Hiring a new chiropractic assistant (CA) can feel overwhelming - but it doesn’t have to be. In this Chiropractic Deep Dive, we break down Dr. Noel Lloyd’s proven strategies for fast-tracking team member development, avoiding costly onboarding mistakes, and building a motivated, high-performing chiropractic team. Whether you’re onboarding your first CA or growing a team of many, these insights will help you build a thriving practice that scales with ease.
In this episode, we’re unpacking Dr. Noel Lloyd’s “Beginner to Winner” onboarding system for chiropractic assistants. If you’ve ever worried about new hires getting overwhelmed, frustrated, or leaving too soon, this episode is for you.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
These strategies will help you fast-track CA development, improve retention, and build a thriving, scalable practice.
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Welcome to the Chiropractic Deep Dive. Brought to you by Five Star Management, uh, the chiropractic consulting company. We're proud to be a part of. Great to be here. We're jumping straight into a challenge today that, well, it frustrates so many of you, our fellow chiropractors.
Mm-hmm. How do you bring on a new, high potential team member, particularly a chiropractic assistant, a ca right into an already bustling practice without a clear, effective onboarding system. Yeah. You know, that feeling, the worry of making mistakes with the new hires, seeing cas get frustrated, or even worst case starting to, you know, dislike the job because they just feel overwhelmed.
Absolutely. It's a huge pain point. So our mission today is really to cut through that noise. We're extracting crucial insights from a recent Zoom call led by the brilliant Dr. Noel Lloyd. Yeah. That was a great session. It was titled Beginner to Winner, how to Fast Track Team Member Development, and this Session It offered concrete actionable solutions.
The goal, ensure new hires don't just survive, but truly excel, genuinely enjoying their work while grasping that all important big why the practice's core, mission, vision, and goals. You're basically getting a shortcut here to understanding how to build that dream team. And the real power here, I think, is that effective team development isn't just about improving efficiency or, you know, checking boxes, right?
It's about cultivating a sustainable, thriving practice where every single team member is aligned, motivated, and deeply invested in the collective success that makes sense when your team thrives. It directly elevates the quality of patient care and ultimately the overall health of the chiropractic practice itself.
So this deep dive into Dr. Noel Lloyd's strategies, it really connects the dots between strong operations and well long-term impactful success. Okay. Let let's unpack this core problem, Dr. Noel Lloyd identified. Picture this, you need to onboard a brand new high potential ca mm-hmm. Into your busy practice.
Okay? And maybe your existing team members, they aren't fully trained on how to train someone else, right? Yeah, that happens a lot. The fear is palpable. You don't wanna make a mistake with this new person. You wanna fast track them to productivity, get them integrated, but without them feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or, you know, worse, starting to dislike the role.
It's a, it's a delicate balance. It absolutely is. And the symptoms of this challenge, they're incredibly common. They tell a clear story across so many practices, like what? Well, often there's no dedicated lead trainer in place, so new hires are left to, either fend for themselves or try to piece together conflicting information from different people.
Right. Just grabbing bits here and there. Exactly. And many practitioners have a history of onboarding mistakes. Maybe things didn't go well last time, leading to this natural fear of repeating those errors. Understandable, and maybe the most disheartening symptom is when new hires quickly become frustrated or start to dislike the role.
It's often due to a steep learning curve combined with a lack of clear, consistent guidance. Yeah. The ultimate goal as Dr. Noel Lloyd really emphasized is that new CAS can handle the position well and they survive and they excel. They need to rapidly grasp. Tasks skills and crucially the big why. That big why again, that underlying motivation, the mission, the vision, the goals of the practice and genuinely enjoy their work because let's be honest, if they don't enjoy it, even understanding everything.
Isn't really enough to keep them long term. Okay. So we've laid out the problem pretty clearly, but what often surprises people and what Dr. Noel Lloyd really drilled down on in that call were the specific avoidable mistakes that just amplify these issues. Right. What were some of those, uh, those crucial missteps identified by the participants on the call?
Well, the first mistake highlighted by one participant really cuts to the core not having solid procedures or constantly changing procedures. She, uh, she vividly called it a moving target. A moving target. Wow. I can certainly picture that happening in a busy practice feels chaotic. But what's the immediate like tangible cost to a practice when procedures are constantly shifting like that?
Think of it this way, a moving target is almost always a missed target. Yeah. Without rock solid, consistent procedures, you're not just losing efficiency, you're actively eroding trust and competence in your new hires. Consistency is clarity. Right? Right. And without it, new team members just can't build confidence or master their roles because the ground beneath them keeps shifting it.
Uh, it basically sets them up for failure right from day one. That's a powerful point about procedure consistency. And that same participant, she didn't stop there, she highlighted a second critical mistake that often derails training. Not having a proper training schedule. Oh yeah, big one. It's about expecting training to just sort of happen without dedicated scheduled blocks.
