where does Optical go from here? Part Two

[rfish777]

Jo asked:
OK folks. We have heard many posts "predicting" where optical will or won't go from here. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on how we will "steer" where optical does go from here Rfish, Alan, LaurieC and Homer have all tossed out some good ideas. Now, what is our next step? I am talking about a basic first step in the process of achieving our goals as a profession, not where we want to end up.

Basic step one would be to unite everyone into a cohesive group.
With a group you have power and leverage. This would be my first step.

It is not for me to wonder why but just to do and die. :bbg:

[Alan W]

Building a cohesive group means each of the individual components have something to bring to the table and a new table has to be contructed.
I have personally given up on first forming a cohesive group because all I've seen for the last 35 years is each present group trying to be a one stop shop. That is an old philosophy.
I see the need for each of the existing organizations to take a good hard look at what it has to offer and make a decision as to what it is going to focus on, and then goes "b - l s to the walls in doing that. No one organization today is doing a 2001 quality job of what it is intending to do. In some instances it is because it lacks expertise. In other instances it is because it has simply lost motivation for legitimate reasons, and I am sure there are others like funding.
One reason is because none have done well at comuunications with the consumer. In some instances it is becasue the professional community it serves has made no professional demands on them. The IOC has intentions of providing a vital function that is not present in the others and hopefully MIGHT spearhead a coming together of all the functions at a later time. At least, that's what I see. In my heart of hearts, I believe each of the eorganizations needs to have asoul searching and redidicate itself. I believe the OAA is doing that as we speak. I don't think the ABO is there yet, but wants to be and will be. Before any unification occurs, an assessment needs to be done to determine whether the skills and services that are needed even exist within the present infrastructure or even casual professional community. I just looked at a simple brochure put out by the Board of Orthotic Technicians, and I got a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. The reason is that all the skills of a modern day organization were presented in the brochure, yet the optical community as a whole is still three decades behind the times, by comparison. We still think single this and single that. We still say one national license and one organization. We still have one certification. We have nothing to say and nothing to offer in writing or through structuring that optometry and ophthalmology has not already done trough multiple certification programs of which we are not a part and should have done from the beginning. Even our vendors are torn about supporting us because the "other" members of the big "O" have in as much as threatened economic boycott if they support optcianry too far. We have no one to blame but ourselves. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Whatever organization now exists needs to decide if it needs to exist in the first place. Or, is it fighting a battle of complacency.
People like you are what we need.
You think.
You ask.
You inspire thought.
You even get peope "p - - - - d" off enough to write back!
You need to know that without people like you . . . opticianry will be a flatliner in 10 years. Things are moving along at a rapid rate. The craftsmanship is all but a legend. The professionalism is giving way to a doctors office with an optical dispensery that is run by a person certified to sell glasses, make them, measure them, and do corneal mapping or refractions also when there's time. And, we didn't issue the certification!

So, anybody reading this long winded post (as usual, for me!) needs to get into local optical orgs and clean them up or out, national orgs to strengthen them or shut them down, and start up or affiliate with ones that offer "the missing link" or good bye!

For heavens sake, join OAA, pick up a shovel and start digging!

Fish or cut bait, lead, follow, or step aside.

[Joann Raytar]

I agree with both of you in a way. I think we need a cohesive group and I think we need to get people involved with the organizations that are currently in place. Once people are involved in those organizations we can work on giving those orgs a tune up. At the same time the IOC needs to be promotining certified/licensed Opticians as a valuable part of the health care community.

[Homer]

It takes a lot of wind when you've got a lot to say!

We'll never change things by charging windmills - we need to get inside the thing and either fix it or blow it up. Have you ever know of a board of directors who has voted itself out of business because they were wise and saw the "handwriting on the wall"?
Most wait for the bankruptcy court to tell them they can no longer exist.

