Every optometry practice has one goal – great patient care – but not everyone’s taking the same route to get there. Human resources (HR) consultant Kasia Groves explains how aligning your team’s different perspectives can turn daily friction into smooth, shared momentum.

WRITER Kasia Gr

SAME DESTINATION, DIFFERENT MAPS

Walk into any optometry or healthcare practice and you’ll find a team of people all working hard – yet not always in the same direction. The optometrist focusses on clinical outcomes, the dispenser wants to deliver an exceptional spectacle fit and retail experience, and the practice manager is juggling rosters, recalls, and reports. Everyone is busy, but not necessarily aligned.

It’s not that anyone’s doing the wrong thing. In fact, it’s often the opposite; people care deeply about doing their jobs well. But when each person’s version of ‘success’ looks a little different, friction creeps in. Tasks get duplicated, communication breaks down, and energy is wasted on fixing misunderstandings rather than building momentum.

As an HR consultant, I see this play out time and again – and the solution isn’t another policy or performance review. It’s creating shared alignment: helping every person understand how their role connects to the bigger picture.

DIFFERENT ROLES, DIFFERENT LENSES

It’s completely natural for people in different roles to see the world differently.

• Optometrists prioritise patient care, accuracy, and clinical decision making.

• Dispensers and frontline staff think in terms of customer experience, aesthetics, and efficiency.

• Practice managers and owners focus on financial performance, team coordination, and compliance.

These perspectives are all valuable – but they can pull against each other if not connected by a common purpose. An optometrist who wants to spend more time with each patient may clash with a receptionist who is under pressure to keep the schedule on track. Or a dispenser may feel unsupported if clinical staff don’t help explain lens options to patients.

These aren’t personal conflicts; they’re alignment gaps. In HR terms, it’s about goal congruence – the degree to which individual, team, and organisational goals are in sync. When they’re not, the result is confusion, tension, or a subtle sense of ‘us versus them’.

WHY ALIGNMENT MATTERS

Alignment doesn’t just make a workplace more pleasant, it makes it more effective. Studies consistently show that teams with shared goals outperform those that operate in silos. When people understand how their work fits into the whole, engagement rises, turnover drops, and productivity improves.

In practice terms, that means:

Fewer dropped balls. Patients get consistent messages from all staff.

Higher morale. Staff feel their contributions matter.

Better results. Both clinical and financial outcomes improve.

Alignment is also essential for adapting to change. Whether you’re introducing new technology, rebranding, or rolling out a new product range, a shared sense of direction helps teams move forward together rather than resisting in different directions.

COMMON PITFALLS AND WARNING SIGNS

You can often feel misalignment before you can measure it. Watch for these signs:

• Meetings that rehash the same issues without progress.

• Staff who say, “I didn’t know that was my responsibility”.

• Departments that blame each other for delays or mistakes.

• A general feeling of “we’re all busy, but nothing’s moving”.

From an HR perspective, misalignment often leads to disengagement. People become frustrated when their efforts don’t seem to connect with results. You might notice turnover in key roles, tension between clinical and admin staff, or inconsistent communication to patients.

The good news? Misalignment is fixable – and usually faster than people think.

HR STRATEGIES FOR CREATING ALIGNMENT

Clarify the ‘Why’ Before the ‘What’

When things start to feel scattered, resist the urge to jump straight into tasks. Step back and clarify the why. What’s the shared purpose of your team?

For example, instead of saying, “We need to increase recall rates”, try: “Our goal is for every patient to feel cared for beyond their appointment”.

That subtle shift connects the practical (recalls) to the purpose (patient care). Once everyone understands the why, the what becomes easier to agree on.

HR can help by guiding teams through a simple purpose-setting exercise. Ask:

• What experience do we want every patient to have?

• What do we want to be known for as a practice?

• How does each role contribute to that?

When your team can answer those questions confidently, you’ve got alignment in motion.

Translate Big Goals into Role-Specific Objectives

It’s one thing to have a shared goal; it’s another to make it meaningful for every role.

Start by breaking down big organisational goals into team and individual objectives. If your practice goal is to improve recall rates, that means:

• Optometrists ensure notes are accurate and follow-up plans are clear.

• Front desk staff schedule follow-ups promptly and communicate the value of reviews.

• Dispensers reinforce continuity by reminding patients of the benefits of returning for adjustments.

This ‘cascading’ approach makes alignment tangible. It also forms the basis of fair performance reviews – everyone is working toward the same destination, just from their own lane.

