Daydreaming of the perfect practice

Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Eye Catching: Let's Chat,” a blog series featuring contributions from members of the ophthalmic community. These blogs will be an opportunity for ophthalmic bloggers to engage with readers with about a topic that is top of mind, whether it is practice management, experiences with patients, the industry, medicine in general, or healthcare reform. The series continues with this blog by Joy Gibb, ABOC, president of Eyes of Joy Mobile Optical Service, Woods Cross, UT. The views expressed in these blogs are those of their respective contributors and do not represent the views of Ophthalmology Times or UBM Advanstar.

Spring is here-or at least it’s supposed to be!

I find this to be my favorite time of year.  When I see the bright yellow crocuses pop their heads through the soil, it reminds me that things are about to change.  There’s hope that the snow and cold will give way to a beautiful landscape of green grass, blue skies, and a multitude of flowers that will blossom in gorgeous colors.

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With all those changes around me, it also reinvigorates me that I can change the landscape of my own life-it feels like anything is possible!

With the hope that spring brings, it may be the perfect time to look at your practice and take a moment to dream!  What would your ideal practice look like?  What would the dynamic be among your team members?  What would a typical patient encounter look like, from the initial phone call, to when the patient leaves leave with his or her glasses, contacts, or postoperative vision? 

The world’s greatest athletes practice visualization-they see themselves winning.  All their training is done with the end result in mind.  They create diet regimens and workout plans that move them toward their goals, one game or tournament at a time.

As a practice owner, you can visualize yourself succeeding as well and implement a plan that will support your desired outcome.  Even the best athletes surround themselves with a great team who all share that same dream and goal of winning.  Dieticians, strength trainers, coaches, and sponsors are all a part of an individual athlete’s success.  You have a team as well, and they want you to succeed!

Your receptionists, techs, billers, and opticians all have a very unique perspective about your practice and the experience the patient is having.  They most likely see and hear things that you won’t that could be valuable in creating an exceptional patient experience.  When you include your team in creating a dream practice, the energy you have as a group will propel you more quickly to the success you desire.

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Consider holding a “dream retreat” for your team.  Get away from the office for a day or two for idea sharing and strategic planning.  Ask each person to visualize what his or her dream practice would look like.  What tools would he or she like to have in order to make those dreams a reality?  What could he or she contribute to help the entire practice succeed?

As your team members feel valued in their suggestions and concerns, they will be more invested in the success of the practice-instead of feeling as though they are being told what to do.  Allow them to be a part of the design and implementation of what a dream practice looks like, and then implement action plans that include everyone on the team contributing to the workload and success.

Possibility is exciting!  What are the possibilities for your practice and your team?  There is a difference between wishing for success and hoping for success.  You can wish for things to be different, but wishing typically means you either don’t have much control, or you aren’t building a road map to make things different.

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When you work with hope, you are generating and implementing new ways of doing things.  They become the new normal.  You’ve created a plan for how you are going to win!

So go ahead and dream about what your ideal practice would look like and get excited about the possibilities!  Where do you want to be as a practice next year, in 5 years, and in 10 years?  Once you have a good vision of what the end result could be, you can then start building the road map that will help you get there.

One of my favorite songs by Ryan Shupe sums it up pretty well.  “And when you dream, dream big.  As big as the ocean blue.  ‘Cause when you dream it might come true.  But when you dream, dream big.”