Note: this one puzzled The Board of Directors Here at Spo-reflections. They couldn’t conclude if I wrote it while upset or angry or ‘just trying to be funny again’. I told them I am always trying to be funny, but no, I wasn’t upset or angry. Perhaps I was a bit peckish, particularly for seafood. Spo.
This week The Bosses sent an email telling us the business has been sold. The He-boss is going into sweet semi-retirement after decades of running the show. The She-boss will still do some management.* We are told the new owner(s) is a conglomeration of mental health clinics, thus making the place a sort of like a chain restaurant, like Red Lobster, without the cheddar biscuits . I have christened the owners The Overlords and their headquarters resides in Florida., I get the dubious new title of “Florida Man”.
I have never been through a buyout, so I don’t know what to expect. Human nature being what it is, the staff (including myself) are curious and/or anxious about ‘what happens”. Will it literally be ‘business as usual’ or will there be major changes, like uniforms with lobster bibs.
The Persian Empire (I recall) did a good job with its hegemony by taking over but not really changing things. They didn’t demand the population change their religion or goings-on or even their rulers. So long as the taxes came their way Darius the Great et. al. didn’t fuss with the status quo. The email conveys The Overloards will be taking this approach and there will be no changes, but who can say what will happen, in time? Then again, changes happen anyway in time, so it is comparing apples to apples.
A couple of counselors have approached me asking if I was staying.** Quitting hadn’t crossed my mind. If The Overlords change things to my displeasure I would retire or leave; I don’t know of any out-of-work shrinks. I’m curious to see is if supervision and work modalities change. Brother #2 and SIL #3 both physicians often grumble administrators and know-it-alls constantly tell them what to do and how to work. Happily I don’t have that. The Bosses have always taken a laissez-faire approach with me doing my job. Will the new ones make me wait on more tables, as it were? Time will tell.
My first emotional reaction to reading the news was ‘Well, maybe somebody will finally hang up the paintings”. Around the place are lots of wall hangings, all piled up, that the owners haven’t gotten around to either hang up or throw out. There is also a lot of old office equipment needing a clear out. It gives the place a sort of still moving into look. These are superficial cosmetic concerns I know, but it would make the place look more attractive. Perhaps some nice scenes of lighthouses and lobster traps would be nice.
The Overlords soon arrive from faraway Florida to shake hands as it were. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in their meetings with the therapists and the clerical staff! I can imagine these get-togethers resembling an orchestra of scorched cats with their anxiety towards ‘Will I keep my job (clerics)?’ and ‘Will you be telling me how to work (therapists)?”. The Overlords don’t have a meeting set up me, which is curious. Perhaps they think it better not to poke me. In a way, it’s a disappointment. I hear tell they are bringing lunch, maybe fried shrimp.
With all of this I am taking the ‘not to be worrying approach’. If I am turned into a sort-of Reb Lobster waiter mental health provider (oh, how I hate that word!) I can pack up and go elsewhere. When I do, I am taking with me all the wall hangings with me. After all, they are mine; I hung them up when I got tired of looking at blank walls.
*Both are well over four feet if you were wondering.
**They didn’t convey if they were seeking a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ answer.
38 comments
September 16, 2021 at 9:24 AM
David Godfrey
A safe assumption, they didn’t buy the business to dismantle what makes a profit, as long as you make money for them, they should be happy. Likely they will look for ways to improve and increase. Maybe more efficient scheduling and billing. Having your abilities and an adjunct to the counseling practice should keep a profit center in house. If they are wise they will ask for a DNA sample so they can clone you.
September 16, 2021 at 10:11 AM
Urspo
What I hear from the news Florida is a rather zany place I just hope they don’t bring any of that nonsense this way. We got plenty in Arizona as it is.
September 16, 2021 at 9:40 AM
Pat
In my experience of being acquired/traded/sold/ pawned off on etc over the years, the bigger the new powers to be the more likelihood of
power points on best practices and processes. Superficial stuff
that is best endured than questioned. The important thing is to locate your
present “benefits package”. Know now your compensation structure, healthcare coverage, your time off policies and retirement plan/contributions. In keeping with the aforementioned “best practices” new owners sometime make nips and tucks to your benefits that are not always
to your advantage.On the plus side, the bigger the conglomerate that hires you the more likelihood of getting a free ball cap, tee-shirt or travel coffee mug with their logo on as a welcome gift. Company songs and picnics have
all but faded from the corporate scene but one can always hope that they return.
September 16, 2021 at 10:12 AM
Urspo
Thank you I hadn’t thought of that viz. changes in benefits and salary.
I would hope if they should alter these things I would be informed first, or is this naif?
