Latitude Northwest
Giving Clinics the Latitude to Grow, Create, and Recover

Stories

Periodical updates on why we do what we do, and how we do it.

How is a chiropractor like a CIA spy?

I recently listened to A Spy's Guide to Thinking while driving through Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. In this 45-minute listen, a former spy introduces two simple tools for thinking. They are the essential tools for getting things done. The author, John Braddock, shares an incident in a subway car in Europe where he faces a new enemy. The speed and quality of his thinking will make the difference between life or death - winning the game, or losing.

The former CIA operative describes how high-performance decision making works with a system called D-A-D-A: Data, Analysis, Decision, Action.

That’s the chain of thinking: D-A-D-A. Getting data leads to analysis. Analysis leads to a decision. A decision leads to an action. Simple. That’s how thinking works.

Any of these steps can also be a stumbling block. Poor data, leads to poor decisions. Poor decisions lead to fateful action. In particular, in a busy environment without time for quiet reflection, the Analysis step can suffer.

Without good analysis, we can’t make good decisions. Without good analysis, we can’t even figure out what our options are.

If you're constantly rushing between patients, spending your evenings charting, and following up on insurance claims, when do you have a chance to make improvements to clinic?

In chapter 3, Braddock compares the three kinds of interactions we have with others.

All our interactions are only three kinds of games: A. Zero-sum B. Positive-sum C. Negative-sum

Zero-sum games are when one person gains what another person loses. The loss equals the gain. The sum is zero. Negative-sum games are when both sides lose. And positive-sum games – you guessed it – are a win-win.

They’re cooperative. They continue only as long as both sides are gaining, or expect to. Like any good marriage or alliance or business partnership, benefits to both sides is what keeps it together. When you add up the gains, the result is positive. A positive-sum game.

At LatitudeNW, we believe that office coverage is a positive sum game. You're a hard working doctor who deserves some time off. We make that possible. We contract with well-educated, qualified chiropractors eager to learn from successful clinics.

But there aren't just two sides to this equation. As healthcare practitioners, the well-being of your patients are in our hands. Our patients' pain and discomfort doesn't take a break just because you do.

This is just one of the reasons hiring LatitudeNW is not just a positive-sum game, but a Win-Win-Win!

Taking time away from your practice is also a great opportunity to re-evaluate your business - from marketing, to systems, techniques and tools. You can create the space to collect Data, make a thorough Analysis, come to a Decision, and then take Action.

Has it been a while since you've taken time away from your practice? Is it time to re-evaluate your systems and reset so you can better your chances at "winning the game"?

Take a minute to look at your calendar for the next month and submit a request for us to take care of your patients while you work to make improvements!

By the way, would you like to listen to the rest of A Spy's Guide to Thinking? Get a free copy from Audible here!