Out of the Lane, Into Momentum: Why Admin Time Matters More Than You Think

Some of the fastest-moving clients I’m working with right now have something in common that might surprise you: they’re not the ones spending all their time in the exam room.

Empowering Practice Managers

In one case, the optometrist is in patient care five days a week—but I don’t meet with the doctor. I work with the practice manager, who has been given the authority to lead and the trust to follow through. He has the time and clarity to make decisions and keep things moving—and just as importantly, maintains a strong cadence of communication with the practice owner so that she can stay informed and engaged without needing to be directly involved in every detail.

Focusing on Growth

In another case, the doctor is only in the lane one day a week and spends the rest of his time focused on growth. Both of these practices are implementing ideas quickly, solving problems efficiently and building momentum that’s easy to see.

The Challenge of Full-Time Patient Care

Compare that to many of the practice owners I speak with who are still in full-time patient care and trying to run the business themselves. They want to move their practice forward. They’re not lacking vision or passion. But when we try to work on hiring, training, team development or improving financial performance, the work crawls. There’s always another emergency patient, an insurance issue or something that just can’t wait—and suddenly it’s been a month since our last conversation and nothing has changed.

The Misconception of Productivity

We tend to equate full schedules with productivity. And yes—being in the lane feels productive. You’re helping patients, generating revenue and staying busy. But if your goal is to grow something bigger or better—to lead, not just operate—the lane isn’t where that happens. Leadership, strategy and practice development don’t get done in between patients. They require protected time, sustained focus and a little breathing room—either for you, or for someone else.

Finding Time for Leadership

Here’s the thing: many practice owners say they have no time to spare. But when we look at the data, their schedules are only 70-80% full. There’s often more wiggle room than they realize, especially if they block admin time proactively. A schedule that feels busy isn’t necessarily fully booked. And even if you are truly full, the question becomes: Is patient care the best use of your time?

Reevaluating Patient Volume

If you’re packed with routine exams, but haven’t had time to train your team, review your pricing or evaluate how a new service is performing, there’s probably a better way to use at least some of your hours. And if you’re fully booked and still not making what you’d like, the answer may not be more patients—it might be increasing the value of each exam. If you could raise that number significantly, could you reduce your patient volume and free up time to focus on leading your business?

The Importance of Delegation

That said, not every practice owner wants to step out of the exam room—and that’s okay. If you love seeing patients and want to stay clinical, your job is to make sure someone else is responsible for running the business side. That means hiring and empowering the right operations leader—whether that’s a practice manager, an administrator or even a partner—whose actual job description includes solving problems, implementing changes and moving the business forward.

Trust and Communication

And if that kind of trust and delegation doesn’t come easily, that’s part of your leadership work too: learning to let go of control, build confidence in others and create the communication systems that work best for you.

Avoiding the Weeds

But (and this is a big but), that person can’t be stuck in the weeds either. If your manager spends their whole day fixing problems, ordering office supplies and covering the front desk, they’re not in a position to lead operational growth. They need space too—space to think strategically, take initiative and actually make improvements. Otherwise, you’re both buried in day-to-day tasks, and nothing ever changes.

Bringing Ideas to Life

Most practice owners have ideas they’ve been sitting on. Things they’d love to implement “when there’s time.” A better process for training new staff. A specialty service they know could grow with the right support. A bonus system they’ve been meaning to put in place for over a year. But without time set aside to work on the business—or someone else whose job is to do it—those ideas stay on the shelf.

Protecting Admin Time

And the unfortunate truth is that admin time doesn’t magically appear. You have to protect it. It won’t happen in the random gaps between patients or in the 10 minutes before you go home (when your brain is fried) or after the kids are asleep. It needs to be scheduled, uninterrupted and treated as a priority—not a luxury.

The Power of Strategic Time

The clients I mentioned at the beginning are living proof of what’s possible when you give yourself that time. They’re responsive. They can think clearly. They follow through quickly—not because they have more hours in the day, but because they’re using their hours differently.

Making Time for Growth

Even one consistent afternoon a week, reserved for strategic work, can shift the momentum of your practice. You’ll be more proactive. You’ll spot problems before they blow up. You’ll finally be able to act on the ideas you’ve been collecting.

Conclusion: Stepping Out of the Lane

Leadership doesn’t happen in the cracks of your schedule. Growth doesn’t happen in between no-shows. Whether it’s your time or someone else’s, your practice needs real capacity to work on the business. That means stepping out of the lane—at least occasionally—and giving yourself or someone else the space to lead.

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