I cannot force a person to desire an education
Yes you can it's called tuition and entry into a career which is the topic of this thread.
or to learn a subject any more than I can force the harvest to come in sooner.
Again Yes you can it's called entry into the profession it's what this thread is titled.
It is up to the individual to desire it. I have mentored many in my career as I was mentored.
And yet being a mentored optician does nothing to garner respect in this career, I can't even tell you what a mentored optician means. Does that mean like Al Qaeda you've been mentored? Mentoring is not education, I too have a mentor and I rely on him for guidance and direction but I have never received an education from the man. Yet he is still the greatest mentor I have ever known.
Some became good opticians some great, and most simple sales people.
When you ensure education as a minimum entry requirement, you get less of the simple sales people.
The deciding factor was the individuals desire to exceed their expectations.
As noble as that sounds, your expectations may be my minimum requirements. So a great optician in your mind might be a "frame adjuster" in mine. Hence a minimum educational standard.
If we fail as an industry it will not be the fault of insurance, On-line sales, or major retailors. It will be that we each, in our own offices, failed to meet the expectations of our customers and patients.
Since your believe in the "I" mentality please replace every "we" and "industry" with "me" and "my shop", then look at the accuracy of your statement.
If I fail as an optical shop it will not be the fault of insurance, On-line sales, or major retailers. It will be that I, in my own office, failed to meet the expectations of my customers and patients.
Now in that above statement you are responsible for your shops success and success as an opticians, but you still have a responsibility to the profession you belong or maybe this profession isn't worth squat to you in which case see my posts about Barry's post.
We succeed alone, we fail alone. No one was here to help me open my store. It was me, alone, every day moving the ball little by little and is still.
That is text book self loathing and has no place when discussing the future of a profession.
If you desire change in this industry go ahead and make it happen, I don't see Barry or anyone else stopping it.
I hold a degree in another country in ophthalmic dispensing, I have certifications here in the states as well. I mentor and have been mentored, I also educate and have been educated.
I don't see Barry or anyone else stopping it.
Then an eye exam is in order, this profession face a lot of opposition just look at this thread. You believe that no education is required since you didn't have one, that's not the new path your on, that's the same old path that the profession has tried to make work for years. We have seen a fledgling profession that sprang up from ours require education and now they are trying to get bills passed states to perform surgery with lasers, we got lasers to and it's probably in Barry's hands as he gives a basic optics presentation pointing to pretty pictures on powerpoint slides.
Sure I am not gonna be the guy that spear heads any sort of movements but I try to live as an example and never try and crush spirits with the kind of remarks posted in Barry's post. I have seen many on this board industry leaders offer help and guidance:
Johns is regularly offering people help, even in opening up shops I heard a story that he even gave someone all the equipment needed to start a shop.
I have seen Warren tell many to contact him about how to become a speaker and leader in this profession even know one or two guys he's helped get into these positions.
I had a book given to me by my sales rep once who apparently buys and gives away books all the time, still can't figure out the reason why.
So much talent on this board and in our field, but the grumpy old misers are in the positions of leadership, because it takes a lot less effort to crush a gentle soul than it does to crush a hardened one. This is also the reason why I should never be a leader, I have seen too many selfish acts at one point I felt the fire and when I see it I use my hardened attitude to at least give them a little longer to believe that this profession could be better who knows one day it might stick.
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