“CULTURE” HAS BECOME quite the buzzword. Yes, we all want a positive, accepting, and inviting environment for our team members, and cultivating a strong culture in your optical can go far beyond the typical use of the word. A strong culture can create a positive selling culture as well. For those uncomfortable with sales, consider shifting the focus from hounding your team to sell more glasses, and instead direct that energy on building a positive selling culture. Here are three areas of focus that will allow your team the best environment to do just that.
1. TARGET. There is no point in being the best archer if you don’t have a target to aim at. Giving your team a point of focus will help to create direction for their skills and daily tasks. Yes, as an optical team we know our role in the patient journey and all of us have the planned purpose to get patients their best vision possible. But here we are talking about tangible and trackable targets that will grow the optical’s performance and sales. Whether the focus is a number for new patient exams, a target of sunglasses sold, or a percentage goal for anti-reflective treatments ordered, giving your archers ONE target at a time to apply their skill toward will create comradery in your optical.
2. TRAIN. The “always learning” mentality does not come naturally to most people. When you provide a resource for your team to learn it will activate their desire to create and adapt how things have always been done in your office. Some may think, “I have a team of skilled opticians and tenured optical veterans, they don’t need training.” If those were the first words that went through your head, YOU are one who does not naturally gravitate to the “always learning” mentality. Training is not necessarily about always learning a new skill, it is rethinking how you have been doing the tasks and discovering one possible adaptation or new way of using that skill.
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A perfect example is attending a CE on a topic like vision plans. You know all about vision plans and even have the patient out-of-pocket numbers memorized, but in attending the talk you heard the speaker share a faster process they use to verify vision plans. Bam! Major benefit to your optical of “always learning.” Follow the QR code for a video on how training for veteran teams can transform your optical’s culture.
3. PURGE. Those bad apples will spoil the whole basket. You are better off just getting rid of them! When someone with a bad attitude, terrible work ethic, or unwillingness to learn and grow is allowed to continue their behavior, it sabotages any amazing culture structured by good leadership. The entire team can see this negative force is the source of the problem, but if not dealt with quickly the team will lose faith in leadership. At Spexy, we teach our members that when you see bad behavior, the first task is to address it, set an expectation with a consequence if something happens again, and set a time to check back in. Document the interaction, and most importantly, follow through as you said, don’t make yourself a liar.
With a sense of comradery and empowerment for your team while giving them faith that leadership will stand for what is right when they need it, this “culture” buzzword will display itself as a strong team that is focused on growth and desiring change.
