As you know, we often center the blog posts around the coaching HELP DESK conversations of the month. And WOW, have there been a few of those of late on challenges keeping up with and getting our arms around the optical …

As we discussed last time, there are plenty of challenges keeping up with / keeping our arms around the optical in this day-and-age. Despite the predictions not so long ago that we’d be seeing record unemployment, we’re seeing polar opposite challenges of getting and keeping good help in small business, and specifically optometric practice, and more specifically in the optical, and it’s downright frustrating. We started a good conversation about dealing with these challenges last time, so let’s continue that this month.

As we wind-down a challenging AND record-breaking year together, Colleagues (funny how challenge always equals opportunity), I find myself counting blessings and pontificating on how we leverage those blessings in the new year ahead. I also find myself reflecting on what are clearly the three greatest challenges of the Virus-and-Post-Virus Era of practice ownership …

This being my first appearance on the Bowen’s Blog scene, I figured it makes sense for me to cover a topic on which I’d consider myself fairly well educated and can hopefully share some helpful expertise. Before diving into a conversation about consumerism and consumptive trends (my own as well as others), I’d like to preface with a quick personal story from a couple weeks back I believe will illustrate my point perfectly.

In the last two BB posts, we’ve discussed the terrific challenge of attracting and keeping great staff. I’ve shared my belief that we’ve reached an all-time apex in the extent of this challenge, and we likely realized this in private practice a good year before other industries and certainly the media seemed to notice. I’m paying really close attention, Friends, and by all indications, this is the new and likely lasting normal.

As we discussed last time, the question is a bit like a broken record that plays over and over again in these times:”Tom, am I doing something wrong? Why am I having such a hard time keeping staff?! And what should I be doing differently?”

As we’ve well established the last year, the great challenge of the current new normal in small business is attracting and keeping great talent/staff. And we’ve shared that the days of “hiring” for great help have likely forever yielded to the days of “recruiting” in their stead.

The question is almost like a broken record in these times: ”Tom, am I doing something wrong? Why am I having such a hard time keeping staff?! And what should I be doing differently?!”

The question is certainly nothing new, right Colleagues? It’s not the challenge of getting and keeping great people that’s the so called new normal about which we hear every day. Rather, what seems NEW about this normal is the extremity of this challenge, which is an extent unparalleled in my decades of this conversation.

As we discussed in Part 1, it’s fun to compare things now to things back in the day. In the event you couldn’t tell, I particularly enjoy those comparisons as they relate to practice marketing, and as Dane here at THRIVE (young marketing guy) and I (old marketing guy) compare notes on marketing then and now, I’m glad to share some of that dialogue specifically as it relates to your practice branding strategy.

Isn’t it fun to compare things now to things back in the day?

It’s always amusing to watch our kids roll their eyes when we tell them how we walked to school five miles through the snow (uphill both ways). Right? Or about using those “Rabbit Ears” to get one channel on TV (if the weather was good). And of course, who of us would forget the task of having to get out of the chair and walk all the way across the room to change the channel?

As we progress from one “new normal” to the next (have you noticed that pattern?), and as we’re told by supposed experts how that looks, it’s interesting to think and talk about what has changed and what is still the same, and nowhere do I find that more interesting today than in a conversation about marketing.

As you’re well aware Colleagues, the topic of the last two SUMMIT TALK Podlectures (‘Yes or No on Vision Plans, Parts 1 and 2’) and the last BOWEN’s BLOG (A Colleague Dialogue About Giving Vision Plans the Boot! Part 1) has been a very “engaging” subject regarding vision plans.

As we continue that conversation, I just want to mention how much I appreciate all the dialogue with you these recent days. We’ve clearly hit on a topic on which many of us have strong and even passionate opinions, and I love that kind of power dialogue. So keep it comin’!