A simple way to make accountability clear is to map it out in a RACI matrix – a tool that defines who is:

• R – Responsible (does the work)

• A – Accountable (owns the outcome)

• C – Consulted (provides input or expertise)

• I – Informed (kept up to date on progress)

Here’s what that might look like for a practice goal of improving recall rates:

Using a RACI chart helps avoid the classic “I thought someone else was doing that” problem. It makes ownership visible and highlights where communication needs to happen.

Pro tip: Check that each objective passes the ‘so what?’ test. If an employee can’t explain why their goal matters to the practice or how success will be measured, the objective is not yet aligned.

Communicate Continuously, Not Just Annually

Most alignment problems aren’t caused by lack of meetings – they’re caused by meetings that happen too late or don’t connect people to priorities.

Instead of waiting for annual reviews, build continuous alignment into everyday routines. In an optical or healthcare setting, a five-minute morning huddle can make a huge difference.

This isn’t a meeting for updates – it’s for priorities. Stand together before the day begins and ask:

• What are today’s key focus points?

• Who’s taking ownership of what?

• Any challenges or special cases we need to be aware of ?

These quick huddles give everyone clarity, allow individuals to own their tasks, and create a sense of shared rhythm. They also surface issues early, before they turn into frustrations later in the day.

Keep it short, energetic, and solution-focussed. If it’s dragging past five minutes, it’s too long.

You can support by creating a simple framework or prompting questions for these huddles. When practised consistently, they build transparency, accountability, and team trust – one morning at a time.

Recognise and Reward Collaborative Success

What you celebrate, you repeat. If you only reward individual results, you’ll get individual effort. If you highlight team outcomes, you’ll build shared responsibility.

Try introducing simple team-based recognition, for example:

• A shout-out in the weekly meeting for staff who helped each other achieve a goal.

• A monthly ‘practice win’ shared in your newsletter or group chat.

• Joint incentives linked to practice-wide metrics like patient retention or satisfaction.

Recognition doesn’t need to be monetary. Often, it’s the acknowledgment that makes people feel seen and valued. When staff feel their collaboration matters, alignment becomes self-reinforcing.

WHEN ALIGNMENT FEELS IMPOSSIBLE

Sometimes, despite everyone’s best intentions, alignment stalls. Maybe long-standing personality clashes, unclear reporting lines, or historical habits are getting in the way.

When that happens, go back to basics:

Clarify roles and responsibilities. Overlaps create confusion.

Revisit communication channels. Are messages being lost between Teams, face-to-face and WhatsApp?

Seek neutral facilitation. A trained HR consultant or external facilitator can help reset expectations and rebuild trust.

Encourage curiosity before correction. Rather than saying, “You’re not following the goal”, try: “Help me understand what’s important to you in this goal.” Alignment starts with understanding, not instruction.

ALIGNMENT AS A HABIT, NOT A ONE-OFF

The best-aligned practices I’ve worked with aren’t perfect – they’re intentional. They make alignment part of daily life. They communicate clearly, celebrate often, and check in regularly on whether goals still make sense.

Because alignment isn’t about control. It’s about connection – helping every person, from the front desk to the exam room, see how their contribution shapes the patient experience and the practice’s success.

When everyone understands the ‘why’ behind what they do, something powerful happens: They don’t just work harder; they work together.

SUMMARY

In the day-to-day rush of patient care, dispensing, and administration, it’s easy for alignment to slip quietly off the radar. Yet when everyone in a practice truly understands how their individual efforts connect to shared goals, everything flows more smoothly – communication improves, patients feel the difference, and teams regain a sense of purpose.

Alignment doesn’t require a grand strategy or endless meetings; it’s built in the small, consistent moments of clarity and connection. A five-minute huddle, a clearly defined responsibility, or a shared celebration of success – these are what keep teams rowing in rhythm.

When goals are clear and perspectives respected, the whole practice moves forward together – and that’s when the real magic happens for both patients and people.

Kasia Groves is the founder of KG2 Consulting (kg2consulting.com.au), providing HR consulting and coaching. A certified member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), Ms Groves has over a decade of experience working with small and medium-sized businesses across a range of sectors, including optometry, manufacturing, logistics, and technology.

She has developed particular expertise in the optical profession, supporting organisations such as Eyecare Kids and Menicon Australia, as well as other independent optometry practices, to build high-performing, values-aligned teams.

Ms Groves was a finalist in the 2025 Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards in the Business Services category.