Leader of the Future was a newly-devised and keenly-contested category at this year’s Optician Awards.
Upon meeting Paige Furlong at the buzzing Specsavers Chelmsley Wood practice, there can be no doubt the new prize has true merit.
Clearly inspired by her victory, Furlong is setting out to take her management experience to the next level and one day intends to run her own practice.
The optical assistant, who since 2014 has completed dispensing certificates and qualified in diabetic screening, progressed through the multiple’s management academy scheme.
She also helped kick-start a local school screening initiative last year – writing to head teachers in 30 locations before visiting with a basic kit of frames and lenses. As a manager, she runs clinic days, leading a team of at least five optometrists, two dispensing opticians and 20 retail staff over two floors.
Upon seeing the new award category late last year, a modest Furlong decided she would at least try her luck after a busy few years. ‘I looked at the criteria and thought it did fit quite well with what I’d done,’ she tells Optician.
Having started off as a weekend receptionist, her chance to lead arrived when two of the Chelmsley Wood managers went on maternity leave last September. It has been a steep learning curve since.
‘The buck ends with you, so on a day like today if Paul [Cooper, store director] wasn’t there it’s about making that decision yourself. All the team knew me before as being friends but suddenly I made that step to being someone who has to manage them, so that’s one of the hardest things,’ Furlong adds.
As for the future, at the moment she sees management as her domain rather than training to be a dispensing optician or optometrist.
She says: ‘I like the management side of things. I just enjoy the people side of it all and that’s what works best for me.
‘I would love to run my own store one day if that becomes a possibility. That’s my end goal I think, but I’m really happy where I am and doing what I’m doing currently. The other guys will be back fairly soon so we’ll just see where it goes from there really.’
Another aspect of practice life that makes Furlong tick and stood out to the judges is her passion for the latest systems and products to boost business.
‘I love when new products come in,’ she says. ‘We have a new Qudini appointment queuing system upstairs now and I love anything like that. I put my all into these things – most of the morning I have spent doing the optometrists’ diary for the next two months. It’s one of the most confusing things.’
Ultimately though, when she is having a testing time it is the wider team that gets her through.
She says: ‘It’s just us. If you’re having a bad day it’s usually through things that are outside of your control, but the team are great and I’ve never had any problems with them.
‘There’s loads going on socially. You only have to look on the notice board to see this, whether it’s Love Island night, Ghetto Golf or a sports day. It means you don’t just know people as work colleagues, they become your friends. It’s really nice to be outside work and be able to interact with your colleagues as well as work.
‘It’s definitely one of the things that if I ever owned a store I would never take away. You do have to do things like that to become a team.’
Indeed, there is no denying the vibrant atmosphere at Specsavers Chelmsley Wood. It is evident both during the practice visit and spirited presence at the Optician Awards ceremony itself. This camaraderie did not just appear overnight and leaders such as Furlong can be credited with creating the most upbeat environment possible to deliver optical care.