May 20, 2015
Mike Rothschild, OD, in discussion with Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD
Changing the way your practice works requires vision from the OD-owner and buy-in from staff members. The founder of Leadership OD tells how to visualize, create and work a plan that everyone participates in.
Create a Plan for Practice Change
Implement a Plan for Change
Get Staff on Board with Change
Effecting change within a practice begins with the OD-owner defining a vision for the practice, says Dr. Rothschild.
“Have a plan for what you want to accomplish so you know what to shoot for,” he says. “And writing it down is very important.”
A vision requires a plan, says Dr. Rothschild, and including staff in creating that plan makes for a more successful outcome.
“We brainstorm together and pull in ideas from our staff,” he explains. All suggestions are recorded on a flip chart. “We write everything down,” he says. “The rule is there are no bad ideas.”
Twice a year, the practice holds office retreats, where staff members, freed from daily duties in the practice, generate countless ideas. Dr. Rothschild then encourages staff to be engaged in constructing the plan for practice transformation.
“There’s a phrase, ‘Man supports what he creates,'” he says. “And if you allow your staff to be involved in the creation of the organization, then they will support it.”
Mike Rothschild, OD, founder of Leadership OD, owns West Georgia Eye Care in Carrollton, Ga. To reach him: mrothschild@westgaeyecare.com
