What is the single most important factor that determines your job satisfaction?
| Relationships with patients/customers |
|
42%
|
| Relationships with staff |
|
12%
|
| State of my bank account |
|
11%
|
| Chance to learn new things and grow as an ECP |
|
10%
|
| The chance to work on an exciting order or challenging job |
|
5%
|
| Just the feeling of being on top of things and in control |
|
16%
|
| Other |
|
4%
|
Notable “Other” responses included:
- “A balance between happy customers and happy staff”
- “Relationships with customers and designers/reps.”
- “Relationship with patients and learn new things. Can always teach an old dog new tricks!”
- “Relationships, awareness of underserved populations and giving back.”
- “The ability to be creative in our process and continue to do cool things in and for our community.”
- “That we are able to try new things and control our growth.”
- “Fostering the career and life progression of my younger employees.”
Do you feel you are fairly compensated for the work you do?
| Yes |
|
60%
|
| No |
|
25%
|
| No, but I don’t do it for the money |
|
15%
|
Managers/non-ODs were the least satisfied with their compensation with 37% reporting they didn’t feel fairly compensated (compared to 24% for Owner/ODs, 7% for Owner/Non-ODs, and 23% for Manager/ODs). Owner/nonODs reported not only high numbers of fair compensation (65% said “Yes”) but also the highest numbers for “No, but I don’t do it for the money” at 28%. Broken down by gender, more men report being fairly compensated at 69% versus women at 53%; but more women reported not doing it for the money (19% versus 10% of men).
How many days did you take off last year?
| 0 |
|
1%
|
| 1-5 |
|
15%
|
| 6-10 |
|
25%
|
| 11-15 |
|
25%
|
| 16-29 |
|
19%
|
| A month or more |
|
15%
|
Interestingly, we found no correlation between days taken off and holistic flourishing.
If your eyecare business were an alcoholic beverage, it would be?
Do you feel you are flourishing in a holistic (not just financial) sense?
It feels worth noting that despite female respondents outnumbering male (a trend also reflected in industry demographics), women were more likely to report dissatisfaction with where they were in their lives; 61% of men reported that “life has never been better” versus 39% of women. And in the “languishing” group 75% were women, versus 25% of male respondents.
How do you identify?
How old are you?
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What worry keeps you up at night?
| That I can’t retire because I am not saving enough to do so/no one will want to buy my business. |
|
14%
|
| Meeting payroll. |
|
6%
|
| That I forgot to lock up the business before leaving. |
|
5%
|
| E-commerce eating away at my market share. |
|
13%
|
| Changing regulations that make it harder for me to do my job. |
|
19%
|
| That telehealth/AI will somehow make me obsolete. |
|
5%
|
| A Trump or Harris presidency. |
|
9%
|
| Nothing. I have few worries. |
|
17%
|
| Other |
|
12%
|
In addition to several mentions of staffing, industry consolidation, and insurance and managed care, notable “Other” responses included: “Dwindling customers,” “All the work I didn’t finish today,” “I’m closer to death than I care to be at this point,” and the oh so cheery, “The inevitable demise of humankind.”
What was the last thing in your business – no matter how small – that brought a smile to your face?
- “I saw that the account balance increased.”
- “Always when a customer picks up their eyewear and the awe on their face experiencing how well they can see again. Never gets old.”
- “When I was recognized for my ability to lead and communicate with my teams and peers at a meeting.”
- “Helping a patient reach 20/20 for the first time in years with a scleral.”
- “A patient thanking me for finding a serious eye problem so they could receive treatment.”
- “A great new customer who drove 30 miles to get to us after seeing our TV commercial (which is a new marketing venture for us this past year) visited us online and explored our practice and frame lines, and then read our incredible reviews. Great conversion. Turned into an $8,000+ sale.”
- “A very kind review written by a lovely patient who is moving out of state.”
- “I sold the frame off my face; well, one just like it.”
- “Prior patients seeking me out and following me to my new practice because they missed the type of care I provided. Just wow!”
- “Seeing an under-confident staff member realize he knows more than he thought while training someone new.”
- “Just today a customer told me that a woman she brought in seven years ago — a doctor from Uganda who had zero money and needed glasses which I furnished at no cost — was awarded an international award for humanitarian service and still had the glasses I provided those many years ago. My customer says the doctor talks about our generosity often. It was a feel good moment.”
- “Training my daughter to eventually take over the business from my wife and me.”
- “A sincere thank you and a dish of lasagna.”
- “Delivering bonuses to my talented team!”
- “Seeing a patient return for the 30th year in a row.”
- “Our day of giving. All exams and complete glasses were free to those in need.”
- “Promoting the girl I hired as a receptionist 18 years ago to president of the company.”
- “A fresh brewed pot of coffee!”
- “A patient made a poop joke…”
- “Babies in glasses.”
Keep appreciating those simple pleasures, friends!
Entrepreneur’s Psychology Test
On a scale of 1-5, rate yourself for … (5 means you have a lot of this trait)
