As an Optical Management Consultant, I often hear:
“I know what the numbers are, I need to know how to make them better.”
It is frustrating to have a vision for your practice and feel that you are alone on the journey to attain that vision. Spend some time thinking about what you truly want from your team and how your practice would look if they were on board with you. Take those goals and define and quantify them.
- Define the results you expect
What does success look like to you? You must be clear in your own mind about what exactly you want. Be very specific:
- I am stressed about frame costs, so the inventory count should not exceed 590 pieces
- I believe in the benefits of Anti-reflective lenses and a minimum of 85% of my patients should have eyewear with anti-reflective technology
- All of my patients should be aware of multiple choices in frames and lenses. I am confident that if every patient is offered multiple options a minimum of 15% of them will opt for more than one pair of eyeglasses.
- Premium progressives offer significant benefits over standard products; therefore, the average lens sale should be at or exceed the 70th percentile to the industry average
- Communicate those expectations
Make your goals clear and unambiguous by:
- Posting the goals for the staff to clearly see
- Reviewing results frequently and consistently, try 15 minute weekly “Huddles”
- Provide resources
There is a wealth of educational opportunity available on line, at trade shows, through vendors and associations. Hopefully your staff is interested in continuing to learn about new products and techniques. If you have talented senior opticians, they can mentor and coach on the job. In addition to education, resources include:
- For inventory Control, a written budget defined in dollars and frame units
- For product goals, provide training in the features
- Provide feedback in:
- formal Quarterly, personal reviews
- informal, occasional recognition or coaching
- Provide reward and/or consequences
This must be consistent! It’s easy to be consistent with rewards. At staff meetings you can have a special ceremony to thank staff members that exceed expectations. Rewards can be Gift Certificates, reimbursement for educational experiences, free eyewear certificates, etc.
Consequences are much harder to be consistent with and may require you to put together a plan with a Human Resources Consultant, such as our Amy Alvarez. If consequences become part of the standard policies of the office, then expectations are met or action must be taken in the form of a sequence of corrective actions. Some practice owners are fearful of losing key employees, but these key positions may be occupied by people who are holding you back, not producing the desired results. Defining, measuring and coaching to attain these results will, in the end, identify those individuals who are truly dedicated to you, their patients and to their profession and those who simply show up with the least effort required for a pay check.
The ability for you to create the practice of your dreams depends on you defining what that dream is and building a team to share that dream with. In the same way that your alliance with IDOC makes us better together, so, too sharing the vision you have with the practice makes you better together.
Schedule a meeting with Pat: https://meetme.so/PatBasile
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