Managing staff in an optometry practice can be a source of many challenges for young ODs.
You'll likely find yourself working with a diverse age demographic at the beginning of your career. As a young doctor, it's important that you be ready to meet the wide range of challenges that your new position will throw at you.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Patricia Fulmer, OD at Vision Expo West, and asked her to share some thoughts on how new graduates can overcome the challenges of managing optometry staff when joining a practice.
Managing optometry staff in the older demographic
As a young OD, you will likely be expected to work with staff that might be far older than you, who may have worked at the practice for about as many years as you are old! Trust is such an important factor in managing this demographic. It is imperative to earn their trust and respect early on.
Here are some tips on earning trust and respect of staff:
- Demonstrate confidence, but not cockiness.
- Keep an open mind and consider the way things might have been done in the past, or maybe how past doctors might have executed certain tasks before you.
- Use your optometry staff as a resource, ask them for their opinion on things.
- Reinforce that you are a team.
- Try and relate to your optometry staff on a group basis and individual basis.
