A couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon a podcast produced by Podiatry Today that piqued my interest. In the episode, Dr. Nicole Freels, DPM and Cody Meier, a longtime healthcare management pro, talked about their most successful and innovative team-building reward system.
Of course, I began to think about its applications in an optometry practice. Turns out, it’d be a great fit. If you’re looking to boost morale or get your team on the same page, have a look at this plan and see what you think. Here are the steps to set it up:
1. Make your practice goals crystal clear and meaningful.
As pointed out by Dr. Freels in the pod, an effective reward system starts with well-defined, attainable goals. Employees need to know exactly what’s expected of them and how their efforts contribute to the practice’s success.
In an optometry setting, you could set goals like:
- Increase eyewear sales by 10% in a quarter.
- Improve patient satisfaction scores as reported on surveys.
- Reduce appointment no-shows through better patient engagement.
- Boost efficiency by reducing average patient wait time.
When possible, post progress updates on a visible scoreboard or a shared digital dashboard, so everyone can track their contributions and stay motivated.
2. Structure your rewards appropriately.
Here’s a salient point: The best rewards programs offer tiered incentives where both small wins and big achievements get recognized. Also, individual rewards are motivating, but mixing in team rewards encourages collaboration and prevents unhealthy competition.
Here’s an example of how goals/rewards at different tiers:
Individual rewards:
- Small wins (ex: getting a perfect patient feedback score): A $10 coffee gift card, handwritten thank-you note, or Employee of the Week spotlight.
- Larger milestones (ex:exceeding a sales goal): Extra paid time off, a bonus, or covering the cost of a new professional certification.
Team-based rewards:
- If the front desk team reduces no-shows by 20% in a quarter, you cater lunch for everyone.
- If the optical team exceeds sales targets for three months straight, arrange a fun team outing (like an escape room or happy hour). Important note: You must make sure an outing would be perceived as an actual reward and not an overtime obligation!
- If your entire practice earns high patient satisfaction scores, consider a bonus pool distributed fairly among staff.
You want to have a balance — employees should feel individually valued but also part of a winning team.
3. Include the element of surprise.
One of the best aspects of this system are the surprise incentives. Dr. Freels believes that while structured rewards are essential, it’s the unexpected perks that make this system successful. Be spontaneous!
- Give a team member a “Best Patient Experience” award for handling a difficult case with kindness.
- Get a prize wheel (or create a digital one) that can be spun once a month. Give your top performers a chance to win gift cards, a free lunch, a day off … you get the idea.
- Remember “secret shoppers”? Have a mystery patient rate staff interactions — whoever ranks highest wins a treat.
- It’s a surprise for the team but it doesn’t have to be a surprise for you — certain surprises can be scheduled on your calendar in advance, so you won’t forget to be “spontaneous.”
4. You have to recognize contributions beyond the numbers.
Something very important to remember about team rewards is that not all valuable contributions are easily measured. You’ve got to recognize effort and attitude, not just metrics. This means remembering to acknowledge the tech who stayed late to help an elderly patient pick out frames, the receptionist who resolved a scheduling mishap with grace, the team member who proposed an idea that improved your workflow, etc.
5. Review and adapt for long-term success.
Unfortunately, a well-executed rewards system is not simply “set it and forget it.” A takeaway from the podcast is that a stagnant reward system stops working over time. So, keep your system evolving by reviewing KPIs to see if the incentives drive real improvement (and the surprise incentives will naturally help with that, too).
And then adjust rewards based on what works. If you find out meals and events don’t excite your team, maybe bonuses or extra time off does.
The goal is to keep employees engaged, appreciated, and continuously striving to improve the patient experience at your practice. Give shout-outs in meetings, in internal communications, or on a bulletin board in the breakroom. Start small, stay consistent, see where this might take you.
