Why PT Productivity is the Wrong Measure—Part 2

And what MovementX measures instead

Back in part 1, we covered why productivity is the wrong measure to focus on, especially for organizations that want to create the best physical therapy jobs.

Here in part 2, we will cover where MovementX aims efforts instead, as well as the philosophy behind why.

But first, let’s start with a quick story.

 

Best is Our Standard

When Tom Brady left New England for a Tampa Bay team that was 7-9 the prior year, he made an immediate impact in the locker room and on team culture.

The biggest area that changed? Accountability.

Brady ushered in a new era where he expected the best out of every single person and player around him. The amazing part was because Brady believed in them, the players started believing in themselves.

The result? They won the Super Bowl the next year.

Sure, winning a championship was always the goal, but putting your energy in the right place means focusing on the right factors that will lead to success.

At MovementX, we have a unique out-of-network physical therapy job structure that, when operating well, we believe is the best physical therapy job possible. However, we start by focusing on accountability.

On that note, one of our social expectations is: Best is Our Standard. We don’t expect you to be perfect every day, but we do expect you to give your best. And we expect the same of ourselves—that MovementX is doing everything it can to support you.

 

Accountability > Productivity

Accountability and hard work make up the pathway to optimal performance. Productivity and results are the output. This is why we treat accountability as the leading indicator and productivity as a lagging indicator. It puts the focus in the right place.

Every week, we meet applicants and speak with teammates with high potential, but often at three different points in their skill development…

 

1. High Potential, Low Skills

Individuals who have high potential in our out-of-network, mobile physical therapy model might come without the common characteristics of success—these include a cash pay mindset, skills often associated with “sales,” without a strong referral network, etc.

In this case, focusing on productivity is a recipe for failure. For example, let’s take Tom Brady again. Before he could execute the playbook, do you think Brady would have succeeded as quarterback? Are you looking at total yards and touchdowns thrown before he knows how to run good plays? No way!

However, we know that everyone is capable of succeeding in our model. If you work hard at the right skills, and develop those skills, your foundation will be set for success.

 

2. High Potential, High Skills

Others who come into our out-of-network physical therapy model (or who have been working hard on their skill sets) already have the requisite skills in place. In this case, do we focus on productivity? The answer is still no! It’s accountability we are after.

The leading indicator here is the right strategy multiplied by great execution. At MovementX, we guide you away from the marketing strategies for physical therapists that typically don’t work, and into those that do.

Even better, it’s supported by our robust systems, strong brand, and great people. To keep the football metaphor going, you have a phenomenal offensive line, great receivers, and a coach that’s putting the right people in the right place. The environment is already set for success.

 

3. High Potential + MovementX

This results in a simple equation at MovementX… Does You + MovementX = Success?

We define success around your unique goals. We help you set your goals to create the best physical therapy job you could imagine, identify where you stack up relative to the skills you’d need to succeed, then develop and execute a game plan to help you reach those goals.

Along the way, we live by our social expectation of Best is Our Standard. We are always taking an honest look at both parties and asking the questions:

• Are we doing everything we can to succeed?
• What can be learned from our successes? Failures?
• How can we do slightly better in the future?

Small, incremental, yet consistent gains is how transformative change is made.

 

How it Looks, Day-to-Day

Rather than focusing on productivity, we focus our reflections on accountability and execution. If we are not meeting our goals—whatever those goals might be—we pose questions such as:

• Have you taken full ownership of your position?
• Have you consistently completed your action steps week-to-week
• Have you been focused on growing and improving specific skills
• Has MovementX delivered on all its promises to support you
• Where are the gaps, and how can each party improve?

Another leading indicator of success is learning. As long as we are learning, growing, and evolving together (a reflection of our core value of kaizen), we know success will come.

 

The Output: High Performing Teams

What’s even better than one individual performing at their best? An entire team that is greater than the sum of its parts.

At MovementX, we aim to create the best physical therapy jobs, with the best compensated physical therapists, and the best culture. The way to do that is through building strong teams.

Our aim is that 2 + 2 does NOT equal 4. We aim to have 2 + 2 = 10.

When extraordinary people come together, extraordinary achievements can be made. And that’s exactly what we hope to do at MovementX in our pursuit of…

 

The Ultimate Outcome

A thriving community. Our evidence-informed approach to measuring thriving means that those who are thriving will be healthier, happier, and more impactful in their day-to-day lives.

Too often, physical therapy companies miss the forest for the trees. The purpose of physical therapy jobs is not to hammer productivity, it’s to help your people live their best lives.

Focusing on the right measurements and putting your energy in the right place is the launch point for any organization that hopes to take great care of its people.

 

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At MovementX, we are committed to building a community of 100 thriving physical therapists by the end of 2025. You can read our Vision of Greatness (aka, exactly what we hope to look like when we achieve that Vision) here: 100 Thrive in ‘25.