Why Every Chiropractor Needs a Co-Pilot in Their Practice

 Welcome to the chiropractic deep Dive. This is where we take stacks of sources, pull out the really key nuggets, and give you that shortcut to being genuinely well-informed. Today we’re diving into some critical insights from Dr. Noel Lloyd. He was teaching recently at Five Star Management’s live event in Chicago.

Yeah. And we’re really focusing on a, well, a super common problem for chiropractors, that feeling of being overwhelmed, you know, like you’re juggling way too many hats and maybe struggling to get your team truly engaged. Exactly. And Dr. Lloyd shared. Pretty powerful solution. It’s this concept of working with a copilot.

Mm-hmm. It’s all about gaining more leverage, getting more done, but with, uh, less stress. Right? So think of this deep dive as your guide to doing just that, transforming your practice really from the inside out. And just so you know, this deep dive is brought to you by Five Star Management. We’re a chiropractic consulting company and we’re, uh, really excited to share these actionable strategies with you.

Okay. So let’s dig into that main challenge first, the overwhelm. Yeah, let’s unpack that. Why do so many practice owners feel constantly swamped? Just, you know, bogged down by the day-to-day stuff? Well, our look into Dr. Lloyd’s material points to something pretty fundamental. Most chiropractors, they come outta school.

They’re incredibly passionate about patient care, right? Absolutely. That’s the driving force. But they often don’t have formal business training or you know, management training and that gap. That’s kind of the root of it all. Yeah. It turns the passion into, well, a chore sometimes. It really can, it leads directly to what Dr.

Lloyd calls wearing too many hats. You know, unlike maybe other business leaders who have clear roles, job descriptions, uh, job books, even. Right. Many chiropractors find themselves trying to do absolutely everything, and that’s just, while it’s not sustainable, it, it’s not just the owner feeling the strain.

Is it this overwhelm? It definitely affects the whole team. Oh, absolutely. The sources highlighted a pretty stark statistic. Only about, well, is it 21% of employees feel genuinely engaged at work. Wow. That low? Yeah. And get this seven out of 10 employees who leave, they’re not leaving primarily for more money.

Really. So what’s the main reason then? It’s usually down to management issues or feeling like there’s a misalignment of values. That’s a huge hit to take. It really is. Mm-hmm. Huge turnover cost. Massive drain on morale. Which brings up a really critical question, doesn’t it? If your team sees their job as just

work, not a meaningful mission. Whose job is it to define that mission? It has to be the leader, right? The owner, exactly. Dr. Lloyd really emphasized that it’s the leader’s role to clearly articulate the why. Why do we do what we do? Without that, you’re kind of building on sand. Okay, so we see the problem.

Overwhelm, disengagement, lack of clear mission sometimes. Yeah. What’s the solution path here, according to Dr. Lloyd’s insights, how do we break that cycle? It really boils down to a shift in focus, moving towards genuine team empowerment, not just competence, empowerment versus competence. Can you unpack that a bit?

Sure. Dr. Lloyd defined empowerment as, uh, training people so they can function independently of you. He used this great analogy like his mom teaching him how to make good decisions before he left home. Ah, okay. So it’s about building capability and judgment, not just task execution. Precisely. Competence, on the other hand, that’s just

the minimum standard. You know what you need to do to earn the paycheck. There’s a world of difference. That makes sense. Yeah. So how do you figure out where your team members actually are on that spectrum? Well, there’s this really powerful diagnostic tool he introduced. It’s called the Willing and Able Chart.

Just picture a simple two by two grid. Okay, got it. So top right, you’ve got capable and willing. That’s a sweet spot. It’s fun. These are the people you can truly empower. Give them responsibility. They’ll run with it. Ideal scenario. What about the others? Bottom left, you have not willing and not capable. Dr.

Lloyd put it kind of humorously. Send them to Dr. Office. Yeah, basically it’s clear sign for separation. It’s just not a fit. Okay. Clear cut then bottom right. Not capable, but willing. This is gold. This is your prime training opportunity. Invest your time here. Because they want to learn. They they have the attitude.

Just need the skills. Exactly. And the last box, top left, capable, but not willing. This is the tricky one, the frustration box. Uh oh. Why frustration? Because they can do it, but they won’t or aren’t. This calls for what Dr. Lloyd termed a come to Jesus meeting, a really honest conversation. He had this great line.

Never allow yourself to get upset by things you caused or allowed. Ooh, that’s powerful. So if they’re capable but unwilling, you’ve likely played a part either by causing it or just letting it slide. That’s the idea. It forces you to look inward too. Is the vision clear? Are expectations aligned? It’s time for a direct talk.

