Tell Your Story
The halfway point of the year is around the corner. Kids have completed another year of school and before you know it, they will be back to start the new school year. The peak quarter for most offices will follow and the end of the year will be upon us. Now is the time to re-energize and motivate your team.
I have conducted many on-site visits this year with more to come. I have seen some offices executing and delivering amazing patient interactions as you would all love to experience. Unfortunately, I have seen the opposite as well. Regardless, it is imperative you, the doctor of your practice, the manager, the optician who loves your career, an optometric technician, a billing and coding expert are passionate to care for your patients every day. You need to tell your story. What motivates you, what drove you to open your own practice? What makes you smile when you treat your patients? What excites you about the technology you have invested in your clinic? Don’t hold it in. Share the vision you had in the beginning and what excites you today! Teach your team to understand what you are about and what you want for your office and your team!
Opticians, what warms your heart? What excites you when you see a patient walk in the door to pick up their first pair of glasses? Is it a child with a -2.50 who has never seen before? You know you are making a difference in the child’s life today and they will remember this day for their lifetime! Parents will tear up and be excited for their child. You are making a difference. Are you excited for the new frame line you added to your optical? What makes it great? Why are you excited about it? Have you ever thought you would save lives? Well, you do. We have all seen a patient wearing old eyeglasses with less than acceptable acuities. That person is on the road driving in their new glasses able to see better today because of you. That driver will see pedestrians they may have missed before. You save lives. Teach and tell the others on your team why this is your passion. Do not be shy, be loud and proud. You improve each individual patient’s quality of life with their sight. They see better today because of you.
To you Optometric Technicians, you are the right and sometimes the left hand of the Optometrist. Isn’t it amazing to see what you are able to do for your patients? Capture images of the patient’s retina, macula, optic nerve, blood vessels. You measure the pressure within the patient’s eye. You measure the patient’s blood pressure, visual acuities, capture an ultrasound of the eye, color blindness, stereo, and utilize the auto refractor to measure the curvature of the cornea of their eye and the starting point for their prescription. You are capturing necessary measurements and information to help your optometrist deliver a thorough comprehensive eye exam for your patients. You are in the position to learn about your patient’s lifestyle and interests. You are there to educate your patients to know what to discuss with the doctor their needs to improve their quality of life utilizing different types of lenses in their eyeglasses, dry eye treatment, myopia management, and other options pertinent to them. As an Optometric Technician, your career allows you to be a difference maker to each and every patient you care for. Share your stories and situations to help the others on your team understand what a great opportunity they have here in your clinic with you to be a life-changing individual.
As a billing specialist, it is not just about collecting the money for the practice. For you it is helping the patient to maximize their medical insurance or vision plan benefit to help the patient receive the best care and services. The patients coming into your offices know or understand very little about their specific benefits. You teach them and educate them to understand their plan and guide them to maximize the benefit. You are an advocate for the patient to make certain their carrier is paying for the services delivered as it states in the description of benefits. This may be a challenging position, but you are a difference maker, and your success is not unnoticed. Share why you love to manage the billing processes. This too is a career opportunity for the team members within your office. You can never have too many billing people in a practice. But there needs to be a system. Tell the team how great it is and how rewarding it is for and to you.
To every manager of an optometric practice, you are the face of ownership. Your passion needs to reflect that of the Optometrists in your office(s). More than likely you worked in one, two, or more of the positions mentioned earlier. Why do you love what you do? Is it seeing the patients smile as they leave with their new eyewear? Is it seeing the patients utilizing the new technology in your clinic? How about the new frame brands represented in your optical? How about seeing your billing specialist teach another person to help her/him out? Is it offering a new hire a position to begin their career with you? Is it about seeing a team member who is motivated by you to learn more and take on additional roles and responsibilities? The fire you have is contagious. Be excited to tell your team how great it is to be with them and work alongside them. Remind them you started in a position where they are today and have moved up through the ranks. Tell them about the employee who left. You know the one who decided they wanted to become an industry representative. Tell them about the employee who decided to leave and go to Optometry school to be a doctor. Tell your story and share your vision for what a great industry they are working within.
Whatever position/career you are working in, you are making a difference. Remember, your passion will be your team members passion. Tell your Story!
Sincerely
Rick Guinotte
President/CEO
