Optometry professionals, Can you describe a time when your own approach to an anxious patient wasn't working and how you pivoted? What insight did this experience give you about managing patient anxiety?

I once worked with a client who was anxious and stubborn about changing his practices, and my initial strategic approach simply did not land. I paused the strategy work, focused first on empathy, and put myself in his shoes so he felt heard. I then mentored him step by step, starting with KPI analysis and low-risk measures so we could produce small wins and build trust. That experience taught me that empathy must come before advice and that patient management requires patience, incremental progress, and time to reduce anxiety and open people to change.