Welcome to our summer edition of Ophthalmic Professional! During this season, particularly with many co-workers taking their own time out, it can be challenging to keep all the plates spinning. To maintain a comprehensive perspective, I like to use the “What, Why, How, Who, and When” prompt when setting strategic goals and planning specific tasks. The British author and poet Rudyard Kipling, (author of the “Jungle Book,” one of my all time favorite childhood movies) wrote:

• I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew);
  Their names are What and Why and When
  And How and Where and Who.

What do we want to achieve? What are our goals, long-, medium-, or short-term (specific clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction goals).

Why are we here? What is our overall purpose and which guiding principles are critical to our success (providing excellence in eye care, with leading therapies matched by unparalleled customer service)?

How do we plan to achieve our specific goals in the most effective way (our practice, team, or task-specific action plan)?

Who will be responsible for each of our goals and tasks, and how can we make sure they are set for success? (In these summer months, this might be focused on flexible coverage to ensure that all team members can take time off.)

When can we expect to achieve each of the key milestones that will lead us to the optimal outcomes and goals we have set ourselves? (Breaking down a lofty goal into bite-size, more manageable steps can help us avoid feeling overwhelmed as we continue to make progress).

In our summer line-up of articles, we cover these for you. Here are just a few examples:

• What: Sergina M. Flaherty, COMT, OSC, CTC, (F)ATPO, provides guidance how to identify common chief complaints and conditions from patient descriptions.
• Who: OP’s 9th Annual Salary Survey offers us a snapshot of how our teams feel about their job, hours worked, compensation and benefits.
• How: Dianna E. Graves, COMT, BS Ed, explains how to teach staff the art of triaging patients to help decrease the amount of anxiety the process can cause the ophthalmic team.
• When: In “Coding”, Mary Pat Johnson answers a frequently asked question, “When is a refraction billable?”

Enjoy the read and have a wonderful summer! OP