Twenty-one Ways to Be a Happier Practice Owner

Twenty-one Ways to Be a Happier Practice Owner

When the doctor is in a good mood, everyone is in a good mood. When he or she is unhappy, everyone is unhappy—including patients.

As a practice owner, one of your most important responsibilities is to put yourself, your staff and your patients in a good mood. You create a positive atmosphere. You make everyone happier.

A happier practice owner is a more successful practice owner. A happier staff member is a more productive staff member. A happier patient gets better treatment results and cheerfully pays and refers.

Make a list of actions that make your practice more enjoyable. Here are some suggestions.

1. Send singing telegrams to thank people for their referrals.

2. Put cartoon books in your waiting area.

3. Bring your son or daughter to your office for a day.

4. Have patients who are nervous, depressed or upset take a deep breath, hold it and smile.

5. Pat five people on the back.

6. Supervise a full office cleaning with all staff members.

7. Install a fish tank in the reception area (or remove the fish tank from the reception area).

8. Replace an employee who upsets you or your other employees.

9. Send a humorous card, signed by you and your staff, to an insurance adjuster.

10. Write an employee commendation.

11. Introduce child patients to adult patients.

12. Let your hair down, quit being so serious, lighten up.

13. Provide gourmet refreshments for a staff meeting.

14. Print your practice logo on T-shirts, baseball hats, coffee mugs or pens. Give as prizes to patients who refer, pay in advance, never miss appointments or never complain.

15. Discharge a patient who upsets you or your employees.

16. Require all staff to tell a joke at staff meetings.

17. Publicly praise staff members who hit their production quotas.

18. Take your staff bowling.

19. Make a big deal out of each holiday.

20. Replace an old piece of office equipment that everyone hates.

21. Whip out a hand puppet, that looks like you, whenever a patient wants a second opinion.