For several months now, every time I pull up to the pick-up window of my pharmacy, I am greeted with cobwebs. This is the first thing I see — my first impression each time. And it is not a positive one. The cobwebs surround the window and seem to be multiplying with each visit. I instinctively wish I had a broom to knock them all down and tidy it up. It would take less than five minutes. Yet, I have a feeling no one inside the pharmacy has a clue they are there.
When was the last time you walked through your practice and looked at it through the eyes of your patients? Really examine the physical appearance and the human interaction/experience.
The parking lot, the door, the reception area, the phone conversations, the restrooms, the exam rooms, the check-out desk. Does each convey the impression you want to make?
Back in the 80’s, management guru Tom Peters coined the term “management by walking around” (MBWA) to describe this practice, and I believe it is more relevant today than ever before. It is a practice that combats complacency. It forces you to look and see things you would otherwise miss, and correct them.
It is way too easy to become trapped in our routines and blinded to issues and opportunities that are right before our eyes if we only looked in the right place.
Spring is the perfect time to clean up the cobwebs in your practice. So take a walk around. Details make a difference.