Your Staff Isn't the Problem. You Are.

The Dr. Z: If you're the practitioner or the business owner that's complaining that everyone around you, like they're just complete idiots, no one's able to help you, no one can do the job as well as you can, that's lazy. Sorry to be the one to tell you, but it's just true. And I have met practitioners who say this and complain about it. ⁓ and I've had people on my staff, they're not on my staff anymore. But they're saying, yeah, everyone's idiots. And it's like, no, that that's just such a lazy way out. What we really have to figure out is ⁓ why why is it you can't get help? Why aren't people able to help you? Why aren't they following through with tasks? And the way I look at it, it's always about systems. So systems first and then people second. So it's very easy if you're a high achiever. And if you're a practitioner and you're in private practice, you're a high achiever, right? So it's very easy if you're a high achiever to just be like, why can't anyone do what I'm doing? Why can't they read my mind? Why can't they get it done the way I want to get it done? And that's when people get frustrated and then they're saying, you know, I'm surrounded by idiots. Why isn't anyone competent? Why can't anyone do the job the way I want them to do it? In fact, I was watching on Prime, ⁓ flipped out. I I don't watch TV, like as it happens. So I'm always like late to the game. I think this is a decade old or something, but it's Jeff Lewis, ⁓ who's hysterical and a nightmare and talented in many different ways. ⁓ but one of the things, if you want to learn from him how not to be with staff, is watch how he handles his staff. And he definitely complains a lot about how ⁓ they're all idiots. And sometimes he has some evidence to back it up, but he hasn't taken the time. To build the system. And that's what I want to tell you. So there was a time way back when where I felt that way too. Why can't people do things the way I want them to do it? Why can't they get it done just as well? Why can't they do it with the same amount of speed? And then what you have to look at is like, well, wait a minute, no one is a mind reader. And they aren't you, right? They're not the first of all, they're never gonna do it exactly the way you want to do it. So if you want to always be rigid and have total control over everything. Don't hire anyone else. ⁓ but you're going to have a glass ceiling, right? You're only going to be able to grow so much. And I want to have bigger impact. I want to be able to serve more people. I've done the like stay small and it's just me. I want my vision's bigger than that. So I have to involve people and I feel like we're better for it. But that also means I have to build the systems for it. So I realized for myself and then all these practitioners have been working. We have and then seeing, you know, some staff do it also. That if that is your attitude, first of all, you're not gonna be fun to work for. ⁓ and probably people won't stay around ⁓ for ⁓ for a long time. ⁓ and I like it, you know, some people come and go and that's fine and you know, send them with blessings. But I like it that people feel like they have a position they can grow into. They feel like they have a lot of control over their livelihood. ⁓ so I like actually hiring with a base retainer of a certain amount, but then the rest of what they earn ⁓ are their on-track earnings to be incentivized and to have very clear KPIs so they know exactly what they need to hit and they monitor it. So yeah, does it eventually roll up to me? It does, but they're the first one who's aware of it. And so I like giving people that kind of control and autonomy over their livelihood. ⁓ and then when you do that and people feel appreciated, they want to stay. They don't want to leave. They don't want to go anywhere, right? So I feel like that's a much better working environment. So many, many times I have had a task or I've created something, and it's like I'm I'm the only one who's been doing it. I'm the only one, it seems like who could do it. So, how do I get it where someone else can do it? And that's the challenge. And gamify it and make it fun. So at first it felt like, ⁓ you know, why why don't they do it the same way? How do I get them to do it? And then it became a game of, hmm, everything I don't want to do, how can I create a system so someone else can do it and I never have to do it again? So whatever you have to do to make it fun for you, do that and then have a good attitude about it. ⁓ and know that anytime you create a system, Or there's something new, it's going to take your staff time to learn it. So there's like, you know, the understanding of it, the creation of the task, the systems around the task. And then there's like the deployment of the task. They start doing it. And what are the checks and balances and this wiggle room or this like container of time where they start to learn what is a good standard, what does well done look like. And then there's the maintenance of it. The ongoing doing the task. They own it now, which is different than just being assigned a task and it's a checklist. This is something they own now. And then how does that get reported up to you? And what is the QC or the quality control? So those are the phases and they are not instantaneous. And you just have to be patient. But it's worth the work. So when you get frustrated because you tried to get someone to do something one, two, three times, but you didn't give them a system. You just ask them to do it, and it's like, come on, friggin' get it done already. ⁓ and