It becomes an afterthought in an already packed day. How often do we see training relegated to whenever there's a free moment, which let's be honest, is almost never, you've hit on a critical point there. Mm-hmm. And a crucial question this brings up is, are you truly valuing training as much as you value patient care time?
Hmm, good question. If you don't block out specific protected time for training, it sends a clear message, maybe unintentionally that it's not a top priority. New hires will struggle to get the consistent guidance they need, and you end up playing catch up, which is always far less efficient than proactive scheduled training.
Oh, okay. Makes sense. Then another participant brought up an example mentioning systems that are too involved for the fast pace of the front desk leading to breakdowns. Hmm. This is our third mistake. Overly complicated systems in the thick of a busy morning. A system with just too many steps can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's cube while juggling precisely and in a busy, high volume environment like a chiropractic front desk.
Simplicity and clarity are just paramount. Absolutely. If a system has too many steps or requires excessive cognitive load, you know, too much thinking when things are crazy. Mm-hmm. It's practically guaranteed to break down, especially under pressure. It actively hinders a new CA's ability to perform effectively and quickly.
So the question becomes, how can we streamline without sacrificing thoroughness? That's the trick. Okay. For our fourth mistake, another participant shared a vital insight learned from Dr. Noel Lloyd and a mentor not following the five steps to training somebody properly. Ah, the five steps. Yeah. Yeah.
Emphasizing the importance of making sure new hires understand Clearly seeing it role modeled and ultimately having them teach it back. He pointed out that this is essentially not having a proper structured system for training at all. So what happens when that structured, proven system for knowledge transfer simply isn't there?
Well, when there's no structured proven system, like the five steps, which you know, at its heart is really about showing, telling, doing, and then confirming understanding it creates massive gaps and inconsistencies. Yeah, I can see that new hires are kinda left to muddle through making it incredibly difficult for them to reach proficiency, let alone mastery.
A systematic approach ensures nothing gets missed. Learning is reinforced, and you have a clear way to measure their progress. Without it, you're effectively just hoping for the best, which is, well rarely a winning strategy. Hope is not a strategy. Right. Okay. And the fifth mistake shared by another participant was multiple people training.
He used that great analogy of, taking a sip from the fire hose. Uhhuh. Yeah, I remember that one. Where new hires just get confused by conflicting information from too many trainers. That really paints a picture of the confusion. But practically speaking, in a busy practice, isn't it often kind of unavoidable to have different people covering different aspects of training?
That's a very practical challenge, and that fire hose analogy is spot on. Yeah. The key isn't necessarily that only one person ever speaks to the new hire. It's more about having one person who's really in charge. A designated lead trainer they report to. Okay. A point person. Exactly. This lead trainer is responsible for managing the training process.
They ensure consistency and instruction. They make sure everyone's adhering to standard operating procedures, and they act as the single point of truth for the new hire. Got it. They can certainly delegate tasks to other team members for specific skill demonstrations, you know, show them how to do X. But the overall curriculum, the feedback, the accountability that all flows through that single lead, this vastly improves both efficiency and the quality of the training received, and it prevents that confusing, conflicting information.
Okay, that clarification helps. Beyond these five big ones. Other critical mistakes surface too. One participant mentioned a poor welcome on day one, reminding us that first impressions are just everything, right? Absolutely crucial. Others highlighted downtime for new employees, stressing the need to keep them involved and busy from the start.
Avoiding that awkward feeling of just standing around, not knowing what to do. Mm-hmm. Keep them engaged. Another pointed out not making sure the ca fully understands. A crucial reminder that new hires might not always speak up when they're confused. They might just nod along. Very true. You have to check for understanding.
Someone else discussed, assuming prior knowledge, just because they came from another chiropractic office noting that, hey, different offices have totally different systems. Never assume. And finally one participant touched on not having the trainer understand what they are training, which, as you can imagine, leads to the blind leading the blind.
That's not good. No, not at all. Yeah. And it's striking to see how many of these mistakes, often born from really good intentions, you know, wanting to help ultimately lead to a lack of structured process and clear communication. Yeah. It highlights a common vulnerability in practices, a desire to help. But without the framework to make that help truly effective and consistent, it just underscores the need for real intentionality in training.
Okay, so what does this all mean? It means there are clear pathways to success. Dr. Noel Lloyd, and the participants then pivoted beautifully to the solutions, the best fast tracking ideas that truly work, right? The good stuff First, a participant suggested team group training and recurrent training. Her office trains the new ca alongside the rest of the staff, making sure everyone is updated and aligned.
Why is that approach so effective? Well, this approach is brilliant because it doesn't just train the new person in isolation. It truly fosters a cohesive team environment. Ah, interesting. It prevents knowledge gaps. It reinforces best practices for your existing staff too, and it creates this shared understanding of procedures across the entire practice.
