Purpose: business focus fundamentals – part two

March 14, 2025 Lynden Mason and Teréze Taber

In our last article, we explored financial statements as a powerful tool to assess the health of your business, offering a quick inventory of your operations and identifying opportunities to boost your bottom line. But what really drives the ‘how’ in your financials is the second of our business focus fundamentals (BFF) – purpose. If you step into 2025 with a strategy and tactics rooted in purpose, your financial direction often becomes self-driven.

 

Seeing the big picture

 

As optometry practice owners, our work is about far more than just selling glasses. Our practices touch people’s lives, often in deeply personal ways. But here’s the question: does your team know what your practice stands for? Do they connect with the bigger picture – the 'why' behind your practice’s existence and the values that guide ‘how’ it operates? If not, you could be missing out on untapped potential in team engagement, patient satisfaction and profitability.

 

Let’s explore why this truly matters, how to approach it (even in a well-established practice) and how it can ripple through every aspect of your business.

 

When purpose and values are clearly communicated and consistently applied, they become the foundation for everything your practice does. They shape patient interactions, influence hiring decisions and even guide investments in equipment and technology. Without this clarity, a practice can feel adrift. Staff may end up simply going through the motions, rather than actively contributing to a meaningful, shared vision.

 

The benefits? Staff who feel connected to a purpose and values are more engaged. Engaged staff provide better patient care and make better, more thoughtful decisions. They become loyal employees who feel truly 'plugged in' to what you’re building. By being part of something bigger than themselves, they also experience a sense of purpose in their own lives. Even in established businesses, staff can lose sight of the why and how behind the work, especially on the back of the last few years navigating the stresses of a pandemic and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. When your team embraces your values, it creates consistency across all touchpoints – from the front desk to the exam room – leading to enhanced patient experiences and, ultimately, stronger business outcomes.

 

How to start

 

Begin by envisioning the future of your practice. Compile a list of your current values and ask yourself some hard questions: are they still relevant? Have they evolved – or perhaps devolved – over time? Are they clear and memorable, or do they feel like generic statements that could belong to any business? Be honest – staff can quickly sense whether values are hollow or deeply ingrained in your practice.

 

Your team works on the front lines every day and their perspectives are invaluable. They often have a deeper, more nuanced understanding of their roles and patients’ needs. Tap into this insight by actively involving them in the process and avoid doing all of the talking – listen. This not only enhances the outcome but also fosters more engaged employees who feel truly valued.

 

Host brainstorming sessions and ask questions like:

 

• What do you think our practice stands for?
• What makes us unique in the way we care for patients?
• What do you think our patients appreciate most about us?
• How do we want to treat each other as a team?

 

 

Define and redefine your purpose and values

 

Your purpose statement should be inspiring and future-focused – it’s the big picture of what your practice is working towards. Consider the broader impact you want your practice to have on patients, the community and even the industry. This statement should resonate with your team and feel meaningful to them.

 

Your values are the principles guiding how you achieve that vision. Keep them simple, authentic and actionable. Aim for three to five core values that genuinely represent your practice and are easy for everyone to remember, but avoid vague generic tropes such as ‘excellence’. Instead, try ‘We go above and beyond to delight our patients’.

 

Look at communications through a new lens

 

Once you’ve refreshed your purpose and values, ensure they’re reflected in every aspect of your practice. From patient communications and social media to the way your team interacts with one another, these principles should shine through. They should feel cohesive and become the foundation of both internal and external messaging.

 

Rolling out new or refreshed purpose and values isn’t a one-time event – it’s an ongoing, reinforcing conversation. Use team meetings, one-on-one discussions and visible reminders in your workspace to reinforce them regularly. Keeping purpose and values top of mind ensures they remain a living, breathing part of your practice.

 

At the end of the day, having a clear purpose and values isn’t just a feel-good exercise, it’s a smart business move – make it one of your BFFs! When you and your team are aligned, everything clicks, from patient care through to profitability.

 

So, take a step back and ask yourself: why does your practice exist, what do you stand for and how can you make sure everyone on your team is on the same page? Answer those questions and you’ll be well on your way to creating a practice that doesn’t just survive but thrives.

 

 

Lynden Mason is the co-founder and former co-owner of Vivo, a large Southern Hemisphere group of privately owned hair salons. An optometrist, he started his career by growing 10 optometry clinics across the North Island. 

Teréze Taber – a former television producer – is a passionate content writer and brand specialist. With Lynden, she is now focused on their private consultancy practice, Behind the Brand. Contact Lynden or Teréze on Lynden@behindthebrand.co.nz and tereze@behindthebrand.co.nz