Ramp up your recalling this summer

This time of year, I normally write about the importance of scheduling around staff summer vacations. I’ve written about the benefits of hiring a locum, and about fun ways to keep your team motivated. Momentum is important, and it often takes a little extra work to keep practices busy and fully booked in July and […]

Reboot 20/20: Restarting Your Practice Post-COVID-19

We may all be in need of a reboot. It has been an unprecedented and uncertain year for business owners of all stripes. The disruption caused by COVID-19 applies whether your business was closed during the pandemic, or whether it continued to operate under dynamic rules. That uncertainty will remain as provinces and states begin […]

Support employees, help business in tough times

We could all probably use a little bit of extra support right now. My heart and mind are with those who are dealing with uncertain futures during this unprecedented time. My thoughts are with those fighting COVID-19, with the medical staff working around the clock, with the families who are dealing with new challenges, and […]

Happy International Women’s Day 2020!

In the words of former First Lady Michelle Obama, “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” On this gorgeous, sunny Sunday (here in White Rock), I’d like to take a moment to recognize and champion the many wonderful, ambitious and successful women in optometry I have the pleasure of knowing and […]

Are the members of your team linchpins?

Consider the following: according to a 2013 employee engagement report conducted by Gallup, less than one in three employees feel engaged at work, meaning the vast majority of workers – in this case, 70 per cent of American workers – are not reaching their full potential. Nearly one in five employees were so disengaged that […]

3 ways to boost your optometry business

Growing your business is a process – not a destination. That’s not to say optometry practice owners shouldn’t set end goals. I am a big proponent of setting achievable, measurable and slightly aspirational targets. But goals such as reducing your number of unbooked appointments don’t get solved in a day. It takes days, and then […]

Sharing the love with your employees

This Valentine’s Day, Delta Air Lines will give its 90,000 employees a $1.6 billion bonus (US!). It’s one of the biggest corporate profit-sharing announcements in history. And it’s a spectacular way to give back to employees, for several reasons. First, the bonuses are meaningful. They amount to about two months of salary for each employee. (And it’s […]

Your top management priority for 2020

Management is a critical determinant of employee engagement. In fact, managers have an immensely disproportionate influence over staff engagement levels. According to research by Gallup, they influence at least 70% of employee behaviours. With that in mind, I’ve come up with two questions every owner of an independent optometry practice with several staff members should […]

Three things to consider for your practice in 2020

A New Year tends to bring with it hope, excitement and ambition. We set resolutions and goals for the year ahead. We feel filled with possibility and inspired to tackle our goals head on. The trick, of course, is keeping momentum throughout the year. In between any remaining holiday festivities and re-adjusting to time back […]

Boost employee spirits this holiday season

Trees are up, holiday deals are out and minds are already wandering through the big holiday to-dos. We are (unbelievably) one week into December. That leaves just two work weeks to up your employee engagement game. Many optometrists think about staff engagement and wellbeing year-round. As such, the incentives they offer get spread across 12 […]