The Test That Decides If Your Practice Will Scale or Stall

You finally start to remove yourself from the daily operations, and almost immediately, that pull begins.

Patients insisting they’ll only see you.

Colleagues reaching out with special requests.

And a team that hesitates because they’re unsure what you would have them do.

It shows up as the knot in your stomach when a patient threatens to leave. The added pressure when a colleague goes around your staff and texts you directly. And the frustration when your team waits on your input for something they should already know how to handle. In those moments, it feels easier to jump back in and take care of it yourself.

This is the test. And it happens almost without you realizing it.

A patient calls at the end of the day asking to be squeezed in, and the front desk is afraid to enforce the blocked schedule because the patient insists, “the doctor did it for me last time.” Or your PA checks in before adjusting a protocol, not because she doesn’t know how, but because she worries you will question the decision later.

Your team doesn’t want to disappoint you. They want to know what “right” looks like. But without clarity and consistency, they’ll keep relying on you for direction and reassurance.

Patients notice the hesitation and the exceptions. Over time, their confidence in your team and your practice begins to fade.

If you have decided your team should handle these situations, you have to stay consistent when a patient, colleague or employee asks you to make an exception.

When you take over, they learn that the final decision still belongs to you.

They need the chance to respond, follow the approach you agreed upon and know that you will support them.

That is part of Transferring the Trust™: giving your team the clarity and authority to act without involving you every time.

This is where many practice owners get pulled back into daily operations. Once you make the exception, the next question lands on your desk too.

Start with a Strategy Call

About the Author

Connie Kurczewski is the founder of Elevated Practice Consulting and Strategic Advisor to Dermatologists and Aesthetic Physicians. She advises physician owners on staffing, leadership, operations, marketing, sales and patient experience.