Step By Step Guide to Vision & Values: What are They and How to Get Them?

If you ever feel like your team is unfocused and all over the place, don’t worry, you are not alone. Most doctors are so busy with patients that they have little time to think about the vision and values of their practice, much less communicate these to their team. A little advice? Take some time to think about and share what you are doing and why, and you’ll find your team more willing and able to do what is expected of them to reach your goals (more on these later!)

First of all, let’s understand what your practice vision should be. The vision is always future-based and is meant to inspire and give direction to your team. Doctors often avoid thinking in this way because it requires asking some pretty deep questions: who are you as a doctor now and who do you want to be in the future? What does your practice look like now, and how do you want it to look in the future? Take a hard look around you and describe your ideal practice. It’s ok to jot down negatives too, but primarily focus on the positive. Then write a single sentence that embodies everything you want your practice to be. 

Once you have a clear vision of how things are and how you’d like them to be, you want to flesh out your values as a doctor and the values of your practice. Jot down adjectives that come to mind when you think about your practice. Again, set aside any negative ones for now, and focus on the positive. Pick your favorite top four on your list and make sure they describe what your practice values most – these, along with your vision, should drive your daily work.

After taking some time to develop these on your own, you can come together with your team talk about your vision and values and to set out your team’s mission. If the group has hand in coming up with your mission, then they are more likely to embrace it. Still need help? I have loads of resources to help you and your team get on track with a strong vision, values and mission. Let’s talk.