From: Dr. Margolies The other day, I was looking through the Atlanta Constitution, our morning paper, and read a story that has much interest for us. The national touring company of Les Miserables is coming to town this week and the usual write up was on the front page of the Sunday Arts section. Being that I have a front row orchestra seat in the historic Fox Theater next Monday evening, I decided to read through this article and found much to share with you. Seems that after ten years of this great musical being on Broadway it had become stale. The producer, Cameron MacKintosh and the co-director, John Caird „dropped in on a Broadway performance and found their show in miserable shape: drab, poorly sung, lazily acted.¾ Well, being the professionals they are and attempting to right a wrong, they „...sacked half the 38 member cast, hired new performers and pulled everyone into rehearsals for a month.¾ „We went back to the novel in rehearsal,¾ Lawrence says (he being the executive producer). „We sat in a circle and read portions aloud to make sure the characters on the page are reflected on the stage. Everybody has to believe the same thing,¾ he says. „The more real and personal the story is for the actors on-stage, the more real and personal it will be for the audience.¾ Wow .. is there a business as usual story there? .. a business class 101 discussion here? .. a reality check for each of us? I think so!!!!! In fact I should stop here, have everyone write an essay on how this applies to each of our chiropractic offices and leave it at that. If you spend more than ten minutes trying to find the „where is Waldo message in this .. you get a C .. if it takes 15 minutes to 20 you get a D, and anymore time you FAIL!!!!!! I¼d leave it at that except I hate to grade papers .. and with all you cyberjockeys out there it would be overwhelming. So to speed matters up, this is what I got out of it .. you grade me! Even though, from the surface, a show such as Les Miserable is such a hit ..year after year .. it will get old and stale if new life and enthusiasm isn¼t introduced on a regular basis. How many times have you heard the chiropractic story .. how many times have you told it? How many staff members have passed through your office doors and how many have you trained? .. has the story been softened ..diluted .. altered to make it easier for you and them .. have you compromised on your principles ...whatever they are? Are you faced with the wrong team players? As I discuss in my fourth week class during the discussion on staff training, and as written in Chapter 4 of the Smart Start Book ... are you or have you been a hostage to your staff? Do you comply with them or they to you? Is the essence .. the tone of your office „drab, poorly sung and lazily acted?¾ Think about it .. if you decided to be an objective consultant of your own office would you sack half of your office staff, including yourself? (in fact the buck probably stops right there!) Think about it. Everybody has to believe the same thing,¾ he says. „The more real and personal the story is for the actors on-stage, the more real and personal it will be for the audience.¾ Now, did these professionals moan and groan and gripe of the misfortune they came upon .. NO. In fact, we¼d all be very proud of their product .. even in the condition they found it. But, were they satisfied with it being just all right? .. NO again. They realized that complacency was just a step ahead of failure. Were they willing to keep the trust of the cast they viewed bringing down their product with disrespect? .. or was it rather disillusionment .. or a game of telephone where the original message was lost by the end of the line? Have we individually and collectively .. office by office .. lost our simple chiropractic message? They didn¼t bemoan their predicament .. rather they seized the moment .. retained the essence of the cast and started anew. They drilled .. they re-created .. they rehearsed over and over again .. even reading from the book .. a re-telling of the story ..„We sat in a circle and read portions aloud to make sure the characters on the page are reflected on the stage. Everybody has to believe the same thing.¾ Can you say the same for you and your staff. If your answer is no .. maybe .. sometimes .. I think so .. then you go straight to the back of the class .. rejuvenate your batteries and go „back to the novel in rehearsal.¾ After major alterations of the show .. they are finally were ready to provide their audiences with a renewed spirit .. „All that remains to be done, Lawrence says, is getting the last new costumes on-stage.¾ Think about it friends .. during your next staff meeting look through changed eyes and rekindle the spirit that was you in school (that eye of the tiger), and see who is with you or holding you back. Now, be careful .. if you are now even conjuring up a thought of defense for a staff member (worse is your spouse), they are probably on the short list! Breath new life into your office .. seek the wisdom of this message as I read it, and you interpreted it. Rekindle the spirit of chiropractic by turning to the book .. the script .. and knee to knee spend some special time with your staff going over what brought you to this great profession .. the magic and marvels of helping hundred and thousands of people daily .. of being part of the health care solution .. not the problem. If you seek any less for yourself .. you will be defeated and someday .. somewhere .. someone will drop in on your practice and find your show in miserable shape: drab, poorly sung, lazily acted.¾ One final thought I wish to leave with you. The final paragraph of this article reads: „I like to think of it like taking the show to a chiropractor,¾ Lawrence says. „Every so often you need an adjustment.¾ I couldn¼t have said it better! Dr. M