Photo courtesy of Dr. Ann Hoscheit, who is seen here with Dr. Danny Mack of Premier Family Eye Care and his team at their annual retreat. Dr. Hoscheit shares tips for creating engaged teams.
A tool to create engaged teams that keep your patients engaged too
By Ann M. Hoscheit, OD, FAAO, FAARM, CHC
July 30, 2025
When I bought my first practice, I went to the local bookstore searching for a management guide. On the shelf, a book called “Contented Cows Give Better Milk” caught my attention—a Holstein cow on the cover jumped out to me, a farm girl from rural Minnesota.
The book laid the foundation for my approach: If you take care of your people, they will take care of your patients and your bottom line. From the start, I understood the power of satisfied and fulfilled teams.
Tool that Helped Me and My Clients in Quest for Engaged Teams
In my ongoing search for ways to create and support engaged teams, I discovered a resource that changed how I approach practice management: The TeamBuilding KIT.
Developed by former CEO Janice Booth, The TeamBuilding KIT (which stands for Knowledge, Insight, Tools) is a team-building and assessment program designed to create a real, lasting positive impact on workplace culture.
Booth created the KIT after experiencing firsthand how traditional team-building tools often fell short in creating truly cohesive, engaged teams. Instead, she designed a framework that is simple, memorable and deeply effective at fostering understanding, collaboration and accountability.
In my experience, practices with well-trained and fulfilled teams deliver better patient outcomes and see real progress in practice profitability.
Working Agreements: Repairing Culture and Accountability
The first time I used The TeamBuilding KIT, it was in a practice where staff members frequently said, “That’s not my job,” or “She won’t help me.”
We started with the KIT’s communication style assessment and hosted a half-day event to review results. Our primary goal: build understanding and compassion for different communication and work styles. We wrote a Working Agreement to address negativity and disengagement, aiming to build a culture of engaged teams that support patient care.
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There were tough moments, honest conversations and even a few tears. By the end, hope and positive energy replaced frustration. In the following months, the practice earned a “Best of County” nomination, turnover dropped and employees started sharing with friends how highly satisfied teams transformed their experience at work.
The KIT helped our team understand each other’s value. It made it easier for us to let go of misunderstandings, hurt feelings and blame—and to become one of those truly engaged teams that work collaboratively.
Hiring and Onboarding: Building Teams That Last
At another practice, I helped overhaul a failing hiring and onboarding process. They suffered from high turnover—costing 125 percent of annual salary. Structured onboarding was missing. We started with The TeamBuilding KIT to survey the existing team, highlight strengths and identify what truly collaborative teams needed from new members.
Top candidates also used the assessment. This tool shifted our hiring success rate from about 60 percent to almost 100 percent, and allowed us to build diverse, fulfilled teams instead of hiring in our own image.
Engaged teams aren’t an accident. They’re built intentionally through the right hiring and onboarding process—and the difference is noticeable in morale, retention and patient outcomes.
Manager Coaching: Creating Leaders and Engaged Teams
Another client reached out to build leadership in a newly promoted manager. While she was talented, she lacked formal training. We started with PECAA’s Office Manager Certification Course, then provided three months of leadership coaching and six months of operational coaching.
Leadership coaching began with a half-day TeamBuilding KIT session for the entire staff, followed by one-on-one leadership sessions. Operational coaching included crucial topics like accounts receivable, scheduling, KPIs, departmental structure and more. The result? She evolved into one of the top optometry managers in the country—all while fostering satisifed teams that consistently perform at the highest level.
The Takeaway
Most practices hope occasional outings can fix underlying cultural issues. “I designed the KIT for long-term impact,” says Booth. “With a strong foundation, one-off outings actually building effective teams rather than just cover up problems.”
Improved patient experience and practice profitability go hand in hand with engaged teams. When leadership is intentional and people systems are strong, workplace satisfaction and long-term success follow.
Ann M. Hoscheit, OD, FAAO, FAARM, CHC, is the president of EyeBridge Consulting Associates, ODPA. To contact her: drann@eyebridgeconsulting.com
