As a practice owner, managing a team and running a business can often feel overwhelming. You’re juggling patient care, staff management, and operational efficiency, all while trying to grow your practice. It’s tempting to look for big changes that can transform your practice overnight. But what if the secret to sustainable success lies in something much simpler—just getting 1% better every day?

James Clear, in his bestselling book Atomic Habits, explains that "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1% better every day counts for a lot in the long run." This principle is not only applicable to individual growth but is also incredibly relevant to building a thriving medical practice.

What Does 1% Look Like in Your Practice?

Small, incremental improvements might seem insignificant in the moment, but they compound over time to create massive change. Here’s how the concept of 1% better can apply to different aspects of your practice:

• Patient Interactions: Encourage your team to make small improvements in how they communicate with patients. A warmer greeting at the front desk, listening more attentively to patient concerns, or following up with patients post-treatment are small, actionable steps that make a big difference in patient satisfaction over time.

• Operational Efficiency: Small daily changes, like improving how appointments are scheduled or reducing paperwork bottlenecks, can lead to smoother operations. Every small tweak makes your practice more efficient, reducing stress and frustration for your team and patients alike.

• Team Collaboration: Improving communication within your team by just 1% daily, whether through regular check-ins or tweaking meeting formats, fosters better collaboration and ensures everyone is aligned with the practice’s goals.

Fostering Leadership in the 1% Better Approach

As a practice owner, your role isn’t just to manage the day-to-day but also to cultivate leadership within your team. Small, intentional actions to foster leadership can have a huge impact over time. Encourage team members to take ownership of their roles by asking them to focus on one specific area for improvement each week.

• Leadership Development: Implement weekly leadership discussions or mini-trainings. Encourage your team to share ideas on how they can improve their responsibilities by 1%. This empowers them to think like leaders and take initiative.

• Delegation: Effective delegation is a critical part of reducing your own workload and empowering others. Start by delegating small tasks, allowing your team to grow more confident and skilled in new areas. Over time, this step-by-step approach to delegation compounds, enabling you to focus on higher-level tasks.

Why This Mindset is Powerful for Your Team

The 1% better philosophy shifts the focus from perfection to progress. When you encourage your team to think in terms of small, daily improvements, you create a culture of growth. This removes the pressure of needing to solve every issue overnight and emphasizes that everyone can contribute to the practice’s success through small, consistent actions.

This gradual improvement approach is also less daunting than major overhauls. Your team can feel more empowered because they see that even minor actions can have a meaningful impact over time.

✅ Building a Culture of Accountability

The 1% improvement model also fosters a culture of accountability. When each team member is focused on small, daily improvements, it encourages ownership and responsibility. By celebrating these incremental wins during team meetings, you can cultivate a practice environment where accountability is part of the culture.

✅ The Ripple Effect on Team Morale

This continuous growth mindset leads to higher team morale. When your staff feels they’re part of a process that’s always improving, it boosts engagement and motivation. Over time, this leads to better retention and a more positive working atmosphere.

✅ The Compound Effect of Improvement

In his book, James Clear emphasizes that the small improvements you make every day will lead to significant results over time: “1% better every day leads to exponential growth.” By applying this mindset in your practice, you will not only improve patient care and operational efficiency but also foster a more positive and engaged team culture. And the best part? The stress of running a practice begins to decrease as things become smoother and more predictable.

✅ Communication as a Pillar of Improvement

As part of your practice's commitment to getting 1% better each day, improving communication is key. This includes communication with patients, within your team, and across all levels of management. Setting clear expectations and encouraging regular feedback fosters transparency and helps to prevent small issues from becoming bigger problems later.

Implementing 1% Better in Practice Management

Here’s how you can start applying the 1% better concept in your practice:

• Identify Key Areas for Improvement: Look at your patient care, team management, and operations. What are some small, manageable changes you can make today?

• Set Daily or Weekly Goals: These should be realistic and focused on small wins. For example, aim to reduce patient wait times by a minute each week or improve follow-up call rates by 5%.

• Encourage Your Team to Think Small: Help your team adopt this mindset by encouraging them to identify and act on small improvements they can make in their daily tasks.

• Track Progress: Keep an eye on how these small changes accumulate over time. Celebrate wins with your team to keep them motivated and engaged.

Small Changes, Big Results

By adopting the 1% better mindset, you can transform your practice one step at a time. You don’t need to wait for big changes to see meaningful results. Encourage your team to focus on continuous, incremental improvement, and you’ll see how those small steps add up to a more efficient, successful, and less stressful practice over time.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

As you embrace the idea of getting 1% better every day in your practice, remember that you don’t have to navigate this journey by yourself. We understand the challenges of running a busy practice while striving to elevate your team’s performance. That’s why we created "The Team Dojo"—a unique apprenticeship model designed to support medical practices in training their teams through real-world application and ongoing guidance.

What makes "The Team Dojo" different?

• It’s not just one-time training; it’s an ongoing apprenticeship focused on continuous improvement.

• Your team will gain mastery in essential areas like Sales, Marketing, and Front Desk operations.

• With group coaching calls twice a week, your team will receive continuous support, real-time feedback, and hands-on guidance.

Ready to take your team to the next level?

Learn more about how "The Team Dojo" can help your practice thrive by visiting our page The Team Dojo Apprenticeship. Discover how ongoing training and personalized coaching can elevate your staff’s performance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and transforming your practice over time.