“People are what make your practice great”

 7.30am

Typically, I get up around 7.30am. First things first, I check my phone for any messages, in case there is something urgent I need to address before getting to work. Luckily, this doesn’t happen often.

I get myself and my three-year-old son, Lucas, ready, then get breakfast for us and our golden labrador, Gunner.

8.45am

I arrive in practice at 8.45am. Usually, I’ll test four out of five days and have one admin day. On an admin day, I head to the practice floor to greet everyone. It’s also a good opportunity for colleagues to grab me if they need me, before I get stuck in with the jobs for the day.

Most days I am supervising pre-reg optometrists, so I’ll ensure they are set up for the day. I’m passionate about training colleagues because I started my career as an optical assistant before becoming an optometrist and now a partner.

I’ll then head to our admin office to check for anything in my tray and get that done first so our admin team have what they need first thing.

I’m very people-focused, and I know that motivating the team is an important part of my role. Having a happy team really does make all the difference.

We do daily shout-outs through Microsoft Teams as well as face-to-face chats to engage the 34-strong team. Our team really enjoy their work and are very encouraging to each other. Making one person happy makes someone else happy, and so on. People are what make your practice great.

10am

A standard morning is testing patients, which requires my focus rather than other director-based tasks. I use a to-do list for less time sensitive tasks that can be done on my admin days or to identify what is better for the attention of other colleagues, such as my retail partner, Jamie.

I deal with any emergency situations that arise by being calm, keeping others calm and problem solving. I’ll ask myself ‘what’s the worst-case scenario here?’ and ‘what is within my control?’ whether it be a business decision, a clinical one or a personal one. This usually helps me navigate through the situation.

If it’s an emergency affecting a colleague, their wellbeing comes first. My team is very dedicated and do not like leaving their colleagues with a larger workload, so I try to help them understand that they would do the same for their colleague in their hour of need.

12.30pm

Lunchtime is an opportunity to unwind and relax before getting back on it. Of course, there are occasions where a working lunch is needed – that's part of running a business.

2pm

My afternoon routine depends on the tasks due for that day. Typically, I choose more active tasks, where possible, to do in the afternoon.

I’ll avoid an afternoon slump by interacting with people, and taking regular breaks from computer-based work to go to the practice floor and lab. As needed, I’ll help out as well if it’s a busy day.

5.30pm

I leave the practice between 5pm and 5.30pm.

Evenings are family time. A big benefit of working in a more rural area is that I’m home in 10 minutes. We often head out for some fresh air together and take Gunner for a walk, or even go to the beach.

I have a toddler, so 99% of my TV watching is nursery rhymes. Otherwise, I'll often listen to music in the evening. Recently it's been the Foo Fighters on repeat, as I joined my fellow Scottish directors at their recent concert in Glasgow.

7pm

My husband, Jonny, makes amazing spicy ramen, which I’m hoping he will make more often if he ends up reading this.