With Mike Rothschild, OD
The key to working smarter–and managing a well-run office–is to build a leadership team. This is the second installment in a video series.
One person, no matter how talented and efficient, can only do so much. You can work harder and harder…and only get so far.
For an optometric practice to succeed and grow, an OD-owner must rely upon staff. That staff must not only be well chosen; it must be an empowered staff where leadership qualities have been identified and systematically developed to bring out innate qualities of leadership and teamwork.
A Well-Defined Vision
A mission statement is like a lighthouse; it keeps your staff on course. Your first task in developing leadership in your practice is to define the kind of practice you hope to become.
Key to Leadership Program: The Members of the Team
In developing a leadership program, increase the strength of your team by developing and equipping staff members to be leaders. Begin with a good orientation program that teaches mission and vision. Second, provide training—then stop at 21 days to listen to what your new hire understands. Adjust, according to what you learn from them and about their personality and talents. Then, study and develop the leadership qualities of veteran staff members (who want to be leaders), and provide them with opportunities to be heard at daily meetings, weekly meetings and at bi-annual staff retreats.
Constant Communications Build a Strong Team
Leadership is built on strong teamwork—which is itself cultivated by constant communications. Provide opportunities to sustain good communications with brief daily tips (“Right eye comes before left eye!”). Once a week, close the door and spend an hour in a comprehensive staff meeting where you discuss goals and objectives—and then share practice performance numbers. Then, once or twice a year, conduct a staff retreat outside the office in order to revisit your practice mission, from both the patient’s and practice’s perspective. Constant communication within the staff doesn’t just happen; you have to work on it.
Click HERE to view two videos from the first installment in the series:
“Building a Leadership Team: Why You Need to Develop It”
“Building Leadership Skills: Resources in Print”
