Dr. Vargo

My challenge for you this month: Carve out time to be the CEO of your practice.

THE REASONS

Revenues and profits get reinvested into office upgrades, technology and other costs directly tied to clinical care and the patient experience. Without them, it’s financially difficult to provide the highest level of patient care.

The most common reason I hear from O.D. practice owners not making time for this is lack of time. Yet most optometrists who do create time for this often experience better long-term gains. Without a vision and someone to drive the execution of strategies, your practice is likely to plateau on the growth curve and fail to reach its potential. Don’t dismiss leadership, make time for it.

BEAT THE CLOCK

• Block out time on your calendar to focus on management and leadership responsibilities. I recommend targeting times of low patient demand to accomplish this.
• Use this blocked-out time for goal setting and strategizing, not just paying the bills and returning calls. Remember, leadership is more than just managing.
• Communicate your goals, priorities and strategies to your managers and/or employees, so they become invested in them and can share in your success, which creates staff morale. OM