We Asked if a Leader Could Change One Thing in Their Team to Improve Performance, What Would It Be and Why?

question:

If a leader could change only one thing in their team tomorrow to improve performance, what would it be and why?

• Unlimited snacks and drinks every day. — Ann-Marie Weaver, Optimal Eye Care, Lewis Center, OH
• Have them trust the system by offering the patient everything, not just what they think they need. — John Bruening, Geauga Vision Group, Middlefield, OH
• Less staring at their cellphones. — Jordan Flitter, Paris West Optical, Baltimore, MD
• Better training. Sometimes we get so busy that we train people “on the fly.” We need to be better about ironing out the details of each task. — Cynthia Sayers, OD, EyeShop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• Joy. It’s not going to be all the time, but people who have joy and love their jobs are fun to work with! — Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL
• Not having to remind people to do things. — Susan Elizondo, OD, Westlake Hills Vision Center, Austin, TX
• Find a gentle way to decrease chatting in quiet times. We have a great team that works hard when there’s plenty to do, and they get along great to boot. But how to keep story time from getting longer, and longer, without killing the vibe… — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• That they would realize the value they bring to each patient when they are helping them with the two most precious gifts we have, our eyes. — Melanie Jenkins, Spring Hill Eyecare, Spring Hill, TN
• Positivity… It helps the morale of the staff, which in the long run is going to make the customers feel better also. Julie Uram, Optical Oasis, Jupiter, FL
• Clear ownership of each step in the patient visit. Performance issues usually come from handoff gap, not lack of effort. When roles blur, patients feel it — longer waits, mixed messages, missed optical opportunities. Clear ownership fixes this fast and would result in smoother visits, better patient experience, stronger optical capture, and less micromanagement. — Jeanne Heinzelman, Spring Hill Eyecare, Spring Hill, TN
• Timeliness. — Marcia Emerson, Kenneth D. Boltz, O.D., Dublin, OH
• Efficiency is the thing we always have issues with. — Kathryn Collins, OD, Kissel Eye Care, Lititz, PA
• Empathy. Remember everyone you deal with is a human and has problems and issues they are dealing with that you aren’t aware of. — Steve Burek, Metro Eye, Milwaukee, WI
• Be more proactive. Sometimes staff tends to be more reactive and being proactive could solve a lot of issues. — Deborah Tellez-Peña, Eye Physicians of Austin, Austin, TX
• Empathy! The more empathetic we are to our patients, the less we take personally, the more we listen for understanding versus to respond. This leads to less defensiveness and overall better communication… which leads to so many wins! Better patient experience, higher sales as we are solving problems not making a sale, better word of mouth, increased trust, etc. — Jami Kulpinski, Eye Clinic of Wisconsin, Wausau, WI
• Reliability! Showing up for work each day! — Jill Corey, Pacific EyeCare of Port Orchard, Port Orchard, WA
• All team members always have a great night’s sleep, never get sick, and are incapable of mental breakdowns (that one is for me specifically). — Kelsey Bredice, A Proper View, Winston Salem, NC
• When the phone rings, it is not an inconvenience. It is an opportunity to deliver quality healthcare to patients. That is one very important determinate of them still being employed because NO patients equals NO business. Every time a patient walks into the office, you’re not being inconvenienced because you have to get up out of your comfy chair and actually “work” with a patient in optical or make sure their intake forms have been completed. — Beth Pichon, Birmingham Optical, Slidell, LA
• Communication. There isn’t open communication in the company, which cause confusion, problems, and trust issues. Open communication between leadership and employees makes the company better and the employees performance improves. — Danielle Doniver, Heritage Optical, Detroit, MI
• Consulting skills. We don’t sell anything. We help educate each patient and make their story relevant to our recommendations, so they sell to themselves. We then just help them figure how to pay for what solutions they’ll want and need. — Chris A. Clark, Oskaloosa Vision Center, Oskaloosa, IA
• Learning how to communicate better between staff members. Our communication is good in the office, but it could always be better. — Whitney Head-Potter, Beatty Eyes Optometry, Missoula, MT
• Cohesiveness. When everyone works together, the whole atmosphere is better for employees, management and most importantly patients! — Terri Brown, The Eye Site, Alva, OK
• For me it would be to persevere through the challenges the see. Too often when something doesn’t work once or twice we think it will be that way every time and so we revert back to our old ways without trying to fix the situation. — Halston Schaffer, Ocala Eye, Ocala, FL
• Always them self because we can always learn and others are watching us. — Tabitha Fuller, Thomas Eye, Palmetto, GA
• Perpetual harmony is still my go to even if not directly performance based. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter And Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• Instill motivation and ownership. — Douglas Holle, OD, Sunset Eye Care, San Angelo, TX
• More interaction with the customer. — Bob Hillman, Fabulous Fanny’s, New York, NY
• Helping their team members understand how their work helps them fulfill their purpose and goals. (This is what we do at LeadOD). — Ben Thayil, OD, Lifetime Vision and Eye Care, Miami, FL
• Attitude … attitude is everything all the time. — Eryn Shaver, Full Scope Eyecare, Ortonville, MI