Leadership Insights

from   LeadershipOD.com
August 2011- Vol 2, Issue 8
In This Issue
Fundamental #3
BluePrint is Here

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Greetings!  

 

The BluePrint is here!  This long awaited program has been developed and just finished a very successful Beta test.  It is now ready for early release to a few offices at a reduced price.  Clients of LeadershipOD and readers of Leadership Insights will be able to enroll in this program during this soft launch for a limited time.  If you sign up with another practice, you both can receive the program with even more savings!  

There is an article later in this newsletter and several opportunities to go to "LeadershipOD.com/blueprint" for more information.  I hope you will take some time to check it out.

Last week was tough in my practice because of a number of factors, but the biggest was a major re-structuring of the staff.

This has caused us to shift our gears and get back to basics that got us to this point.  Since we have used the BluePrint, we have a plan and a guide, making it easy for us to adjust and continue toward the prize.

The timing is perfect for Fundamental #3 - Finding Opportunities in Barriers.  Don't get me wrong, this caused a great disruption to the week, but we are focusing on the good that will come from this.  It has already started.

Sincerely,

Mike Rothschild, LeadershipOD

Leadership Tips from Mike Rothschild

Dr. Mike Rothschild

Finding Opportunities in Barriers

 

"Every cloud has a silver lining," is a well known idiom that can be traced all the way back to 1634. This of course is a common metaphor for optimism
 and looking at the bright side of things.  If storms and clouds represent barriers that come to us, the silver lining is the opportunity that is waiting on us when the cloud fades away.  And the clouds always fade away.

 

Successful practices have made a habit of focusing on the silver lining rather that the dark cloud.  

 

Fundamental # 3 is Finding Opportunities in the Barriers.

 This is easier to follow if you are already practicing Fundamental #1, Not Placing Blame and Fundamental #2, Having a Vision, a Plan.  #1 helps the team feel safe to make you aware of the barriers sooner, so they can be dealt with.  #2 gives us clear direction as to how we need to re-set our direction after the barrier is dealt with.  Without a clear vision, the barrier may put us in a completely different direction.

 

Barriers can come in the form of a storm that rolls in without warning.  This can be a break-in, a complete staff walk-out, or a large local employer changing insurance plans.  They can also come in the form of a depressing haze that lingers for an extended time.  Maybe decreased staff morale, extended periods of depressed economy or an appointment book that just won't get filled. 

 

How often are you thankful for a problem that arises within your practice? When you find yourself welcoming barriers because you know something good will come of it, you are practicing Fundamental #3.  

Here is a little example that illustrates how simple this can be: Patient brings back a pair of progressive lenses complaining, "I can't walk in these stupid glasses.  They give me a headache and make me want to throw up."  If you are working with your optical team to become experts on matching a person to the proper progressive lens, you have just come across a real life case study. What luck!

 

We all will experience barriers in practice and in life.  Looking beyond each problem, to find the opportunity it presents gets easier with practice.  Next time any problem arises, likely today, look for an opportunity to improve rather than focusing on the problem itself.  If you succeed in finding the silver lining, look again next time.  Before you know it, you will be practicing Fundamental #3.

 

 

 

 

 

Early Release of BluePrint by LeadershipOD

BluePrint by LeadershipOD is Now Available on Limited Basis

 

LeadershipOD is thrilled to announce the release of BluePrint, an online practice development program designed by Mike Rothschild.  It is an 8 week challenge like no other, designed to take your practice to a higher level - developing your practice's overall culture and direction, improving staff communication and motivation, as well as providing industry-specific training in topics such as marketing, finances, and practice efficiencies.

 

 

Do you know the biggest problem facing optometry practices today?  While the answer is actually quite simple, it may surprise you. The largest hurdle is not managed care, the economy, or under-trained staff. Instead, (by a landslide) the biggest challenge practices face is thelack of a clearly defined plan to accomplish the dreams of the practice owner. The dream is there, just not the plan.

 

There are three primary reasons this is true:

1) Lack of Action: We feel we don't have the desire, the time, or the ability to create a proper plan that can be converted into action.

2) Lack of Communication: We don't know how to most effectively and consistently communicate a plan to our team.

3) Lack of Motivation: Our team is not being motivated to give all they can to make the plan a reality.

 

But with the right tools and direction, every practice has the potential to define their vision, clearly communicate it to a receptive team, and help develop a "bias towards action" (we call it motivation) within their staff. And that's precisely why we're so excited about this program. We believe each practice owner is capable of achieving this reality; it just takes the right tool.

 

This program was developed from scratch with your busy-ness in mind, so lack of time will not be the issue. Additionally, because of the unique structure of the program, you will begin developing insight and momentum on key topics over just the first few weeks. This momentum will help drive you to focus on the overall direction and culture of your team, provide you a very clear view of your team's perspective of the practice as a whole, and ultimately create a "workable" action plan based on your practice's key goals.

 

In addition, personal development and industry-specific training are woven into the program, engaging your leaders and front-line, as well as providing a safe and organized environment to involve them in the decision-making process.

 

There is so much more we'd like to share with you about the program (like our online Practice BluePrint Designer, The Responsibility Grid, and the unrivaled Executive Summary the program develops for you over time), but we also know that experiencing it for yourself is the best option.

 

Will you let us help you finally create the practice of your dreams?

 

Click here to learn more about the results you should expect and to sign-up.

  • Regular price (at open invitation) will be $1,500 / office
  • Early Release (limited availability / limited time) is currently $950 / office
  • Refer another $750 / office for both offices