Another invaluable educational tool, John. In a field that has such limited educational opportunities, your videos are a great resource. Thanks to you and LaramyK.
Thanks!Originally Posted by wmcdonald
_______________________________________________
Kind of sad really --- when you mention toric transposition on social media (FB) and "opticians" today don't know what that means...
"You mean, like, flat transposition?"
"No, I mean, like, the graphical representation of the curves found on the front and back surface of a lens."
"Huh?"
Then there is calculating compound prism.
No, 2BU and 3BO is not 5!
I hear ya ---
Just happen to have that covered too !: https://youtu.be/FZQYUH6s1-Q
No, not something every optician will come across everyday but knowing a little about how it works would be nice.
Nice video, John. Pythagorean theorem in action! I will need to download and share that handy tool now. So much of what we do is pure geometry!
Here is a quick way to remember angles. Chief SOHCAHTOA, a Native American math wizard. SOH-sine = opposite over hypotenuse CAH-cosine = adjacent over hypotenuse and TOA-tangent = opposite over adjacent.
All one needs to do is remember Chief SOHCAHTOA!
Last edited by lensmanmd; 01-11-2018 at 01:37 PM.
I come across this much more than many. Your videos are required viewing for my employees. I should look into your lab for them alone, if they passionately make lenses the way you passionately teach I would be a fool not to.
Now how do you find passionate employees!
Tallboy:
Check us out here: http://www.laramyk.com
On hiring --- check out Keith's Newsletter from this week and I think it is safe to say that if your current hiring policy isn't getting the results you need that it might be time for a new one!
Here is an article from a few years back.
Dealing With Training and the New Hire
John Seegers
Let me set the stage here: You have been running a successful business for at least five years. You have made some good calls and some mistakes, learned from them, and you have developed a good overall sense of what works for your business. Good business sense dictates that you would not hire additional staff unless your current staff is overworked, right? I mean, you are not going to hire someone simply because you are nice, or because your other staff members seem lonely, or because you want to add more half-full Tupperware containers to your refrigerator.
Instead, over the last six months, you have noticed that your staff is overworked. They are overworked enough that some costly mistakes are being made. Your overtime hours are creeping up, and employees’ hours can run long enough that they become unproductive. Scheduling is difficult, staff are fighting over vacation time, and now employee morale is suffering.
So, you bite the bullet and decide to add an additional staff member. You run an ad, and you do all the right things about hiring a new person. Whether that new person is a seasoned veteran of the industry or a new-to-the business greenhorn, you have just made a bad situation worse!
What?
Think about it. The only reason you hired someone was because you had enough work for him or her. Depending on the number of hours the new person will work, you have just reset the clock to zero. Now, you are back to where you were six months ago. That might be just great! However, now you have to train this new person, and your staff does not seem willing to do it. Can you really blame them? Let us look at this from their point of view, not yours.
You just admitted that they have been overworked for the last six months. Now, they are exactly where they were six months ago, with the additional responsibility of training a new hire.
Excuses will include:
It is not my job to train people.
They should already know this stuff.
Why the heck would I train my replacement?
I am no good at teaching.
I do not have time to do what I need to do, let alone train someone else.
They make more than I do; why the heck should I train them?
I tried, but it is just easier to do it myself like I always have.
Sound familiar? Do not get caught up in the right and wrong of statements like these. Do not try to argue them or force them. They are normal human feelings in reaction to change. Change creates stress, and stress causes people to react in unconstructive ways. It will all settle over time, just as it always has.
If you hired an experienced person, you will need to train them on “how you do things.” This will create conflict on multiple levels, and lead to animosity between the old staff and the new hire. The new hire will not like having their skill level questioned. The old staff will not like any changes the new hire brings.
If you hired the greenhorn, you will, with good reason, face even more hurdles. I’m not against hiring an inexperienced person. In fact, for a wide range of reasons, you may be forced to hire an inexperienced worker, and may even be better off doing so. Still, the less an individual knows, the more you (and your staff) will have to teach them.
So, what is the answer to managing the problems of “training and the new hire”? Well, I am sure you will find a long list of “consultants” who would love to take your money and tell you how. You may tell yourself that you know best, and have all the answers. You may even tell yourself that “My staff will do what I tell them to.” The truth is – there is no answer to this problem.
You do the best you can. It will help to follow these guidelines:
The most important one: Find the time. Bring your best people in early or have them stay late. Sequester them in the back room for an hour each day through the week. You would manage if they were out sick, or out to lunch, so manage while they are training! If your office does not have enough cross-trained employees to mind the store for an hour and a half, then you need to address that.
Before you place an ad or mention the idea of adding additional staff:
INVOLVE YOUR STAFF. Talk to your staff. Ask them what they need most. It might surprise you! Really talk to them, and listen to them, either one-to-one or as a group. Make them feel like they are part of the success of the new hire. This is honest; they ARE part of the success of the new hire.
Explain why you are hiring in clear terms. Make it clear no one’s job is in jeopardy. Tell your staff that you know they have been overworked. Tell them that you are hiring someone new because you recognize how hard they have been working.
Remember that the new hire works for you, but will work with your other staff. Get the staff’s input on the hiring process, and consider allowing them to be part of the interview process.
Let your established staff help craft the want ad and the job expectations.
Before you actually hire someone:
Expect at least one shadow day from a possible new hire. Wouldn’t you appreciate the opportunity to check out a place before you accept a job? You get to meet and observe the employee; the employee gets to meet the staff and see how the office works; and it helps both sides feel each other out. This helps the new employee be sure they’ve made the right choice. Offer lunch as an incentive, and consider trying to set aside a half-hour where everyone can meet and greet.
Be sure you actually call references and past employers. Do it. Follow up, make the calls, and get through to the right people. Lyndon Johnson was right: Keep people talking, and they are guaranteed to tell you things they probably shouldn’t!
Immediately after a new-hire:
Pay a realistic salary. Set realistic goals with pay incentives for meeting them. Consider a 30-60-90 day review program. Explain it, implement it and stick to it. Should terminating the relationship become necessary, this will allow you a very graceful way out.
If you are hiring a greenhorn, consider an incentive for the office staff when they reach certain training goals:
PTO, $50 Visa gift cards, a paid bonus.
Do NOT offer lunch for the office or half a book of Happy Meal certificates as incentives.
Stay on top of training. Consider a training program complete with a binder for tracking progress. If you do not do this, you only have yourself to blame when things don’t work out.
After Hiring:
Once the new employee is hired, allow the new hire to suggest new ways of doing things. Do not make changes for the sake of change, but accept that someone with a fresh perspective can point out some things that you could be doing better. Recognize their contributions to positive change.
Bear in mind that bringing in a new hire is a stressful experience for everyone involved. If it is not, then there is something wrong with your workplace. Everyone working for you has enough vested interest in the success of the practice that they worry about things. The new hire is worrying about doing a good job. The rest of your staff is worrying about making the new hire successful. You probably are worried about both.
Thank you for posting that article! I remember reading it before and it is really good information. I am at a practice that is short staffed. We hired a new employee and I think she has been off more than she has been here. That on top of one of our good employees being very sick in the hospital, it has been difficult on everyone. I forwarded your article onto the office manager. I hope it helps her! Thanks again!
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks