Your Success (or Struggle) Starts Here

Does your practice feel a little chaotic sometimes? You’re not alone. Each week in Calm the Chaos, I’ll share actionable strategies, real-world stories, and simple tech solutions to help you take control and create a better experience for your patients and team.

Why Some Practices Thrive—And Others Struggle

Why do some medical practices thrive while others struggle with the same issues year after year?

It’s not the insurance landscape.
It’s not the economy.
It’s not the patients.

It’s leadership.

One of the biggest mindset traps I see in struggling practices is blame.

• “If only we could find better staff…”
• “Patients just don’t respect our time anymore…”
• “Insurance companies make it impossible to get paid…”

Yes, those challenges are real. But waiting for external factors to change will never move your practice forward.

The most successful practice owners and managers take 100% responsibility—for their leadership, their team, their results, and even their struggles.

When you own everything, you regain control. You stop feeling like a victim of circumstances and start making the changes that actually move the needle.

Let’s break this down with a real-world example.

STORY TIME:

From Blame to Breakthrough

BEFORE THE FIX:

A physician practice owner was on the verge of losing his practice.

His staff turnover was high.
His team lacked motivation.
Patient experience was suffering.

He blamed his staff for not caring enough, for not being proactive, for not stepping up. But the real problem wasn’t his team—it was his leadership.

He had never communicated his expectations clearly. He assumed his staff would just “know what to do,” but he never gave them feedback or direction.

The hardest realization? He had created the very problem he was complaining about.

THE TURNING POINT

He and I had a serious, no-nonsense conversation. He had to take a hard look at his own contribution to the mess.

Because here’s the truth

There’s nothing worse than someone playing the victim in a problem they created for themselves.

THE SOLUTION

Once he owned the problem, everything started to change.

• He invested in hiring a strong practice manager committed to implementing SOPs, systems, and processes to improve efficiency.
• He committed to transparent leadership—sharing his values, vision, and goals with his team.
• He started recognizing and encouraging his staff when they made an effort to serve patients well and work together as a team.
• He empowered his manager to do what she felt was in the best interest of the patients and the practice—in that order. Instead of micromanaging, he trusted her to make patient-centered decisions that also strengthened the business.

THE RESULTS

Within 90 days, everything started to shift.

• Morale improved. Staff felt more connected and supported.
• The right people stayed, the wrong people left. Those who didn’t align with the practice’s values were released to the competition.
• Patients were happier. The team worked together more effectively, leading to better service.
• Revenue started trending up. The practice was no longer in survival mode.

By taking 100% responsibility for his practice, this physician took back control of his future—and it changed everything.

ACTIONABLE TIPS FOR THE WEEK

How to Take 100% Responsibility in Your Practice

1. Stop blaming external factors. Take ownership of what’s within your control—leadership, communication, training, and culture.
2. Communicate expectations clearly. Your team can’t read your mind. Set clear standards and follow up.
3. Empower your managers. Give them the authority to make decisions that are in the best interest of the patients and the practice.
4. Lead by example. If you want a high-performing team, show them what excellence looks like every day.
5. Recognize and correct patterns. If the same problems keep coming up, look at your leadership, not just your staff.

TANIA'S TECH TIPS:

What Gets Measured, Gets Managed

If you want to take 100% responsibility for the success of your practice, you need to track the right metrics.

Too many practice owners and managers make decisions based on gut feelings instead of data. They assume things are going "fine"—until they realize they’ve lost thousands in revenue, their schedule is falling apart, or their patient experience is suffering.

The key to staying in control? A simple KPI tracking system.

Start by tracking:

• Missed calls & response times – If patients can’t reach you, they won’t stay with you.
• Patient no-show & cancellation rates – Identify patterns and address scheduling gaps.
• Revenue cycle metrics – Track collections, outstanding balances, and reimbursement timelines.
• Staff productivity – Who is excelling, and who needs more training or support?

There are plenty of tools out there—even a simple dashboard in Google Sheets or Trello can help you track your most important numbers weekly. The key is to review them consistently and use them to make decisions.

Taking 100% responsibility means knowing your numbers. Because what gets measured, gets managed.

WHAT I'M READING

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

One of the first (and most powerful) lessons in The Success Principles is this:

Take 100% responsibility for your life, your business, and your results.

Jack Canfield breaks it down with a simple but game-changing formula:

E + R = O

Event + Response = Outcome

You can’t always control events—staff quitting, insurance reimbursements, patient cancellations.

But you can always control your response—how you lead, how you adapt, and how you take action.

I teach this same principle to practice owners and managers: If your practice is struggling, it’s not just "the market" or "the staff"—it’s leadership.

When you take 100% responsibility, you stop waiting for things to change and start making them change.

If you haven’t read The Success Principles, I highly recommend it. And if you’ve read it before—this is your reminder to revisit Principle #1: Take 100% Responsibility.

When you take 100% responsibility, there’s no one else to point the finger at—but there’s also nothing holding you back.

Your success is in your hands.

Small Changes, Big Results

Your Leadership Challenge This Week

If you want to take 100% responsibility for your practice’s success, start small:

Pick ONE thing you’ve been frustrated about and ask yourself:

• What have I done (or not done) to contribute to this problem?
• What can I do differently to change the outcome?

Then take one small action to move in the right direction.

I’d love to hear what you’re working on. Hit reply and let me know what responsibility shift you’re making this week!

You’ve Got This!