Just a note from my perspectives on ABO. ABO must keep its respectable distance / separation from any kind of optician's organization otherwise their certifications become only an internal thing rather than government recognized certifying body.
HOWEVER - I think they should offer other types of certifications such as you have mentioned, Surfacing Optician, Bench/Finishing Optician, Eyewear Design Optician , etc.

NAO, on the other hand, needs walk hand in hand with OAA and others, perhaps NAOO, to work toward shared goals rather than attempting to be the one organization for all opticianry. They need, in my opinion, to stick with educating all levels and certification types of opticianry.

I agree that we all support OAA in order to have a common starting point. What we will make it into remains to be seen.

[Alan W]

Bring along some antiverbosity pills, would you?
I got this problem. . . . Can't stop it.

[Alan W]

You're absolutely right.
But, I have a problem when instead of seeing a profession flourishing it is pooping out and has only one certifying instrument.
I would love to sit with the ABO and get their perception of the future for opticianry.
Maybe they are not getting enough feedback from us. We can't expect an organization to survive if it is treated like an untouchable. And, I can't believe the ABO would refuse to listen.

[LaurieC]

;) As I post, I'm printing out 28 (!!!!!!!) pages of the original thread as well as part two. Wanted to review them before I get too opinionated or redundant. In the mean time, I'd like to get philosophical. This is a great thread. Where do we go? Anywhere we want, with enough care and commitment and teamwork. Too many times defeatists say we are dead in the water. No, look at Optiboard. We are not defeated. There are so many people, of diverse disciplines, who so truly care about this industry and the quality of care we give our patients, customers, whatever we call them. By not being isolationists and embrasing all the aspects of what it takes to deliver quality eyewear and contacts to the end user: the 3 O's, manufacturers, chains, equipment, coatings, marketing, trades, professional organizations etc., etc., etc. we'll get there. But there is not one location, it's several. The diversity of consumer preference will never amount to one size fits all. Had a really great lunch with JRS yesterday, whom I had never met in person. He and I approach this industry from different backgrounds but similiar desires. The greatest of which is to still believe we can make a difference. So the first question I ask myself and others is: do we want to be merely successful or do we want to be significant. Maybe that's awfully idealistic, but it's my mood today. Thanks for your patience, I do ramble on.:bbg:

[Alan W]

I hope everybody reads your post a couple times!

[Homer]

While it is easy to talk about the mechanics and the politics of what is going on, the basic philosophical aproach to life - our most basice motivators, our presuppositions, our hopes are what really make the difference.
If we believe that we can make a difference, we will! We may not make our idea of utopia, but we can make things better. When I get to be God, I will make things perfect.

;) Homer

[rfish777]

Alan W. said:
For heavens sake, join OAA, pick up a shovel and start digging!
That would be nice Alan except for one thing, OAA does not promote to the masses the way we need it to be done. You still have the cart before the horse. Sure we need an organization but we also need media exposure to promote Opticians as professionals and as far as I have seen OAA has not done that.
The problem lies in the fact once you start digging are you ready to except the responsibility that goes with whatever is uncovered in that digging. And once you except responsibility will you then be prepared to take this the distance to see that it gets fulfilled?
We can get a man to the moon but to get Opticians recognized as professionals and excepted by the public is almost an impossible task.

So what does the 6 ton elephant do in the forest? Anything he wants.:bbg:

[Joann Raytar]

I don't think it is impossible. It is a compicated task; think about what a diverse group of professionals we have become. The trick is how to get everyone motivated.

[rfish777]

Jo we tried to get people to submit answers to, what we should do first, but all we got was redundancy and a bunch of metaphors
thrown in. We are a diverse group, but until we can put our diversity aside and go for the common good of the organization
nothing will be accomplished. Again we are like chicken little waiting for the sky to fall.

[Joann Raytar]

You win on this one. We all have philosophies about what could or should be done but so few of us are contributing actions that will secure our future. :(

What do you think it will take to get our group together? It is apparent that just talking isn't working. I believe we will go the way of the independent pharmacist if we do not do something soon. Homer is correct; it would take years to get anywhere if we try to start from scratch. Do we have years?