A Helping Hand:
Mentoring
By Chuck Mancino
To “mentor” is “to serve as a trusted counselor or teacher,
especially in occupational settings.” And it’s an especially vital
function in today’s chiropractic health care. All the information and
understanding needed to allow chiropractors to launch, grow and maintain a successful
practice is not taught at most chiropractic colleges. But don’t blame
the colleges; the additional knowledge and vision needed isn’t found in
any textbook or class. But it can be successfully obtained through mentoring
with a doctor who is living out your chiropractic philosophy in a successful
practice.
Mentoring is often most critical in getting a doctor’s practice successful
in the beginning stages of a practice, but other forms of mentoring exist for
a chiropractor’s growth and accomplishments through all the various stages
of life, both personal and professional.
“If I didn’t have a mentor, I’d have been broke and busted
long ago,” offers Dr. Mark Lagerkvist, chiropractor and owner of LifeWorks
Health Centers, Olympia Fields, Ill. “Mentoring is crucial to the future
of chiropractic health care. I know I would have been lost without my mentor.
You just can’t know what—with conviction—needs to be done
without help. You don’t know what fears are real, what you should overcome.
You have to find out what matters and what is crucial to master. You have certain
gut feelings but might not have enough confidence to act on your hunches without
someone helping you along the way. You need a person to guide you along the
way to attain your goals.”
Lagerkvist, who was attracted to chiropractic after mainstream medicine failed
him and chiropractic healed him, has excelled as a chiropractor and businessman.
He is now committed to the success of others in achieving their “God-given”
potential by providing services as a mentor. But what is it, exactly?
“Mentoring is not about telling doctors what to do; it’s about discovering
what it is they want to accomplish—in a Socratic manner—and then
plotting a course to achieve their goals. It’s helping doctors discover
what they really want, together, and then, after you determine their end game,
plotting the course to get them there. It is a different course for each doctor,”
says Lagerkvist.
Dr. Stuart Bernsen, founder of LifeWorks Health Centers and practitioner of
the branch out of Evanston, Ill., agrees. “Often times, when you start
off mentoring a doctor, their vision of what they want isn’t defined enough
to even begin plotting a course. You ask what it is they want to accomplish
and often get an ‘I want to have lots of patients and help people’
as a response. That isn’t defined enough to create an action plan, so
the first thing you have to do is better define their goals and ambitions. Afterward,
you then engineer it backward and set the specific goals of what will be needed
to accomplish their vision.”
Mentoring Throughout Your Career
The kind of mentoring a chiropractor needs early on is vastly different than
mentoring he may benefit from at the later stages of a practice.
“In the early stage it’s more nuts and bolts of how to get open,
get profitable—how to do that in the shortest time possible,” says
Bernsen. “But down the road, when a doctor is established and his practice
is successful and thriving, there are other types of mentoring that still offer
a lot of value to the doctor. For instance, when a doctor is in the accumulation
phase of his practice, he may need a mentor who has successfully managed his
investments. Another common mentor would be someone who has experience in selling
a practice. Another may provide guidance in opening up an additional office
and finding the right doctor for the additional location. I think when one thinks
of a mentor, they usually think of the typical new doctor needing help. But
mentoring can be a wonderful aide in virtually any stage of a chiropractor’s
journey.”
“Mentors may be financial, spiritual or physical,” adds Lagerkvist.
“It’s similar to a professional golfer: In a golf game you have
different realms to improve and different coaches for each area. You might have
a putting coach, a coach for your overall swing, and a trainer that works on
your overall physical conditioning. I will probably have people I consider mentors
until the day I die. When you can find people who have already arrived at the
place you want to be, then getting their feedback is priceless.”
Finding a Mentor
“Keep your eyes open constantly,” adds Lagerkvist. “Look for
someone who has championed an area you fear. And really think about it. There
could be areas you feel comfortable in, but you might not be looking hard enough.
If you train with someone who is an expert in an area you might just be average
in, you will get better. Don’t be afraid to ask anyone at any time. And
if they are honest, they won’t be quick to tell you they have all the
answers. If they do, you might want to question that source. A good mentor will
be far more Socratic than didactic.”
Mentors Feel the Benefits Too
The benefits to the mentee are obvious, but what about the benefits to the mentor?
“The relationship could be one where there is a financial benefit for
the mentor,” comments Bernsen. “But the more rewarding aspect of
it is in fulfilling a personal mission or vision. When I look at why I may take
on a new doctor or take a call from a doctor in the field, it’s because
I want to help every human being that I can to discover their full potential.
That is my drive. Also, for every chiropractor I help, I may not only ensure
their success, but also help ensure the future of our profession.”