Setting Goals to Guide Your Practice in 2020

by Ray Foxworth, D.C., FICC, MCS-P

President & Founder, ChiroHealthUSA

With most entrepreneurs and small businesses, it can be tough to plan ahead when everyone involved is scrambling just to get through the day. But as Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Setting measurable goals for your practice can be crucial in preparing NOT to fail. It’s an important step in keeping the entire organization focused on the company’s priorities and objectives. Follow the ideas below to set and meet goals for your practice.

Set Goals for One, Five and Ten Years. You should set short-term and long-term goals. As Salesforce Founder Marc Benioff put it, “Knowing what I have planned for myself in five years has a profound influence on the decisions I make today. What level of success do I hope to achieve? How much time will I invest in pursuing that goal? What factors will determine my decision to pursue something else? I am more strategic and better able to develop effective management teams when I am able to share my long-term goals with those I hope to hire.” Benioff also noted that most companies overestimate their success in the short term and underestimate their success in the long term. Thus, he considers five-year goals to be standard practice for his business.

Set Measurable Goals. Sales guru, and fellow Yazoo City, Mississippi native, Zig Ziglar, was on the money when he said, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” To set your goals properly, it’s important that they be measurable. Dr. Jay Greenstein, owner of KaizoHealth in Washington, DC, uses the Vision Traction Organizer™, part of The EOS Model™. It has been integral in helping him set and reach goals for his 5 locations. “You can’t just set a goal to increase patient visits“said Greenstein. “Instead, set a goal to increase patient visits by 30% this year. Goals are useless without a way to measure results.”

Communicate Your Goals. Studies have shown that less than 50% of staff time is typically put toward meeting company goals. So, make sure your employees all know and understand your goals and what the plan is to meet them. This includes onboarding procedures that inform new employees of the goals.

Allocate Resources and Put Needed Systems in Place. You might set a goal to see two new patients every week, but you have to plan how you’re going to achieve that. Whether it’s better marketing, more activity on social media, or some other approach, make the commitment needed in resources and systems to actually achieve the goals you’ve set.

Review Goals Regularly. Make time to review goals at your weekly staff meetings, track your progress, and discuss issues to reach practice success. A recent study found that 80% of the 300 small business owners surveyed said they don’t track their business goals after setting them. This short 10-minute video will show you how to run an effective meeting in your office. It is the same meeting process used by thousands of companies around the world. It is so effective that we use it in my clinics and at ChiroHealthUSA.

Adjust Goals as Needed. Flexibility is important, and you can count on changes in conditions and other factors that will require you to make course corrections. No one gets it right the first time. Have the humility to admit when change is needed.

Here’s hoping you take your first step toward setting goals for your company in 2020. Setting goals will help you improve your process to set the kind of manageable, measurable goals that can lead to growth and success.