Case Study #4: Sustaining Success through Self-Management and Self-Care

The client: Dawn Hourigan has practiced chiropractic in South Dakota for six years. She’s a “people person” and considers both patients and staff almost a part of the family. Married with two children, Dawn’s husband is also a chiropractor and they practice together.

The issue: Dawn tends to puts everyone ahead of herself. The result is overwhelm and exhaustion. As we began working together, Dawn also realized that she wasn’t quite sure where she “fit in” at her office and she struggled with her desire to practice and also spend enough time at home with her children. Additionally, she recognized that she struggled with managing her time with patients and that she was a “capacity blockage” in the office.

The process: Dawn and I began coaching by speaking once a week by phone. When it seemed appropriate we cut back to every other week. In the beginning we focused on finding ways for Dawn to better manage both her time and her energy. Because she loves to chat with patients, we worked on strategies for her to continue being relationship-oriented without getting behind in the schedule and making patients wait. Next, we re-positioned her strength and ease working with people as the “perfect leadership challenge” and way for her to “fit in” at the office — she would take over the staff management function in the office. Dawn also was concerned with patient numbers and a very narrow focus on each day’s production.

The outcome: Dawn is taking on less and enjoying herself more. “I used to say ‘yes’ to everything but now my evenings are for my family,” says Dawn. “I’m not very organized and Shelley helped me learn to just put two or three things on my list and then get those done,” she says. Managing her time with patients has improved dramatically as a result of coaching. “I want people to feel loved when they’re in the office,” says Dawn, “but I was giving and giving and trying to create deep relationships with each patient. Now I’m still very friendly, but I catch myself before I start counseling them on their marital problems!” Dawn had the opportunity to practice her new role in staff management when an employee resigned during the course of our work together. She used this as a learning opportunity and handled the situation gracefully and professionally.

By managing her time more efficiently and shifting her perspective from her daily statistics to a bigger picture of practice success, she is increasing her capacity for delivering care. And, in the past eight months of our coaching engagement, she has increased practice productivity and profitability by a stable margin of 20%.

Dawn had worked with practice management consultants in the past, but she needed a more personal touch. “I’d go to a seminar and try something new and then fail and then go into the whole ‘what’s wrong with me’ thing,” says Dawn. “Shelley figures out what makes you tick and what makes you special and she helps you use the gifts you have. She helped me learn more about who I am,” adds Dawn.

Dawn has learned to put herself first when it’s appropriate to do so, to practice self-care, and to honor herself for her uniqueness. Both her family life and her practice are thriving as a result.