Imagine a new ca learning how to manage patient flow while the entire team reviews and solidifies their understanding of the same best practices. Everyone grows together and the new hire doesn't feel single out or isolated in their learning process. That's smart. Okay, next, another participant shared their use of checklists for all jobs detailing specific duties like postural taping or teaching stretches, checklists.
Yes. Very powerful. And this ties directly into Dr. Noel Lloyd's four step learning process. They see it. They hear it. They can read it, and they demonstrate it. The multisensory approach. Exactly, and this culminates in them demonstrating the task to a lead trainer. Dr. Noel Lloyd delivered a really powerful statement on this.
You have no right to expect anything that isn't written someplace in your procedure book, but also discussed or taught or trained on by a lead. Wow. That's direct. True. Right, and another participant took this even further describing their system of having all procedures in a shared Word document that can be printed into a binder for new hires.
She even mentioned sharing the master document to foster a sense of shared understanding across roles, though she clarified that doctors and CAS procedures might be kept separate as she and Dr. Noel Lloyd discussed. This is just fundamental knowledge is most valuable when it's documented, easily accessible, and consistently practiced.
This systematic approach eliminates ambiguity. It sets clear expectations, and it provides a tangible roadmap for new hires like a GPS for their job exactly, they can refer back to detailed instructions as needed, which reduces their reliance on constant interruptions or that fear of making a mistake.
It transforms that, you know, tribal knowledge that only a few people have into real institutional knowledge, making your practice much more robust and less dependent on any one person. Okay. Another critical idea came from a participant focused on understanding the why behind everything. He stressed that everything we do and learn and say should be congruent with that mission and vision.
Back to the why. Back to the why. Dr. Noel Lloyd added to this advising us to supply the big why, to provide context for all training. Because as he put it, the best goals win really. So beyond just giving them a sense of purpose, what's the deeper impact here? And here's the kicker, right? When they grasp that big why, it's not just about them doing better work, it's about them sticking around.
Ah, retention. Yes, A compelling mission, a clear vision and admirable goals. These aren't just for your marketing brochures. They are powerful magnets. They attract and retain smart, passionate team members who wanna be part of something bigger than just a job That makes sense. When new hires understand the why their motivation shifts, it goes from simply performing tasks to actively contributing to a shared purpose.
Hmm. And that drastically cuts down on turnover and fosters truly passionate, invested team members. Okay, this naturally leads us to a crucial element. Finding and hiring the best raw talent in the first place. And Dr. Noel Lloyd has a proven process for this. Yes, his hiring insights are fantastic. First, if you're struggling to find good people, he suggests considering offering two plus dollars an hour more than maybe you initially planned.
Sometimes that small investment just pays huge dividends in the quality you attract. Good point. Pay competitively. He also champions group interviews. That process is detailed in five star management's client webinars. Then there's his hire, the smart one, testing method.
He uses two tests. A L.E.A.D test, which we can think of as testing their basic learning aptitude, ability to follow instructions and an office skills test. Things like alphabetizing or basic math practical skills. Right? And the key is that the fastest correct completion identifies the smartest candidates.
Dr. Noel Lloyd even shared a quick story about observing a potential hire, Mandy at the front desk, noting her speed and accuracy and just realizing. That's the kind of smart, efficient person I want. It's about observation too. Exactly. Finally, he recommends a job audition where potential hires spend some time in the office to take a look at your job and see if they like it.
Let them experience it. Yeah, they need to be excited, likable, and coachable. A quality another participant confirms seeing in her great new ca and crucially, doctors should seek feedback from their existing team members about potential new hires. Get the team involved, right? Ask them about coachability attitude, fit with core values, empowering existing cas to participate in hiring new team members.
That's a really comprehensive approach to hiring. It is and it's transformative. A critical question this brings up for you, the listener is. Are you truly optimizing your hiring process? Are you finding individuals who are not only skilled, but genuinely aligned with your practice's, culture, and future?
Good self-reflection question, because finding the right fit from the beginning drastically reduces those onboarding challenges and boosts long-term retention and success. Yeah. Investing in finding the right person initially saves countless hours and resources down the line. It's a huge ROI absolutely.
Okay, so onboarding isn't just about tasks and checklists, it's about people. So a massive idea from Dr. Noel Lloyd is empathy, support, and even fun in training. The human element, yes, he advises to be on their side, you know, understand what it's like to learn new tasks and be their cheerleader as well as their coach.
He says, catch them doing stuff right, positive reinforcement, love it. Also manage expectations. Don't expect them to care like you do initially. That buy-in, that passion that comes later from experiencing the practice's mission, the vision, how you treat patients and how you treat the team. It has to be earned.
