BUSINESS

  personnel pointers

Managing Your Office Manager

Provide the training necessary for your practice to succeed.

TRUDI CHAREST, RO, ABO

We often promote our top-performing employees to management positions after they show initiative and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, these characteristics do not make them instant leaders.

To successfully run an optometric office, your office manager needs training and direction. Here are some tips to get them off on the right foot.

Explain your vision and mission.

Get your manager involved and feeling like they are a part of your plan to grow the practice. For example, explain where you would like to take the practice in five years and your business strategy for getting there.

Then, set daily, weekly and monthly goals for them to help you accomplish this. Here is an example:

▸ Daily. Spend five minutes talking with each employee.

▸ Weekly. Develop a cleaning and organizing schedule for the entire office.

▸ Monthly. Complete the staffing schedule for next month.

Define leadership.

Being a great leader is different than managing an office. Explain to your manager that, as a leader, they must hold themselves to higher degree of standards than anyone else in the practice. Also, discuss the qualities that you see your leader displaying to staff and patients: organization, efficiency and professionalism can be just as important as being compassionate and understanding.

Provide a job description.

Write a job description that includes all the office manager’s responsibilities. List timelines and expectations important to you and the practice, such as conducting employee performance reviews at six months and 12 months for all employees.

Promote cross-training.

Managers who cross-train in every practice position not only assist in times of absence or vacation, they can also fully understand each role and its responsibilities. This helps them learn where to coach for improvement and where to praise for great work performance.

Set up a schedule to cross-train the manager. For example, one full day in each department and position, such as pre-test, reception, dispensary manager, optician, etc.

Instruct them to boost relationships with staff.

Every staff member has their own personality, preferences and dislikes that require certain management skills. Some might need additional praise and attention, while others may require more direction and information. It’s essential your office manager understands this.

Personality exercises help the manager to see your staff in a way they might not have before. You can access personality tests and exercises by searching the Internet. Examples include: DISC and Myers Briggs.

Encourage further training.

Have your office manager take management courses. Several options exist through buying groups, O.D. association events and trade shows, in addition to non-industry online and college options.

Continue your training.

Meet with the office manager often. Set aside an hour or two a week to meet and review practice progress and challenges so you can work toward building a stronger practice together. OM

TRUDI CHAREST IS THE PRESIDENT AND TRAINER FOR TOTAL FOCUS TRAINING & CONSULTING, AS WELL AS PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF JOBS4ECPS, AN ONLINE EYECARE JOB SITE. SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.