The Covid-19 pandemic crucially changed our working environments, and how we connect with—and train—staff. Here, one director of eyewear retail shares how emphasizing your team sets a proactive tone for 2021.

The year has barely begun. But one thing is for sure...everything is going to keep changing at an unprecedented pace, says Michael Miller, director of eyewear retail at the three-location South Jersey Eye Physicians in Medford, NJ.

“None of us could have imagined the Covid reality. We have no toolbox for working in this environment. Everything we’ve done has been reactive instead of proactive.”

THREE AREAS

That has to end, but getting a grip on the business when everything continues to change is a huge challenge. “I spent a lot of time thinking about 2021 and came up with three key areas where we need to put the emphasis for our team this year,” shares Miller.

1. “Personal awareness for each of us in our respective roles”;
2. “The team contract...what Covid means for each of us individually as part of a team”;
3. “Customer interaction and how we need to adapt.”

Here, Miller expands on these key topics.

PERSONAL AWARENESS

The Challenge: “There has to be an appreciation and awareness of how Covid is impacting our daily lives. We have to be flexible about last-minute scheduling adjustments, for example. Families are being affected by Covid, and we need to be more compassionate with customers and more agreeable as part of the team when I say, ‘I need you to come in because...’”

The Training: “We used to get together for staff dinners every three months. It was a significant way to team-build and to connect. Now we can’t do that.

“Now we utilize Zoom. My challenge was how to bond over Zoom. We found one way is to meet in a place in each team member’s home that’s special to them. At the meeting, we do a show-and-tell. That has actually turned out to be a Covid plus. It’s a connection, builds a relationship, and creates longevity within a department.”

TEAM CONTRACT

The Challenge: “I have found it important during Covid to find and respect boundaries. Our co-workers make different lifestyle choices, and some of us struggle to understand them. We need to find a way to make room, not judge...to respect our differences and to stay connected. There’s an increased need to vent, and it’s going to get more important.”

The Training: “We take everybody’s physical temperature in the building every day. I try to connect with each of my opticians weekly to touch base and get a sense of their emotional temperature as well.”

CUSTOMER INTERACTION

The Challenge: “Whether it’s delivering curbside, addressing anxiety about being in the building, or the proximity needed to take measurements or fit glasses, we have to be both sensitive and flexible. We also need to remain cognizant of the ever-changing issues in the supply chain and then relay that to customers.”

The Training: “Sometimes we are therapists to customers, so no judgment...just kindness and flexibility. We’re constantly training that flexibility. Everything is likely to become more cumbersome, and require more flexibility, as we move further into the winter and spring. It will continue to be an area of focus.

“My constant message to the team is that things will change, and then they will likely change again. The future is going to require us as a team to be empathetic, appreciative, and flexible.”