How Optometry is Changing Because of Millennial ODs.

There is an effect of generation on the optometry industry that is changing expectations from optometry clinics. Millennials and optometry have an important correlation since there are steady changes happening in technology, practice management, work-life balance, patient care already and diversity and inclusion.

Trends in Optometry

Millennial ODs have economic reality and attractive flexibility. Since millennials have high debt, don’t have huge capital possibilities, corporate optometry has become the an attractive option.

Millennials are part of the digital generation, where technology is prioritized for every industry. They also wired to expect high efficiency and productivity. They also use technology to build relationships with patients.

Digital Future of Optometry

Modern offices are turning towards digital space to increase efficiency. This can include looking into software for billing, appointments, and booking – things like cloud access and digital imaging for records and patient data. Optometry offices are being expanded to digital spaces for greater accessibility.

Cloud Adoption

The willingness millennials have to turn towards the cloud is great in the millennial general. Millennials and optometry involve incorporating IT setups, hardware, and software. It can mean more training as well as costs from tech glitches. If an optometry clinic has different office locations, it can mean the use of multiple IT systems, which can lead to expenditure cost.

Millennials are turning the trend to optometry offices towards incorporating the right sort of technology into the right spaces. A model that needs HIPAA compliance and has a fully-managed and secure structure. It also gives room to optometry clinics to be more transparent with their customers. Through seamless integration, there is increased accountability of the optometry clinics too. With more optometry clinics, you can still have the same procedures and implement a similar structure with the help of technology.

Diversity and Inclusive

Young ODs want to feel part of something bigger. They make sure the promotion practices throughout the organization follow are unbiased and equitable. They are looking for a structured internal mobility program to provide equal opportunities. Many corporate opticals like Warby Parker have taken steps to help grow diversity in optometry. Many millennial ODs feel they belong at Warby Parker and have taken subleases and employed positions.

Millennial ODs have changed how the industry performs and works with its patients and workforce. This can be quite a positive change in terms of relationships, efficiency, and ability to expand.

How to Manage Entitled Employees

Entitled employees can be a pain for your office, mostly because they have this “we’re better than the
rest” attitude. Entitled employees can be from all stages of the career path. It’s one thing to be self-confident, but completely another to be entitled. These
employees expect to be treated much better than others, and that’s when the problem begins. It doesn’t matter if they work in a private practice, corporate practice or have completed a residency entitled employees need to be dealt with right away.


One thing to know about these entitled employees is their psychology works differently. Each must’ve
gone through something in their lives that triggered their superiority complex. Every employee’s reason
to be entitled varies according to the events in their lives.
Let’s go through what psychological entitlement is and how it can be dealt with.


What is Psychological Entitlement?
Psychological entitlement stems from an employee’s background and achievements. Some young ODs come out of

optometry school and feel like they can just walk into a practice and take over. The mindset that they are a Doctor

can provide that entailment factor. Many will have achieved great goals whether it be grades, residency or a family

member in the optical industry.

They start believing they’re better than everyone else and should be
treated differently, much better. Some things entitled employees ask for are more income right away, seeing less patients per hour, not working nights and weekends and making demands.


The mechanics behind psychological entitlement is rather complex yet simple. Anyone you meet exhibits
signs of entitlement would easily tell you how they’re raised. Yes, it has a lot to do with one’s brought
up. As stated earlier as well, the reasons behind entitlement vary. However, entitlement in the
workplace stirs a pot of politics, employee rivalry, and eventually, misconduct, which can become a pain
for the practice manager or owner.


Provide Constant Feedback

The first thing you need to realize as a manger is that you can’t change an entitled employee’s mindset. However, you can manage their behavior and even curb their entitlement.

You can do so by providing them constant feedback in a neutral manner that doesn’t set
them off. For example, you can call them and tell them about their good performance. Also, at the same
inform them about their shortcomings. This will balance your review, and you won’t come off as a bad.

Research states that employees tend to respond more rationally when they’re given a negative
review along with a positive one.

Monitor Their Behavior
Entitled employees need to be managed by checking their overall performance and their behavior
towards other employees. If an employee is entitled, chances are they’re going to flaunt their “I’m
better than you” attitude to others as well, and that’s not right.

All employees need to feel accepted,welcome, and most importantly, equal. If they feel that other employees are supposedly getting
preferential treatment, even if they’re not, it can negatively affect their productivity. Hence, as a
manager, you need to ensure such behavior is not enforced. It’s a big responsibility to manage all of
your employees and an even bigger responsibility to provide all employees with a sense of belonging.

Final Points
Entitlement is an issue that can make things worse for other people. When someone’s full of superiority
complex, they make others feel much less about them, and this doesn’t fare well for them. Hence, as a
manager, it’s up to you to ensure entitled employees keep such behaviors to themselves and not spread
them around the workplace. Entitled employees cause many issues in the practice, stop the issues before they get bigger!