessible, and affordable manner. When faced with a competitor who had the marketing dollars and corporate backing to offer surgical services directly to the consumer, we responded by creating our own version of such a model that remained true to our commitments to availability, accessibility, and affordability. Rather than succumbing to the financial fortitude that existed for our competition, we developed a model that provided the same services but in a more personal and team approach to care that allowed us to keep our guiding principles at the forefront of patient care, provided an opportunity for our team members to communicate and differentiate the care provided, and enabled us to grow a new sector of the practice.
When all decisions are made while focused on the business’ Highest Guiding Principles, all team members will continue to strive for the Greater Good of the organization. Now it’s your turn to determine what preconceived notions exist in your business; what obstacles need to be removed; and how to press forward while holding true to your business’s guiding principles. “Pop! You’re IT!”