Don't Quit Your Optometry Job Before Reading This

Have you ever done that exercise where you look at photos of common items that are zoomed in so close that the subjects in the picture are unrecognizable? The whole exercise is meant to remind people to look at the “big picture”....to not “sweat the small stuff”.

Optometry has married medical offices to retail stores, so- we’re destined to feel jaded at some point. Let’s face it - working in retail has a reputation for a reason.

Do these retail scenarios ring a bell?

A receptionist told a patient, “I spoke to our practice manager because I know dealing with insurance companies can be hard, and we’ve agreed to provide full services with a contact lens fitting, but only charge you for the contact lens fit”... only to be verbally assaulted by that patient! The patient threw a fit that his contact lens prescription wasn’t finalized same day, necessitating a follow-up appointment.
A technician with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a scholarship to optometry school was asked, “Are you even old enough to do this job?”
An optician sat down at the dispensing table to fit a patient with new glasses, only to be confronted with, “Those aren’t the glasses I chose, you made the wrong ones!”

Working in a medical office isn’t always so fun either:

Have you been in similar situations at your optometry job?

An optometrist goes in with his patient (who was 10 minutes late) 30 minutes after their appointment time and is asked “is there a point to scheduling an appointment if you’re just going to come in whenever?”
Seemingly every meeting with the clinical team is about making sure that every technician and doctor is on the same page with medical billing. “These boxes must be checked, and we must have 4 HPI components to achieve a 99xx4 code!” The fact that we serve real people with potentially sight threatening conditions is cast out of sight as our spines bend to bow at the feet of medicare auditors.
We send a patient to an ophthalmology group, knowing full well that the spot in their fundus exam is melanoma- only to see them back the following year to find out that they never went to your referral doctor and that spot is now twice as big.

Why not quit your optometry job?

Why are these negative interactions the ones that stick with us? Why are these the interactions imprinted on our minds as we stare at the ceiling willing our bodies to get out of bed in the morning?

Am I the only one to occasionally get that ball of steaming tar in the pit of my stomach and to feel the heat rising in my cheeks and think; “this is it- I’m done!”?

Am I the only one to think “I could make more, and I wouldn’t deal with this $%& if I worked somewhere else.” ?

Work anywhere longer than 6 months and you’re going to find that when you zoom in, things aren’t nearly as pretty as when you take in the whole picture.

Do you need a new job, or just an attitude adjustment?

Attitude adjustments in my family were always a thing to be feared. If we were in public and I was misbehaving, my mom would bend down and whisper in my ear through gritted teeth, “Do I need to take you outside and give you an attitude adjustment?” Chilling.

As I’ve grown up, I’ve found that sometimes I need to ask myself that same thing, and I do, albeit a little nicer. Sometimes I need, and I’m sure sometimes you need, an attitude adjustment.

Here’s what I do to get, and keep my attitude in check:

1. Wake up earlier

Give yourself time in the morning to sit on the couch and sip your coffee, or work out, or meditate, or read. Carve out time before your day starts to invest in your own health- spiritual, mental, or physical.

Several successful multi million dollar company CEOs cite early-rising as a contributing factor to their success. It is nothing short of a miracle what an extra hour can do for your day.

You’re not rushing. Wonders are done for your attitude when you don’t arrive to work frustrated from traffic and not yet properly caffeinated.
You'll have time to reflect. Think about the wins from yesterday, and set your goals for today. You will be a better leader, coworker, and friend when you’ve taken time to unclutter your mind and decide what’s important for that day.
You’ll be energized. Granted that you’ve started going to bed a little earlier in the process of getting up earlier. You’ll find that an extra hour in the morning will actually make you feel more energized. Can you imagine starting your day with enthusiasm rather than an extra shot of espresso?
You'll have more control. We’re not able to control many things. We can’t control who sits in the exam lane or who calls on the phone, but we can take control of the tone we set for the day. A win, like reading a chapter of a book or jogging a mile, sets the tone for your entire day. Don’t leave whether or not your day is a success to the control of others.

2. Treat each interaction as unique

Appreciate each interaction as new, fresh and different from your last interaction. Don’t let a negative experience taint your next one.

Most would say they don’t want to- but this is easier said than done. After a negative interaction I like to take a minute, or five if I can, to shake it off. I process what happened, I try to see the other person’s point of view, and I get my emotions in check.

When I’m thinking more clearly, I zoom out to see the larger picture-does the interaction need follow up, is this a coaching opportunity for my staff or team members? That’s it.

Move on- don’t miss the forest for one limp tree.

3. Monitor conversations

This is a hard one, if not the hardest one. We like talking to other people. We really like talking to people who agree with us.

But we love talking to people who want to complain with us.

Already as I’m writing this I hear people saying “but venting is necessary!” Yes, I agree, but venting has its proper time and place, which we’ll discuss below. You have to make the conscious decision to join conversations that are constructive to your positive attitude and leave conversations that are destructive to your positive attitude.

If you’re not sure what conversations are conducive to maintaining a positive attitude run them through these filters:

If my boss were here, would I still be having this conversation?
Could this conversation hurt someone’s feelings?
Does this conversation remind me of why I like my job, or does it get me fired up over the reasons I don’t like my job?

Vent to people a person, and not a coworker

Get it all off your chest, at home, to a person who doesn’t work with you. This is important for a couple reasons:

It protects the attitudes of the people working with you.
By venting to someone who works with you, you could be poisoning their positive attitude. You could be making it hard for them to enjoy their job, and for them to remember why they’re in eye care. A bad attitude is like a wildfire- it keeps burning until something puts it out, or it runs out of flammable objects. You can either be the fire or the fireman. Choose.
It keeps things in perspective.
Someone outside of your work environment will be able to keep perspective better than your co-worker. Your co-worker has their own reasons for being upset with management or a customer and will easily get on board with you to light the building on fire. Venting to someone outside of your work environment gives you the catharsis you need, while allowing you to start fresh the next day. And if you’ve chosen the right person, they’ll be ready to drown your pessimism with optimism and give you a reminder of how much you like being in eye care and how hard you’ve worked to get there.
It protects your reputation.
No one wants to be known as the whiner. There is nothing more frustrating to management then finding out someone is dampening the morale of the entire team. If it’s that serious, bring it to management directly and respectfully. It’s better to air out a wound than to let it fester. You’ll be regarded as a constructive member of the team who seeks solutions rather than someone who incites a mob.

Recognize when you need an attitude adjustment
Of course, none of this matters if you don’t realize when you’re starting down the path of negativity and pessimism.

Do you need to take steps toward a solution to a bigger problem with your management? If at any point you find that you’re heading in the wrong direction, turn it around.

Slowly but surely you’ll find that it’s a little easier to get out of your car when you pull into the office parking lot.

You’ll be happier, and perhaps less eager to jump ship. And if you do decide to seek another opportunity, displaying a positive attitude in the time leading up to and at the time of your resignation will keep you from burning a bridge and help to maintain a healthy network of professionals in the eye care industry.

And don't forget, if you do decide to jump ship, make sure to quit your job gracefully!