Running a smooth therapy business means different things to different business owners. For some, it could be enhancing their focus on cognitive behavior therapy. For others, it could mean getting team members in alignment with strategic objectives and key results. However, some mental health and therapy practices follow the same goal-setting principles and best practices. It’s often all about the strategic plans and tools you have in place.
Incorporating OKRs
OKRs (also known as objectives and key results) are part of the OKR framework which is used for performance management as well as tracking strategic objectives. This goal-setting framework helps practice owners define strategic priorities. OKRs also allow you to set company goals, department objectives, and even individual objectives. It’s a smart way of taking a look at the current problems within your practice and developing a strategic plan to tackle them. Often, this is done through either OKR software or an OKR tool. Instead of manually managing goals and performance reviews, an OKR tool gives you alternative ways of looking at performance management. This is a type of employee performance management software platform that can help you find new ways that your practice can excel.
For instance, say you’re a CBT therapist focused on cognitive therapy. A simple OKR could be to learn more about anxiety disorders and behavior therapy, or to practice new CBT techniques. OKRs can be ambitious, too. Where a simple OKR might be a smaller task, OKR software can help you research a new type of therapy and conduct a meta-analysis on integrations for that type of therapy in your practice. While it’s not uncommon to see OKR software in startups and other small businesses, it’s beneficial for mental health practices to use an OKR software tool to track important objectives in real-time. OKR software helps you practice business mindfulness in many ways, from performance reviews to long-term goal setting for each person in your business. Your team members will thank you for creating a cohesive roadmap for the practice.
Finding a niche
While it’s true that many practices avoid sticking to one particular form of therapy, the opposite is true as well. Positioning yourself as an expert in a certain form of psychotherapy is an excellent way to build trust with your prospective clients. Think back to the CBT therapy example. If you’re invested in cognitive behavior therapy, you’re probably going to focus on causes of negative thoughts, behavioral patterns in social situations, and ways to motivate a behavior change. You can reach a wide variety of clientele by focusing on this one niche of therapy. Perhaps you work on changing the behavior of someone with post-traumatic stress disorder. Maybe you’re looking to understand and avert the physical symptoms and negative thoughts of someone struggling with a substance use disorder. Find what your team of behavior therapists excel at, and focus on it.
Of course, this works outside of cognitive therapy as well. From dialectic behavior therapy to rational emotive behavior therapy, as long as you know where your practice’s interests lie, you have a path forward. Indeed, many of the practices that succeed are the ones specializing in certain facets of mental health. Of course, there are always larger, more corporate practices that can split their health services into departments, but this doesn’t always work for smaller businesses. Some owners choose to run their practices like startups and incorporate flexible business approaches. It all depends on what suits your unique healthcare services.
While these aren’t the only keys to success in the world of therapy, they can make a big difference without a great deal of time or effort. Whether you’re deciding on some key results or are hiring a new CBT therapist to round out your practice, there are plenty of ways you can achieve the success you desire.
