Al Cleinman's Blog

VSP and Other Vision Plans Fight for Their Life

Here's an interesting video about the impact of Obamacare on Vision Plans.  If you read between the lines, what VSP is saying is that Vision Benefits will (and likely should, in my opinion) find their way to medical plans and away from specialized plans.  Every provider knows that the fact that vision plans are NOT part of medical care is wasteful and inneficient.  Were this to happen, specialized vision plans would go....bye bye!

Vision and Dental Plans Under Obamacare

Goal: The Imperfect Team

I enjoy passionate debate and foster it within my organization.  I believe, and history has proven me right, that often the breakthrough idea; the elusive solution; the missing piece in a process comes as the result of going down the road less traveled.  While civility is the rule in any interaction, I believe that it's a positive thing to see the proverbial gloves come off.  Observe people passionately defending their positions.  Stir the pot once in awhile. 

Yes, for the meek, these interactions may be a bit disconcerting.  From my perspective, debate...yes passionate debate...is an important precursor to the well thought-through idea.  As the saying goes, "if I have more than one yes-person in a room, then I don't need one of them."  As a leader, I want to know that most of the stones have been overturned in arriving at a conclusion, recommendation or decision.  This is especially critical in a de-centralized organization (shouldn't all organizations be "de-centralized").  I don't have the time, energy or interest, nor can I build an enterprise or develop the skills of individuals, if I'm involved in every decision.  That said, I darn well want to be confident that the team has worked the issues over and pummeled them within reason.

Likewise, as a strong individual and leader, I must "grant permission" so as to nurture my teammates and make them feel comfortable arguing their case;their perspective; their point of view.  My experience is that in many professional practices and small businesses, this doesn't happen. If your team members aren't comfortable saying to you "you're wrong and this is why" then it's time for you to take a long walk in woods.  Odds are that you've a top-down culture.  As a result, perhaps you're missing great opportunity?  

I recently came across a wonderful quote about marriage by author Dave Meurer that epitomizes my message:

"A great marriage is not when the "perfect couple" come together.  It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences."

Likewise...your team. 

Messages for our Times

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most
intelligent, but the most responsive to change.

-Charles Darwin

 

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge -

Deliver the Unexpected and Expect Success

 

Excerpt from: The Simple Truths of Service,
by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz

Great Service is a Choice

No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. Years ago, my friend, Harvey Mackay, told me a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed my friend a laminated card and said:

"I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk, I'd like you to read my mission statement."

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:

Wally's Mission Statement:

To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."

My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink."

Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice."

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke"

Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustratedand USA Today."

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio."

As if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of the day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights, or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

"Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?"

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'

"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."

"I take it this has paid off for you," Harvey said.

"It sure had," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all th reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Johnny the Bagger and Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. They decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about you?

Doctors Say "I Quit"

How sad it is that the present state of medicine is forcing doctors to hang up their stethoscopes to take less stressful and more economically viable jobs.  The article below is an excellent review of our current state of affairs.  While I don't have stats (yet), medicine is fast landing in the same soup (or vice versa) as that of education; where more than 50% of all salaries go to administration. 

Obama's plans address some of these issues...but with questionable effectiveness...and significant reform will likely never see the light of day.  There are too many special interests who suckle at the teat of healthcare (insurance, lawyers and yes, politicians, etc.) and don't desire change. 

We are a country in crisis.  We have 535 elected representatives (who earn a pension and health care coverage for life after just four years of "employment") making decisions for 350 million of us.  Those individuals are in the business of debate...not action.  The system is broke and, not to be cynical, there appears no effective solution in sight.  What are we to do? 

Doctors Call It Quits

How Do They Do It?

This coming Saturday, September 12, Cleinman Performance Partners will deliver a unique and uplifting experience for eyecare professionals and their teams in San Diego.  The Business of Eyecare Forumwill be held at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla.  This one-day "business improvement university" is focused on providing attendees with strategic and operational insight gleaned from North America's most successful practices.  Attendees will be exposed to five workshops that focus on enhancing performance, team-building, and succession planning.  Learn how North America's most successful eyecare leaders have consistently out-performed the market.

The Business of Eyecare Forum 

Participants will be exposed to proprietary practice enhancement information and unique tools that provide immediate results.  The Business of Eyecare Forum provides a motivational view of optometry that re-energizes entire teams and delivers tools you can use "monday morning."

"I should have brought my staff.  I should have brought my partner.  I goofed."   Dick Schuck, O.D., Ft. Thomas, KY

Underwritten by Hoya Vision Care, this high-energy event is the first stop on a twenty city tour across the U.S.  Look for us in:

October 7 - Waterbury, CT

October 21 - St. Louis, MO

November 18 - Denver, CO

December 2 - Knoxville, TN

See you there!