they didn't do it the way you want, and then you got frustrated and a huff and a puff, forget it, I'll just take it back, I'll just do it myself. That's lazy. Okay, so we have to level up, we have to work on ourselves as practitioners and business owners, we have to work on our frustration tolerance. The best way to work on your frustration tolerance, by the way, if you find yourself getting upset at like every little thing. is ⁓ throw more challenges your way. ⁓ and very soon you'll realize like, okay, getting really upset about stuff, it's sort of a waste of time and energy. Right? Like if you if something goes wrong and it's your fault or your team's fault, own it, take responsibility for it, and fix it. If it's something where like the system isn't working, identify the problem in the system, fix it. If something ⁓ goes wrong and it's just the wrong idea, course correction. And that's it. Like every day you wake up, it's problem solving. And we don't have to have like a lot of ⁓ emotions about around it. Sometimes they'll come up. It might be something really important, something you care about. But other than that, like I mean, I remember a couple decades ago, certainly felt things a lot more. It felt more fragile. It felt more like, ⁓ the whole world's gonna fall apart. And maybe it's just, you know, age and the wisdom that comes with that. ⁓ but I think part of it is just doing enough things. You do enough things, it's like, ⁓ I've I've experienced all the problems, you know, I've seen this before. It's okay, we can fix it. Breathe. Everyone relax. Everyone relax. I always say there's no yelling at work. There's no reason. ⁓ it's just not necessary. So ⁓ so anyway, you might need to work on your frustration tolerance. But really, all of these things are a call to level up, be a better boss, be a better practitioner, and build a system. That's the challenge. And that's a great puzzle to solve. So that's why I say gamify it, make it interesting. Involve other people in the puzzle solving. That's the other thing. You know, when I'm coming up with an idea, it doesn't mean I don't ever have to say this is the way it is, but it's a lot less frequent. ⁓ I'll throw out an idea, my team will, they'll work on ideas, they'll come to me with a solution. There's times now, I have executive staff, they just solve the problem, create the whole system themselves and I don't have to be involved in it. And that's what you want. That's why it's worth learning this. That's why you want to think systems first and people second. Because when you get this concept and you start inviting people in to help you and then they're able to do it, you can also then train up new leaders in your clinic or in your business or your organization. So you don't have to make every decision. ⁓ people get more clear about what your standards are and what you would want, and then they can ⁓ act with autonomy instead of you having your finger in every little thing. And if that sounds scary to you, which most perfectionists and control freaks, it does sound scary, I'll just tell you as a recovering one, it's so lovely on the other side. Because when you're done micromanaging every little thing and you build systems. That can be carried out and you build, you know, team members and staff and grow them as leaders, then it opens up this great window where it's like, well, you as the practice owner, you as the clinician CEO, what are you gonna do? What are you gonna do now? You're gonna do the things that only you can do. And it brings up ⁓ some space and some freedom for you to get creative and for you to start ⁓ you know, downloading new thoughts. Sometimes, you know, as the business owner, you get so busy in the weeds and the to-dos. You're always working in the business instead of on the business. And you're like, what does that mean? I've heard that before, you know? You're just constantly on a to-do list and a checklist. You don't have enough space in your day to like think and like look at it from a 5,000-foot view. Is this running the way I want it to? Are we headed in the direction I want? Do I need to do a new direction? Do I have a new idea? So it's not fun if you don't have any space for that. So anyway, build the system. Involve your team in helping to build the system. Tweak the system. Very rarely is one system put in place and that's it and will never change. I mean, sometimes that happens, but a lot of times we have to revisit it and you know tweak along the way. ⁓ And then anytime something goes wrong, I look at the system first. Only yeah, and usually the reason something's wrong was a s it was a system failure and it's something we have to clean up. Sometimes though, the system worked fine and it was the person and then you have to look at the person and have grace for them as a human being. But if someone keeps messing up over and over again and you've tried to help them and coach it through ⁓ maybe it isn't a fit. Maybe it's not the right person on that team. ⁓ but we have to say that a lot less often because we put the priority on the systems first and then we plug in the person to work the system, right? so yeah, if you found yourself doing this, don't beat yourself up. but just know saying, ⁓ my staff can't do anything, no no one can do anything as well as I can. Why can't I get anyone to help me? That that's lazy. Okay? So the call. is to level up, to be a better leader, and develop a system that a person can get in there and actually work it and then give you the relief in buyback time. So I'm curious, have you said that ever? And are you gonna stop saying it?