Taming the Chaos: One Lever at a Time

Running a general practice is like juggling flaming swords while someone moves the floor. Between staff shortages, last-minute cancellations, tech hiccups, and the ever-growing demand, it can feel like everything is urgent.

But here’s a calming truth from complexity science:

You don’t fix chaos by controlling everything. You manage it by adjusting just one lever at a time.

🔧 The Practice: Pick One Lever This Week

Instead of reacting to all the noise, choose one small area you can shift. Something specific, doable, and measurable. For example:
• Set a 10-minute standing huddle with practice staff each morning.
• Streamline one bottleneck in your patient flow.
• Check in with one staff member you haven’t connected with lately.

🎯 The Theory: Complex Adaptive Systems

Your practice isn’t a machine—it’s a living system. That means:
• Small changes can have big ripple effects.
• Relationships matter more than rules.
• You don’t need full control—just a steady hand and a clear next step.

🛠️ Try This Today:

Ask your team:

“If we could make one small improvement this week to reduce stress, what would it be?”

Then back that improvement. Loudly and clearly. It’ll do more than a policy ever could.

 

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