How Rehab Therapists Can Leverage Goal-Setting to Thrive in Pandemic

The importance of goal-setting is something we teach every kid in this country. And the chances are high that you too probably remember learning about SMART goals at one point or another (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound). But as we get more seasoned in life and the noise of the world gets louder, it can become easier to forget the importance and effectiveness of some of these timeless lessons.

Over the past year, the rehab therapy industry was turned upside down by the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). And as rehab therapists search for solutions to survive the PHE, we want to explore how you can leverage goal-setting to not just “make it out the other side”, but to actually thrive.

Don’t Just Target Areas of Weakness

Typically, goal-setting centers around correcting a problem, which makes perfect sense, because negative outcomes tend to be stronger motivators of change. But truly effective goal-setting involves balancing goals that improve areas of weakness and that capitalize on existing wins.

Identifying where you need help is easy. But take some time to look at what you’re doing right through all of this. Are there ways you can double-down on those wins?

When money is tight, everyone’s minds go towards cutting costs. But remember that increasing the money coming in by capitalizing on what’s working is an equally effective strategy with longer-term sustainability.

Target the Areas that Move the Needle the Most

Effective goal-setting is all about prioritizing what’s most important and allocating your available resources appropriately. The best way to do this is by identifying what areas you can target that move the needle the most.

Keep in mind that the right solution here is going to be different for every practice. Start by identifying which needle you need to move. Is it costs, profit, referrals, patient satisfaction, logistics, or something else? Once you identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most, you can start setting goals to move the bar.

Consider Online Reputation Goals for Your Rehab Therapy Practice

An area of goal-setting often overlooked is online reputations. A few decades ago, this is something that rightfully wasn’t on anyone’s radar. However, as the world moves more digital, the existence and quality of your online reputation can be the difference between acquiring a new patient or seeing them go somewhere else.

Here are a few potential areas to look at to get started:

• Do you have an online reputation? Much like a credit score, no reputation may be just as ineffective as having a bad one.
• Is your online reputation correct? Have bad reviews been incorrectly tied to your practice?
• Are there ways you can encourage happy patients to share their positive experiences?
• What online reputation mediums are the most important in your area? Are you leveraging these appropriately?

As you can see, all of this starts with knowing where you’re at right now. You can’t set a SMART goal without knowing where you’re starting from. If you’d like to find out more about your online reputation, we’d encourage you to take advantage of our free online marketing audit right now. It’s a simple first step in the right direction to not only survive the PHE but to thrive and come out the other side stronger.