Management

46. Give us your ‘elevator pitch’ for people unfamiliar with your business or profession.

Along with a few helpful reminders that striking up conversations with strangers in confined spaces isn’t always appreciated (“I don’t talk to people in elevators…”), this question elicited many interesting replies, from the succinct (“I help people see.”) to the downright loquacious (“Integrative optometry is an incredible profession. We can look at the eyes to learn about the health and wellness of the individual, as well as how they process information and interact with their environment. We have the tools to help people see better, live healthier and enhance their potential.”). The profession’s twin purpose of helping people both see well and look good was a theme (“I create custom eyewear to help people be seen while seeing better)”, while many respondents shouted out their niche: (“A passion for collecting and restoring eyewear from the golden age and pursuit of producing frames using old world materials and techniques.” Here are some other favorites:

• “I am an eyewear guru. I can make you look like a rock star. I sell medical devices, but they don’t need to look like one.”
• “If your eyes are a bother, give me a holler!”
• “I help people to see better, look better and feel better.”
• “I’m able to help 16 people every day.”
• “I help people see the world they live in.”
• “I treat one of your most important senses. I give you vision and insight into your health, with a twist of style, all while having a good time in the process.”
• “We don’t sell garbage.”
• “The only place where fashion meets physics.”
• “Providing the gift of vision to mankind.”
• “We keep you seeing.”
• “We help how you look at others—but also how others look at you!”
• “I am blessed to be able to help people see what they’ve been missing.”
• “I own an optical shop. I’m like the pharmacist is to the doctor. The doctor writes the Rx: I fill it.”
• “I think your eyes should be as well dressed as you are, and there is not one pair of glasses that is perfect for everything.”

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47. Check off the benefits you provide to staff:

48. How many of your staff do you think would leave for a 15 percent pay increase at another store or practice?

None
25%
A few
44%
About half
18%
Most
10%
All
3%

49. None of us are truly rational thinkers. What bias or logical fallacy most often trips you up?

Optimum bias … you overestimate the likelihood of a positive outcome
20%
Planning fallacy … you generally underestimate the amount of time or resources it takes to create something.
23%
Status quo bias …a preference for the current state of affairs, ie, being stuck in your comfort zone.
28%
Sunk cost … You irrationally cling to things that have already cost you something
11%
Overconfidence bias … You overrate your skills or judgements
9%
Confirmation bias … you look for ways to justify your existing beliefs.
7%
Other
2%

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50. If you’ve ever asked a candidate to tell you their biggest weakness, what was the most surprising answer?

• “My rich family is forcing me to find work.”
• “I don’t have the willpower to keep going.”
• “I am not able to say no.”
• “I’m unreliable.”
• “I have a cell phone addiction.”
• “I get stressed easily.”
• “I have a mental disorder.”
• “I stole from my previous employer.”
• “I am a control freak.”
• “I’m crazy.”
• “I am too lazy to go out 24 hours a day and wanted to stay indoors.”
• “I am never on time anywhere.”
• “I have zero patience with people.”
• “I don’t like kids…” while sitting in front of a wall filled with pictures of kids with their first eyewear.
• “I have a hard time dealing with stupid people.”
• “I like clutter.”
• “I hate people.”
• “I was arrested but couldn’t prove how much money I took.”
• “My last boss didn’t have to call the cops; I was just speaking my mind.”