Recently, I have shared a variety of perspectives on the best way to solve many of the challenges we all face in our practices. These differing techniques come from some of the brightest minds in all of optometric practice management. So why all this controversy? Why the debate, the tension, the unanswered questions? Because Leadership OD is about expanding the limits and breaking through barriers.
There is no one "best way" to run an optometry practice. We all have different dreams and different visions of what we want to accomplish in our own practices. Ultimately we want to serve our patients, but even how we decide to do that varies from doc to doc. Our communities are different. Our available resources, our team members, our values, our stage in life - All different!
So while there are many many similarities in our struggles, there are still those things that make it unique to us. And that's what makes it great!
It's like when Curly tells Billy Crystal in City Slickers, the secret to life is just one thing. But you have got to figure out the one thing for yourself. True in optometry practices too.
Not Arguments - More Like "Explorations"
So last week, Dr. April Jasper and I debated the logic of collecting a patient's fees prior to the exam. I have an enormous amount of respect for her, and admire all she does for her patients and our profession. She has reminded me many times to keep the patients' needs first and how to lead with compassion. But she hasn't convinced me of this new strategy, yet. (But I don't think she's giving up.)
And before that, Drs Carl and Katie Spear challenged the techniques employed by Drs Amir Khoshnevis and Dave Lupinski to reduce the strain of "showrooming" in our opticals. These doctors are all thought-leaders in our profession and have a strong grasp of the variety of influences on the business side of our practices. They each investigated the problem and the trends, and tested the outcomes. Ultimately, each practice employed a different strategy to overcome this vital issue.
I am lucky enough to have frequent conversations about issues I face with each of these doctors, among others. I can count on hearing a variety of perspectives before making my own decision about what is right for me. I know the energy they put into their individual practices, and they understand what makes each of us special.
Mike