What Is Your Growth Potential?
By Angela Wilson Pennisi, PT, MS, OCS
As I talk with members across the country and interact with practice owners in my state, I sometimes wonder why we are so reluctant to seek help when we need it. Everyone has areas of strength and weakness, but in my view, how people approach their weaknesses is what makes all the difference.
The people who seem to have it all figured out do not have that many more strengths than the rest of us. However, they are more likely to address their deficits in a more productive manner. First, they acknowledge their limitations, even if only to themselves. Second, they decide whether they have the capacity and resources to address and develop the area of weakness into one of competence or even strength. Finally, for areas in which they lack interest, time, or resources to develop, they ask for help!
Help can come in many forms, and PPS has many easily accessible resources, including Impact magazine, available for its members. However, as amazing as PPS is as an association, its ability to offer individualized development and growth opportunities for the cost of your annual membership is limited.
In today’s quickly changing and consolidating marketplace, once you have exhausted the resources of PPS, APTA, and your amazing network of colleagues, you must be prepared to access resources to help you in your areas that are in need of development to ensure the viability and success of your business.
Accessing these resources will come at an additional cost of time or money to you; but the price of not addressing your limitations could cost you, your family, your practice, and employees much more. There are many resources available from engaged and knowledgeable PPS members, but you must also consider working with an expert from outside PPS. Either way, you can be sure that recognizing when you need help and finding the best available resource will help you and your practice thrive.
What happens when we fail to ask for help? Well, we are still acutely aware of our weaknesses, but may not recognize them as such. We simply experience the stress and anxiety that result. We focus on identifying the weaknesses in others as a defense mechanism for responding to those who may point out our weaknesses. We blame external and market forces for all the problems in our practices. We may even turn on each other, begrudging others their success rather than uniting for the benefit of our profession and patients.
Our patients and our country need us to help them find a path to health. Each and every member of PPS and APTA must grow and develop to reach their full potential so that our profession can accomplish all of which it is capable.
