What is The Worst That Could Happen?

Catastrophizing in a small business like an optometry practice can be really draining. It’s easy to blow things out of proportion — like when you get a few no-shows, a slow week with sales, or have a staffing challenge — and suddenly, it feels like the whole practice is on the verge of collapse. But here’s the thing: most of the time, these are just bumps in the road, not signs of a disaster. Sure, it’s stressful when things aren’t going as planned, but stressing over every little issue can cloud your judgment and make it harder to bounce back. 

How is it best to handle this? While it seems counterintuitive, experts recommend thinking about just that — truly, what is the worst that could happen? Go ahead and write it down. Why does this help? We can actually see what we are most afraid of, and then put a plan in place for the “just in case.”

Why am I sharing this? One of my biggest fears came true this week in my practice. For the last few months, it has just been my office manager and I in our office. We’re doing it all — seeing patients, dispensing glasses, answering the phone, etc. We recently hired another optician, which was a huge relief, but before that, I knew we were walking a tight rope with staffing, and I always worried. What would I do if Heather, my office manager, couldn’t come in when it was just the two of us?

Well, this DID happen, and I survived! My new optician was not in, and Heather had car trouble and wasn’t going to be able to make it. I had a momentary panic. I am a cold start practice and every day counts. Do I cancel the whole day of patients and close? Open and hope for the best? This was a day I dreaded, and now that it was here, I had to make a decision.

So, what did I do? I decided to open the office, move some of the exams, and do the best I could. I pretested my own patients, locked the front door while I was in the exam room, helped patients select frames, dispensed and adjusted glasses, answered the phone and text messages, and scheduled appointments.  

How did my worst-case scenario day go? It actually went smoothly! Patients understood I was a one-woman show, were actually quite impressed that their doctor could wear all the hats, and were willing to wait when needed. Do I want to repeat this day? Not anytime soon. But now I know I can do it.

Why do I share this story? So many of us spend time wondering and worrying about worst case scenarios and being nervous about what could happen in our offices. Sometimes these things happen, and we get through it and realize it really wasn’t the end of the world. While we talk about taking the time to plan for the future and for the growth of our practices, I encourage you to also sit down and think through scenarios such as this. What would happen if your associate doctor, optician, or office manager gave two-weeks notice? What happens if you a natural disaster leaves you unable to practice for a period of time? 

Working through these scenarios and putting a plan in place may not be the way you ideally want to spend your time, but thinking about these worst cases can help you realize you CAN get through them. And if nothing else, you learn a lot about yourself and your ability to do what needs to be done!

Yours in success,
Jennifer L. Stewart, OD