Lenora Milligan
Take
a break and go outside as a group. Everyone has paper and pencil.
We put on our "new patient" eyes and try to see what they see when patients
pull up to your location. Go on a tour of the entire office and really
look around. Write down everything you see that needs to be upgraded,
cleaned, painted, replaced, and erased. Afterward, compare your
lists and come up with an order of priority.
It is shocking to some how many things they find that are in need of change. As we go through our days at work, we develop "blind spots" to our surroundings. For example: Let's say you are moving into a new home. As you haul boxes in and out you notice a broken switch plate in the hallway. You make a mental note to replace it, and promptly continue unpacking and settling in. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months. The phone rings and it's your mother-in-law telling you she is coming for a visit. As you go down the hallway thinking about things that need to be cleaned and prepared, you suddenly notice the broken switch plate. For months you have walked past it without noticing.
The same thing happens at work. We get comfortable with our messes and no longer see them. We don't think about the coffee cup, or 42 oz soda container that sits behind the pile of papers you've collected at the front desk, or the stain on the counter in op 3, the window blind that is crooked, the scuff marks below the front check-in counter, the dust buildup on the x-ray unit, or the hard water buildup on the faucets. It all blends into the background because you have seen it for so long that you no longer notice all the little things.
Some of you reading this may think, "My practice is great, I don't allow this to happen." I challenge you to take this spring-cleaning break. You may be surprised with the results.
It is shocking to some how many things they find that are in need of change. As we go through our days at work, we develop "blind spots" to our surroundings. For example: Let's say you are moving into a new home. As you haul boxes in and out you notice a broken switch plate in the hallway. You make a mental note to replace it, and promptly continue unpacking and settling in. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months. The phone rings and it's your mother-in-law telling you she is coming for a visit. As you go down the hallway thinking about things that need to be cleaned and prepared, you suddenly notice the broken switch plate. For months you have walked past it without noticing.
The same thing happens at work. We get comfortable with our messes and no longer see them. We don't think about the coffee cup, or 42 oz soda container that sits behind the pile of papers you've collected at the front desk, or the stain on the counter in op 3, the window blind that is crooked, the scuff marks below the front check-in counter, the dust buildup on the x-ray unit, or the hard water buildup on the faucets. It all blends into the background because you have seen it for so long that you no longer notice all the little things.
Some of you reading this may think, "My practice is great, I don't allow this to happen." I challenge you to take this spring-cleaning break. You may be surprised with the results.
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