What Is Current, Is The Past

"You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards." -Steve Jobs

This quote guided me throughout my career, even when I didn't even realize it. I am going to give you a hint about what you are about to read in hopes that you will take away why the past is so important to your future. We are obsessed with what is front of us, yet we ignore the lessons learned and the one main reason we do what we do.

Technology in our industry is incredible and changing at lighting speed. There is no shortage of "revolutionary" approaches to patient care, practice management or technology integration. The industry buzzes with excitement. To stay current, we attend conferences, buy books, implement systems. It is truly amazing to see the brilliance every day, but we must have a solid foundation that guides us to what we implement and how we adapt, not unlike what we have done in the past.

But, here's what hasn't changed: what will never change — our end goal is the patients and clients that we serve. They are the constant and must always be in focus. Whether current or past, without them, nothing else matters.

The patients walking through our doors today aren't the same as they were 20 years ago. They're older, more informed, more demanding. They're managing multiple chronic conditions. They're navigating technology. They're living longer with vision challenges we may not have been trained to address. They expect convenience, expect answers, expect us to see them — not just their prescription.

Consistently connecting the DOTS — those navigated in the past with new industry talent — is crucial. This will stop the cycle of reinvention and, instead, build rocket-based strategies that solve our patients' complex needs faster. Technology needs people to implement and provide human care.

My DOTS Story

Have you ever had something right in front of you for years and one day you think, ‘How have I missed this?’

My friends were graduating from college, and I was already eight years into my career as I started in eyecare at 15 years old. I had quite the ah-ha moment. Well, a few of them. My first realization was how far ahead of my friends I was in my employment path. My second realization was how far I was into my employment path. Yes, I said that twice.

I was passionate about eye care, but I knew if I was going to make this my career I would need to devise a plan. A piece of paper, a circle and 8 DOTS starting with 1987, the ah-ha year. I kept this piece of paper and used it as a compass for one dot worth of time, 1987-1992.

Life happened and I lost sight literally and metaphorically of that piece of paper.  I had to re-focus on my career, not just doing the work.  I found that piece of paper in 1995 and continued planning and looking back on the dots that had passed. My memory was clear, and I logged all my past experiences. This is important. Do not forget all that you have achieved and experienced.

Early in my speaking career, I was asked to give a keynote address at a leadership conference by one of my favorite mentors. I was passionate about sharing and building our industry bench, so I said "Absolutely! Why no? But, why me?" She explained that the excitement I always had about the industry needed to be shared.  Conveying that message would be easy because it was true. At that point, I had done quite a bit of training and teaching groups. But a keynote; how hard could it be?

Fast forward a month or so, my phone rang and there she was again asking for the title of the keynote and all the assets to start the marketing. GULP! Well, I had not thought of any of that at that moment. How could I seem unprepared to one of my greatest mentors? Stay with me…

I love DOTS candy and I happened to have a box sitting on the table. I looked at that box of DOTS and out of my mouth came "Connecting the Eye Care DOTS" is the title. From that moment DOTS appeared everywhere, helped me make sense of everything I did. The idea popped up everywhere and that little piece of paper became even more important as a career compass.

My DOTS path has changed through the years, but the original foundation has not. I go back through the past to see how I can apply it currently and for the future. I think Steve Jobs tapped into my DOTS theory as I found his quote years after I laid this foundation. Of course, that is not true, but the correlation and the meaning of DOTS throughout my life has laid a great path. I hope you are reflecting on your past and how important it is to what is current and future.

”You've got to find what you love”, Jobs says[i]

The Dots We Keep Missing

Think about what we all are missing. Here are just a few to consider.

• Being the Face of Eyecare How many times have you been called an obstetrician? The public doesn't understand what we do. What are you doing to change that? Meanwhile, each of us sees patients and has casual conversations every day. These are the best advocates if we'd take the time to educate them.
  

  When I meet a patient or client, my introduction is "Hello, my name is Karen, and I am a certified optician and will help you with your perfect visual solution." I have not done this my entire career (shame on me), but the change in response in those I help is beyond what I ever thought. It leads to conversation and understanding, and I make sure they understand that I am an important part of their overall health plan.
  

• Leadership and Mentorship Here's a pattern I've watched repeat for decades: we complain about decisions being made without our input, then we don't show up to the meetings. We want change and seats at the table, yet we are afraid to raise our hands. Sound familiar? That is because this is conversation we had 20 years ago, and 20 years before that. Remember, what is current is the past.
  

  The strongest professionals are those who were mentored well and who mentor others, yet we keep treating this as optional. The pattern is clear. When we invest in each other and step up to lead at every level of business, the profession elevates. When we don't, we fragment. DOTS cannot be connected if we are not willing to be one.
  

The Dangerous Myth of "But This Time It's Different"

Every generation believes their challenges are unprecedented. In some ways, they're right. The specifics are always different. The context evolves. Technology accelerates.

But, the fundamentals? Human nature? Patient needs? The core challenges of running a practice, serving a community, balancing clinical excellence with business reality? Those don't change as much as we think they do.

The dangerous part isn't that we believe our challenges are unique. It's that this belief stops us from seeking wisdom from those who've navigated similar terrain. It creates a disconnect between generations. It makes us dismiss the DOTS that have already been connected simply because they're not connected with the latest software or newest buzzword.

My Challenge to You — Look Backwards to Move Forward

To the veterans: Share your DOTS like your experience. Knowledge is currency. Spend it!

To the emerging professionals: What came before you is not irrelevant. Much of what is happening in technology currently is because of the past. There were plenty of mistakes made, but it's full of patterns you need to recognize. Ask questions. Seek mentors. Connect dots you didn't create but you can use to benefit your own learning.

To the industry leaders: Create teams and spaces that have a broad range of age and experience. Every segment needs to be represented. Oh, and don't forget the empty chair in the room:your patient/client. This will create real dialogue. Real exchange. Real learning in both directions.

To everyone: Start asking "Has this been tried before?" and "What can we learn from past attempts?" before diving into every supposed new solution. Not to dismiss innovation, but to accelerate it, by building on what already works.

Your DOTS are already there — you just need to look backward to connect them forward.  By the way, everything you just read is in the past. That is how fast it happens!

Written by Karen Michaelson

[i] Stanford Report