That chart, honestly, it’s something you could almost stick on your wall. It’s a fantastic framework, but I can hear some practice owners thinking, okay, another system, another training model. Isn’t this just more work when I’m already overwhelmed? That’s a fair point, but it’s really about investing time now to save massive amounts of time and stress later.

It pays off big time. And the way Dr. Lloyd laid it out, it’s a very specific battle tested, five step training model. The sequence is crucial. Okay, so let’s walk through those five steps. What’s first? Step one is theory. You explain what you’re doing critically, why you’re doing it, and what it looks like when it’s done well.

This removes that fear of the unknown, gives context, gives purpose, makes sense. Lay the foundation. What’s step two? Step two is. I do it. You the leader, demonstrate it. Show them it’s possible. Show them exactly how hits those visual learners too. Okay, so theory then demonstration, step three. Step three is they do it, but in a safe space, role playing.

They practice until as Dr. Lloyd put it, “they’re bored with the mechanics”. Bored with the mechanics. I like that. So it becomes second nature. Exactly. Like an actor learning lines until they don’t have to think about them, they can just perform. That’s the goal here. Skill becomes automatic. Okay. Theory. I do. They do.

Yeah. Role play. What’s step four? Step four is what do you do? Drills. This is genius. You drill for those high frequency, but maybe slightly off system scenarios. What do you do if a patient has an exacerbation? What if they ask for a raise? What about common objections? Time, money, energy. Uh, so handling the curve balls, the common exceptions precisely you exhaust those lists.

This builds incredible confidence and problem solving ability takes ’em from good to great. Love that. And the final step. Step five. Step five is they teach it the ultimate level of empowerment. When a team member can effectively teach the process back to you or train a new person, they truly do know it. Their confidence soars, they gain respect, and it actually sharpens their understanding too.

That progression makes so much sense. Theory, I do. They do. Drills, they teach. And you mentioned consistency and documentation are key to making this work absolutely critical. Dr. Lloyd’s mantra, if it’s not written, it’s not real. Yeah. So things like having a consistent training rhythm, doing spot checks, but making them casual, comfortable, not like you’re trying to catch someone out.

Right. Supportive checks, not punitive ones. Exactly, and he even suggested simple hacks like voice recording an office tour where you describe everything, every script, every action. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Then you just get that transcribed, boom. You’ve got the bones of a systems manual pretty quickly, maybe 30 minutes of recording gets you started.

That’s a clever efficiency tip. Okay, so this robust training builds empowered team members. How does this link back to the co-pilot concept? It links directly because once you have team members who are trained, willing, and capable, then you can start developing co-pilots. The co-pilot is the core solution.

Dr. Lloyd proposed for that overwhelmed chiropractor. It’s about having someone or multiple, someones help you get more done with way less effort and stress on your part. Okay, so it’s not just one specific person, it’s a role or maybe different levels of the role. Exactly. The source material laid out different levels of this kind of support.

First you have the copilot. This could be any trusted team member who takes on shared responsibility for a specific project or task. Okay. Like a specific delegated piece of work. Right. Think of, uh, maybe someone handling patient terminations using a detailed checklist or someone Dr. Lloyd mentioned who helped him with AR review.

Specific defined tasks getting taken off the doctor’s plate. Got it. What’s the next level up? That would be the super ca. This is a trusted chiropractic assistant who handles the bulk of support tasks, maybe even including some team management duties. Yeah. This is your primary ca really stepping up with operational responsibility.

They don’t just do tasks, they bring you completed projects. Okay. More autonomy, bigger scope. Then what? Then you might have a project manager. This is a trusted ca who can take larger projects from start to finish with very little direction from you. The example given was someone managing all the marketing initiatives or maybe overseeing the whole training process for new associates on generating new patients.

Wow, that sounds like significant leverage. Huge leverage. And then there’s the highest level, which Dr. Lord described as rare and precious. The integrator. Integrator, like from the book, rocket Fuel. Exactly that concept. This person drives leadership meetings, excels at project management, handles conflict resolution, ensures accountability across the board.

They’re the ones who take the visionaries ideas and make them happen. That sounds amazing, but probably not realistic for every practice. Probably not. Dr. Lloyd suggested most practices will thrive with maybe three, four co-pilots handling specific tasks. Possibly a super ca and maybe one project manager that’s often the sweet spot.

The key distinction here is this is an abdication, right? It’s delegation. Crucial difference. Abdication is just dumping work on someone and hoping for the best, like saying, go get new patients without a system that fails, right? Delegation is structured is this is what I want you to do and here is exactly how I want you to do it.

Based on our proven system, the magic always is in the system. Okay, so let’s say a chiropractor listening is thinking, alright, I need a copilot, or maybe several. How do they actually start? What’s the first practical step? Start small. Don’t try to boil the ocean. Dr. Lloyd’s adjusted taking one trusted team member and assigning them just maybe two or three hours of specific work initially.

