Part Two: Out Of Sight, Out of Mind, Out of Existence
We realized very early on that a system is necessary to make a VT practice work. But we quickly saw that even moribund VT practices have a system of some sort. It’s just that their system delivers mediocre results. As our system developed, we realized the importance of detailed documentation, which we call training manuals.
The system won’t stick without effort.
It’s a joy to teach doctors and staff live, how to get the most from their patient care and marketing efforts. But after we leave, how well does it all stick? What happens to the system after staff turnover? Sadly, without ongoing effort, training and development, the system dissolves. Training gets short shrift, people begin to adlib what to say and do because it is undocumented and rarely properly trained.
So we began a decades-long process of documenting everything we teach. Not only the how, and what to say, but why it’s critical for every staff person to perform their role effectively.
A library of guides, forms, files, and a map.
Today, our clients receive seven substantial notebooks with every aspect of the system laid out. And we also provide what we call “The Map,” a 7 ft long scroll that charts every action in the system. It is a tremendous training device because it lets everyone see how critical it is that they do their part so every step happens that’s required to find, enroll, and provide therapy for patients who really need VT.
We also provide videos and hundreds of digital files of forms and materials to support the system and training of both new and existing staff.
A steep price to pay, for you AND the patient!
If one member of staff changes what they say, ad libs something to save a few words, the price is incredibly high. It’s not just the revenue that never comes, but the cost of operations (patient acquisition cost) goes up. Worst of all, someone who would have had a much better life through VT, won’t have it because they didn’t come to see that their problem is vision and that your practice has the solution.
Read that last sentence over again. It is the essential purpose of any practice’s mission. The key to a great practice. The Lecoq method is built to make that happen every time, with every single parent, educator, professional, and adult patient.
Our clients typically have up to 90+ percent enrollment into therapy, with declining patients often enrolling later after they handle money or other issues.
Keep inspiration and skills top of mind with staff education meetings.
But it is oh so easy to let some step slip, get rushed, or be left out. That’s why every week, the doctor needs to do some intense education and training. Using the Map and Manuals at every meeting is very important to keep a system going like clockwork. We take hours to run through and then have the staff rehearse the communications they are responsible for delivering.
The map is a fantastic management tool. It should be kept in a prominent place and a centerpiece to every staff meeting, training and troubleshooting session. If there is a breakdown in one section, it often is because someone left something out or changed it arbitrarily to be more “efficient” in a previous step. In communications, the essential action in any system, being efficient is the enemy. Effectiveness is what counts. What good is efficiency if the enrollment rate drops?
Why are we doing this, again?
A test of whether something is working or not is whether it’s being done for the benefit of the practice, the staff, the therapist, or the doctor. Or, is it being done for the benefit of the patient or parent who makes the choices? The latter is the key criteria for a great practice.
No system without documentation.
But no system will persist unless it is documented so that new staff can go through the same kind of education and training needed to execute their role effectively. Detailed documentation is the tool that enables the persistence of a strong system.
Detailed documentation of any system is a huge chore, but without it, we find that practices have See/Saw operations. Sometimes things are great, sometimes not. Training using great documentation is much easier than trying to keep it all in your head, or worse, inventing new procedures on the fly in hopes it will somehow improve outcomes.
In addition, you should know that writing your own manuals is a daunting task. Even harder is keeping them revised and up to date. Ask Amee how we know that.
We’re here to help!
Our method and manuals have developed over decades of following and devising procedures based on best practices from the most successful of VT practices. We believe we owe it to you to provide a way to carry the system on whether or not you ever use us again. If you need this in your practice, give us a call, or schedule a free initial telephone consultation.
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