Archive Select, Originally Published Nov 5, 2020

I am sure we are all busy. There is always work to do.  But what are we busy doing?  Are we making progress? In 1996, Robert Cringely  was working on a series for PBS called Triumph of the Nerds. He interviewed Steve Jobs as a part of his research. During the interview Jobs made a couple of points that I think are very relevant today. The first is that there is a misconception that ’the idea’ is 90% of the battle for a new concept, process, business, etc.    

The second point is illustrated through a story he told about a neighbor he had as a kid. He was an older man that had a rock tumbler. Robert and Steve collected a handful of plain rocks and put them into the machine with liquid and grit powder. The next day, they opened the machine, and out came the amazingly beautiful polished rocks. “The same common stones that had gone in through rubbing against each other like this (clapping his hands), creating a little bit of friction, creating a little bit of noise,  these beautiful polished rocks.”  

Steve Jobs explained that this is a metaphor for a hard-working, passionate team – where committed people working together and challenge each other, making noise, arguing, and ultimately creating a polished product that everyone can be proud of. Here are some steps you can take to create an environment conducive to that kind of teamwork:  

1. Build your company around ideas, not people.  In the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne says, “A hero can be anyone.” This means that when you have a strong idea, or mission, that evokes a passionate response, the owner of the company does not have to be the only one advancing the cause.  Committed, passionate staff can take the mantle and push forward to create and sustain the energy needed to make the company flourish. 
    

1. Actions matter more than intent. It’s not who you are, it’s what you do. Leaders often have the best of intentions for their team. The up and comer? You do plan on giving them more responsibility and training. That awesome clerk you hired a year ago? They are efficient and have helped increase revenue collection. You plan on giving them more responsibility and promotion.  But you get sidetracked by the minor things – you have plaster to modify; the emails keep coming; that walk-in just threw off your schedule. –  your daily tasks get in the way. 
    

1. Trust People with the Truth.  Often, as you manage your business it can be tempting to keep the truth to yourself. Especially if things aren’t going well.  We are afraid that the truth might cause people to leave or become de-motivated. It is quite common for leaders to trick themselves into thinking that people can’t be trusted with the truth.  This is a fundamental mistake. If things aren’t going well the best thing to do is to put everything out in the open. Trust your team to be adults, capable of handling the truth. If you have built a team of passionate, committed people you will find, that the result won’t be panic — your team will buckle down and put their best efforts and creativity into solving the problems at hand.  

At OPIE, we have a team of people committed to your success.  Our Customer Success Team was created to help you take your business to the next level. We are invested in your success far beyond the software.  Documenting the care, you provide is critically important, but – if you don’t run your business effectively and efficiently – you won’t be around to care for those patients. Come, join us as we write the book on O&P practice management.