Baby steps. Okay. Small start. And how do you structure that assignment? This is key. Use what he calls project sheets. Think of it as a single page for one idea, one project, really important. It’s not a to-do list, it’s a project management tool. One page, one project. Why the focus on paper? Because as Dr.

Lloyd puts it, the shortest pencil is better than the longest memory, and keeping it in a physical binder means it doesn’t just get lost in the ether of digital files. It’s tangible, visible, keeps it front and center. Okay, so you’ve got your potential co-pilot, your first small project and your project sheet.

What next? Then you use Dr. Lloyd’s nine crucial delegation questions. These ensure absolute clarity before they even start nine questions. Let’s hear ’em. Okay. Number one, do you know what I want done? Simple enough? Two. Do you know why I want it done? The purpose piece? Mm-hmm. Three. Do you know how this contributes to the clinic’s overall goals?

Connecting it to the bigger picture, right? Context is important. Four. Do you know who is actually going to do the work? Might be them, might involve others. Five. Do you know how they’re gonna do it? That this system? Six. Do you know when they’ll start? Seven. Do you know when they’ll be done? The deadline.

Okay. The basic project parameters. What, why, who, how, when. What are the last two? They seem crucial. They really are. Eight. Do you know how you, the co-pilot are going to audit it? How will you check the work or progress? And nine. This is a great one. Can you show me your work so far, even before it’s due? Ah, like the analogy you used about checking on your kid, mowing the lawn partway through.

Exactly. It’s not micromanaging, it’s checking in early to offer support or course correct before things go off track. It avoids surprises. Those nine questions seem like a recipe for successful delegation. They really are, and you support this with quick daily check-ins, maybe just five minutes and a slightly longer weekly meeting to review progress on all projects.

It creates this rhythm of communication and accountability. We heard about an example, uh, an integrator who helped a participant significantly increase patient visit averages just by improving retention systems, auditing care plans, checking first re-exams, small consistent system checks driven by the project manager.

It’s about building on those small wins. Mm-hmm. Consistently monitoring. Okay. We’ve covered the how, the training, the systems, the delegation framework, but the deep dive also stressed something well deeper, didn’t it? The role of values hugely important. You can have the best systems in the world, but if there isn’t alignment on core values, the whole thing can fall apart.

Dr. Lloyd emphasized that people don’t just work for money, they work to become the person they want to be. That’s a powerful thought. It is. And if your clinic’s values the way you operate the mission, if that doesn’t resonate with their personal aspirations, you’ll get churn. You won’t get that deep engagement.

And communication is key here, right? Even the tough conversations. Absolutely. The sources pointed out that sometimes owners avoid asking tough questions. They don’t wanna open a can of worms. Hmm. But that silence is often worse. Open communication where people feel heard, feel valued, even when discussing difficult things.

That builds incredible loyalty. And remember, your patients are watching how your team interacts. That cohesion, that positive energy, it builds their trust too. So how do you foster that alignment? How do you get clear on values? Dr. Lloyd suggested starting with yourself, identify your core values. When you’re at your best, what drives you?

Then connect those personal values explicitly to your clinic’s vision. Why are we doing this? What’s the real outcome we’re aiming for? Why does that matter deeply to you? Getting crystal clear on that makes decision making easier and provides that why for the team and understanding the team’s values too.

Yes, he mentioned trying to understand your team’s for their family, occupation, recreation and desires or dreams. But the point is when you know what drives your team members personally, you can connect their goals to the clinic’s mission.

That creates really powerful bonds. Wow, okay. That really ties it all together. The systems, the people, the purpose. What a deep dive it really was. The core message from Dr. Noel Lloyd’s teachings is pretty clear, isn’t it? Yeah. Overcoming that overwhelm, boosting productivity. Yeah. It’s not about brute force working harder, it’s about working smarter strategically with a truly empowered team.

And it starts with simple, actionable things. That five step training model, the copilot concept, using those project sheets, all build on clear communication and knowing your values. So the challenge for everyone listening, what’s one small skill? Just one that you’re gonna commit to training your team on this week using that five step process.

Or maybe which single project, even a small one, could you start delegating to a potential co-pilot, get that project sheet written out Exactly. Act your way into right thinking. As Dr. Lloyd often says, start small, be consistent, and watch the transformation happen. And look, if you want more in-depth strategies on empowering your team, streamlining things, really getting your practice running smoothly, we definitely encourage you to book a free call with Dr.

George Birnbach of Five Star Management. Yeah, great opportunity. You can find the link for that call right there in the show notes. Take advantage of it. And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to the deep dive. We’ll keep bringing you more practical tips and insights like these. Absolutely. We’ll see you on the next deep dive.