The navigational sextant was perfected by a glazier in Philadelphia named John Hadley in 1731. The ability to find direction at sea took a huge leap forward. Innovative mariners, willing to strategically  use the newest tools of their trade, could plan nautical travel more specifically and accurately than ever before. Mapping improved and travel modalities evolved and progressed. Today, modern GPS and satellite technology can identify, within a few feet of accuracy, the distance and quality of routes from any location on the planet to another. I can get real time updates, that include traffic and weather conditions, on a device in my vehicle allowing me to make immediate, informed decisions about which route will optimize my journey. This same ability to plan strategically, based on the latest innovation and technology available, lives at the core of all the most successful organizations I’ve seen.

If I could recommend just one thing to every leadership team I meet it would be to embrace the culture of change necessary to grow and excel, and then make good strategic plans necessary to get you there. Think ahead. Make all of your decisions based on plans that have an outlook as far as 5 years. Strategizing means to break plans into meaningful, doable realistic pieces and then be sure to keep the entire organization focused on the objectives necessary to execute the plan. Set goals. Goals that move your practice forward and excite the team to grow and improve. Make clinical goals, patient care goals, marketing and outreach goals, internal organizational goals and personal development goals.

One of the ways I encourage best practices to set and meet growth goals is to develop and execute outstanding online branding and marketing. An up to date and fresh online identity for your practice reaches patients and engages them in the story of what you and your team do every day. It can be a huge differentiator and growth solution for your business. These projects help focus and clarify vision and can be fun and team building too! Take a moment to view some of the custom branding projects from 2017 on our portfolio page.

Planning a course gives your business direction and a concrete destination. Taking ownership of your vision is not a random, reactive, low tech way of moving through the world. It takes focus and discipline, and often help and support. Let’s work on best practices together in 2018. Plans and decisions you make will impact the outcome either way, wouldn’t you rather be driving the ship than adrift at sea and at the mercy of the tides?