That connection. Exactly. And making training fun. That sounds almost counterintuitive when you're thinking efficiency, doesn't it? But the participants had some brilliant ideas. Yeah. How do you make training fun? Well, one suggested role playing where two cas practice together. I can just picture two cas trying to politely check in a pretend difficult patient, right?
Mm-hmm. Makes it less nerve wracking than doing it live the first time. Safe practice space. Good idea. Another emphasized having a lighthearted and engaged trainer. Someone else even brought up game aspects, maybe little quizzes or challenges clarification, yeah. And Dr. Noel Lloyd clearly agrees with the fun part, even mentioning bringing in treats like double mocha latte frappuccinos, because who doesn't learn better with a little caffeine and sugar uhhuh.
Definitely helps. He also referenced Ken Blanchard's Empowerment Quadrant, which is a classic model for leadership. It essentially outlines how you adjust your leadership style as a team member grows. Right. Situational leadership. Exactly. You start very directive. That's quadrant one. Clearly defining exactly this way for procedures, like phone greetings, maybe using scripts, clear instructions first.
Then as they gain confidence and competence, you transition to being the big encourager. Quadrant two, pointing out wins progress their trajectory as they learn, giving them gradually more autonomy so you adapt your style to their stage of development. Precisely. It's truly fascinating how that human element, the support, the encouragement.
Coupled with clear structure is just as vital as the technical training itself. Yeah, it really is creating an environment where new hires feel understood, celebrated for their progress, and maybe even enjoy the learning process significantly impacts their retention and their ultimate success. It's about building a relationship, not just imparting information and understanding that motivation is just a powerful accelerator.
Well said. And to tie a lot of this together, we really can't overstate the importance of having that single lead trainer and comprehensive job books back to structure. Yes. To reiterate what we discussed earlier, consistent guidance means having one lead to report to, like in Dr. Noel Lloyd's example of Mandy training Jill, it avoids confusion, ensures adherence to standard operating procedures, and a job book for every team member. It should contain everything. Office policy, job description, checklists, scripts, meeting notes, project sheets, special procedures. It's like their personal operations manual for their role. That foundational structure, it empowers both the trainer and the trainee.
It provides that clear roadmap for success. It fosters accountability and it ensures that critical information is consistently communicated and accessible. Right? The lead trainer has a clear guide for what needs to be covered, and the trainee has a constant reference point. They can go back to. This structure just sets everyone up for long-term achievement.
By reducing guesswork and providing clarity. Okay, and finally, Dr. Noel Lloyd emphasized the importance of identifying future leaders within your existing team. Looking ahead. Yeah. He looks for co-pilots or project managers or leaders in the office by observing their success in getting projects done, how well they understand the practice's, mission, vision, and goals, and their experience and passion.
It's about recognizing those who not only perform well, but really embody the spirit and drive of the practice. And this highlights that effective onboarding isn't just about filling a current role. It's actually about cultivating leadership and maximizing the long-term potential of your entire team.
Good point. By looking for these qualities early, fostering them and giving these individuals opportunities to grow, you're building a stronger, more resilient practice for the future. It's really a strategic investment in your practice's longevity. Okay. Wow. That was a truly comprehensive, deep dive into fast tracking team member development straight from Dr.
Noel Lloyd's beginner to winner session. You've now got, uh, quite a stack of actionable strategies to avoid those common pitfalls and really build a high performing chiropractic team. Absolutely, and this brings up, I think, an important question for you, the listener. To consider, what specific element of your current onboarding process could you refine or maybe implement today right now to ensure your next hire not only understands their role, but truly thrives and contributes to your practice's
big why? Yeah. Even just one small change based on what we've discussed can make a monumental difference down the road. Great point. As part of Five Star Management, we're absolutely dedicated to helping chiropractors like you achieve their practice goals. So if you're ready to implement these strategies and fast track your team's success, we invite you to book a free call with Dr.
George Birnbach. He'd love to chat with you. Absolutely. You'll find the link conveniently right there in the show notes, easy to find. Mm-hmm. And listen for an even deeper dive and some really hands-on training, join us live in Orlando, Florida, November 15th and 16th. We've got two incredible events happening simultaneously.
Big event coming up huge. We have the new patient edge focused entirely on rapidly attracting new patients to grow your practice fast and right alongside it, the Win-Win Associate seminar. Where we'll dive deep into our comprehensive win win associate systems and programs. Don't miss this opportunity in Orlando to really transform your practice.
It's gonna be powerful. It really is. And of course, be sure to subscribe for more tips and insights like these that keep you informed and ahead in the chiropractic world. Definitely subscribe. Thank you so much for joining us on this chiropractic deep dive. We really hope these insights empower you to build the dream team your practice deserves.
We'll catch you on the next deep dive.