This document provides instructions for using a weekly planning sheet to organize goals and tasks. The planning sheet is divided into sections for different roles ("HATS") with goals listed down the left column. Staff initials and checkmarks track task completion. A calendar schedules goals and other priorities each day. Long-term goals are also listed. At weekly meetings, the prior week's sheet is reviewed and staff are held accountable for assigned tasks. Completed tasks are checkmarked and uncompleted tasks are replanned. The planning sheets create organizational structure and accountability.

1. THE AUTOMATIC OFFICE®
– Weekly Planning Sheet
Hats Goals RP  Reminders Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Marketing
7
8
9
Staff
Training
10
11
12
Clinical
Training
1
2
3
Executive
Skills
Long-Term Goals 4
5
6
Personal
Health
7
8
Other Priorities Other Priorities Other Priorities Other Priorities Other Priorities Other Priorities Other Priorities
1. EVALUATE PREVIOUS WEEK’S FORM 2. REVIEW HATS 3. SET GOALS 4. SCHEDULE THE GOALS INTO THE WEEK 5. EVALUATE DAILY
THE AUTOMATIC OFFICE®
– Weekly Planning Sheet ©2008 Dr. George Birnbach Consulting

2. THE AUTOMATIC OFFICE®
– Weekly Planning Sheet
HOW TO USE DR. BIRNBACH’S AUTOMATIC OFFICE WEEKLY PLANNING SHEET
1) On the left hand side of the page there is a column for writing the goals you need to focus on during the week. These are tasks considered mandatory to accomplish this
week. Write down the goals under each organizational position. The organizational positions or HATS are divided to clearly address the basic segments of the business.
These are not the only segments of a business, but they are the functional segments that need to be addressed every week. The RP column is to put the initials of the staff
member assigned the task and the CHECK MARK column is to follow up the following week to check the task was accomplished.
2) Moving one section right we see the REMINDERS column and below it the LONG TERM GOALS column. The reminders are to list other non-critical tasks for the week. These
would be tasks that should be fit in if possible to the week. These are urgent but not important. Under the long-term goals we list the goals our office is working toward. Every
task is moving us toward these goals or not moving us toward these goals. We review these every week to keep the clinic staff focus on the long-term success. Examples of
long-term goals are 140 visits per week, Collections of $75K/month, Three associates producing 5K/week. Write a book to position us as an expert in the community.
3) The next section to the right is a weekly calendar with a daily schedule from 7am through 8pm. First schedule the mandatory slots of the week of unchangeable times. Block
out client hours, set schedules, etc. Then place the critical tasks from the far left column into the calendar and confirm these schedules with the appropriate staff member
responsible. Once the weekly schedule is complete we can write in the other priorities at the bottom. The OTHER PRIORITES are fires that pop up through the day that need
to be addressed. These are the juggling balls we deal with and will eventually tackle through system development. Ex. If on Wednesday evening we find out about a bank
issue that needs to get addressed on Thursday we will list it under Thursdays OTHER PRIORITIES and highlight it as a Primary priority and make sure it was addressed
Thursday. The OTHER PRIORITY column is designed to help handle the unforeseen issues that pop up during the week and to help schedule less important tasks if the time
allows during the week.
4) At the weekly office meeting we begin by reviewing the prior week’s planning sheet and holding each staff member accountable to the assigned tasks. If the task was
accomplished the task is check-marked. If not it is investigated and the appropriate action is taken with regard to re-planning, re-assigning, re-training, etc.
5) These sheets are kept in a planning binder organized by the week and kept along with any additional forms or documents that help understand the week’s work. This provides
the information necessary for an executive review of the week’s work and for proper investigation if targets and goals are not completed or reached, and also to provide the
basis for a practice model on how to achieve the success the practice has.
THE AUTOMATIC OFFICE®
– Weekly Planning Sheet ©2008 Dr. George Birnbach Consulting