Roundtable · Do's and don'ts

The Do's and Don'ts of Running a Private Practice

What are your do's and don'ts for running a private practice?

Practice Mindshare Podcast, Do's and Don'ts episode ·

This is the most practical conversation in the series. Each co-founder was asked for the things they would tell a colleague to do, and the things they would tell them to stop doing, and none of them hesitated.

Read together, the answers form a checklist: culture, purpose, team, resilience and numbers, with a few hard-won warnings attached.

“Culture isn't something you sit down and write. Be passionate about the culture you create, and then live it.”

Dr. Harris's two do's start with culture. Not a mission statement written at a desk, but a culture you are passionate about and then actually live as the practitioner. That is what attracts better employees and lets patients see you mean it. His second do is focus: stop chasing every new thing, or you end up a little good at everything instead of really good at a few things.

His don't is about whose advice you take. If you look at how someone lives and practices and do not think, I want that, do not take their advice. Learn from people who are doing things the way you want to do them.

“Personnel is policy. If you have the right people in place, the policies you put in place will come to fruition.”

Dr. Campbell's do's are a leadership philosophy in four lines. Stay rigidly committed to your why, the reason you chose independent ownership. Focus on the team, because personnel is policy: with the right people, the policies take care of themselves. Communicate, in writing, in speech and through your actions. And stay agile, because the ability to respond to what the community needs is the whole point of being independent rather than corporate.

His don'ts: never stop learning, because medical knowledge grows exponentially. Delegate, because you cannot do all of it. Look after your wellbeing, which he calls plain health rather than self-care. And never compete on price alone. Corporate entities compete at scale; an independent practice competes on closeness, bond and the obsessive attention to experience that scale cannot copy.

“Don't make it punitive, don't make it degrading. Be inspirational.”

Dr. Ong's answer is entirely about people. Treat your team well, and not only financially: treat each person as someone whose wellbeing and growth in their craft you are responsible for, because you hold their livelihood. His don't is the mirror image. Do not diminish your team. Nothing punitive, nothing degrading. Be inspirational.

“Keep riding the waves. It's easy to forget that the tide always turns.”

Dr. Brewer's do is fortitude. There will be slow days, slow weeks and slow months, and busy ones, and if you are stuck inside the microcosm of one bad week it is easy to forget that the tide always turns. Ten years in, she no longer panics. The waves come, she said, and they tend to get higher and carry you toward the success you are looking for.

“What gets measured gets managed. Know where you're at, know what your numbers are.”

Dr. Rose's do's begin with numbers: what gets measured gets managed, so track everything and know where you stand. Then invest in your team, emotionally, financially and through continuing education, because the team holds you up. And prioritize the patient experience, since that is the only place an independent practice can truly set itself apart.

Her don'ts are personal. Do not do what she did and put off delegating; do it sooner, because it can make or break the office. Do not assume staff and patients already understand; be intentional and clear, and communicate in a way that educates and comforts. And do not forget why you started.

What the panel agrees on

  • Do: define a culture you believe in and live it every day, because the team and the patients can tell.
  • Do: stay committed to your why, invest in the team, communicate constantly, and stay agile.
  • Do: ride the slow weeks with fortitude and track the numbers so you know what is really happening.
  • Don't: chase every new thing, compete on price alone, diminish your team, or delay delegating.

Independent practices. Stronger together.

Own or work in an independent practice?

If you are an independent practice owner or work for one, simply complete the form to request membership. Membership includes The Independent Practice Thrival Guide, our e-book on building a practice that thrives, and a complimentary 20-minute Practice Strategy Session. Monthly member meetings are being planned.

Request membership

Want help putting an idea like this into practice? Mindshare Creative offers an optional practice growth review, separate from NIPA membership. Learn more 

← All roundtables