September 16, 2021 at 12:11 PM
Pat
The deal your new powers made was with your current owners not you. Like office leases, wall art, and photocopiers you will be theirs to deal with. There I was thinking the prospect of a company song and a free ball cap might excite you. I didn’t mean to add to your uncertainty. Seldom are these corporate changes immediate or full frontal attacks.They are small cuts presented as major pluses. For example a standard raise is replaced by merit pay with the metrics undefined. A 15 day vacation and 5 sick days policy is changed to 17 Paid Time Off days. Which means if you catch a stomach bug and miss a week of work your annual three weeks in the South of France are suddenly in jeopardy. A guaranteed percentage contribution to a 401K is instead replaced by profit sharing. But creative accounting can make profits a less sure thing. My guess other than your receptionists having to add some modifier to your name ie Arizona Shrinks, a Megacorp Company, your life won’t change much except for some new software program promising to make your life better, more flexible etc but in reality has you doing more data entry than ever. I remain cynical of corporations but experienced with their “efficiencies”. Fear not the unknown. Just proceed with both eyes open. And maybe counter any significant inroads, or as the lawyers say “material changes”, into your remuneration, IF,(and note that’s big IF) they arise, by raising the possibility of “grandfathering” anything you prefer not to lose. If wise shrinks are indeed a hot commodity in your sweltering city, and your water cooler colleagues are talking of moving on, deftly raise the idea of a “retention bonus.” In acquisitions like this companies often have leeway and a bunch of one time costs that can be buried in their financial statements.
September 16, 2021 at 11:07 AM
larrymuffin
Sorry to hear this though you had mentioned it before. Well maybe you will get a new corp iphone so you can conduct sessions on the phone and in person at the same time. Skip lunch to be more productive and longer hours like 24/7 availability. I do hope all goes well for you. Remember there is always a PEI in your dreams.
September 16, 2021 at 12:19 PM
Urspo
I already skip lunch; if I am lucky I have 20 minutes to wolf down something.
I sometimes feel like a sinking ship with no freight to throw overboard.
September 16, 2021 at 12:49 PM
larrymuffin
OMG! this is terrible.
September 16, 2021 at 11:27 AM
Old Lurker
Uh oh. Now I am anxious too. I think you should expect more bureaucracy and idiotic rules for the sake of rules. Brother #2 and SIL #3 speak wisely. On the other hand, given your profession you are probably used to bureaucracy and idiotic rules. Still, if it gets too onerous remember there is always a PEI in your dreams.
I am pretty sure there are some out of work shrinks — those who are caught sleeping with their clients no doubt end up in the unemployment lines.
September 16, 2021 at 12:21 PM
Urspo
I am one to backtalk (in a nice way of course) when something is not going right in my opinion. If – big if – the Overlords are martinets there will be ructions.
September 16, 2021 at 12:13 PM
Debbie W.
Hope the changes to your work life will be minimal. You are in an enviable position to be able to look elsewhere or even retire, if need be. But you would surely be missed by your patients.
September 16, 2021 at 12:23 PM
Urspo
Yes, all that is so viz. my patients (some I have seen since 2005!) would be very upset and also desperate to find a replacement.
Looking elsewhere or even retiring is a comfort to know in the worst-case I can do either. However, I still feel there will be no nastiness. My bosses are ethical sorts and would not sell-out to anyone callous. I trust them this way.
September 16, 2021 at 2:20 PM
Linda Practical Parsimony
download anything you will want to take with you. Or, make notes since anything you take from you notes will be obvious if anyone cares to look. Pat has soundadvice. You can handle this!
September 16, 2021 at 3:10 PM
Urspo
If I were to leave, there really isn’t anything but personal objects and knick-knacks to pack up and take and I would be half-tempted to to leave it all behind and start ‘fresh’.
September 16, 2021 at 2:35 PM
Debra She Who Seeks
Well, you certainly read the writing on the wall correctly. Very wise to just take a wait and see approach before making hasty decisions about staying or going. And you’re right — any kind of medical doctor can just write their own ticket these days to anywhere they want to go and anything they want to do. And of course The Overlords know that perfectly well too.
September 16, 2021 at 3:13 PM
Urspo
By the way, the name “Overlords” is a reference to one of my favorite sci-fi novels “Childhood’s end” by Asminov. The Overlords are a benevolent race that comes to Earth to uplift mankind to utopia and then towards apotheosis. Sort of like angels.
I have no reason to fear the new owners are anything bad. The Bosses are ‘bleeding liberals’ who would not sell to the nasties.
But I will soon find out.
September 16, 2021 at 3:42 PM
Old Lurker
(Psst. Childhood’s End was by Arthur C. Clarke, not Asimov.)
September 16, 2021 at 3:57 PM
Urspo
Of course it is!
Good eye
I’ve always gotten “Arthur” and “Asimov” confused
September 16, 2021 at 2:52 PM
Dwight W.
Since I am already a Florida man in Terms of number of years lived.here and the number of huge Cardiology Urology and Primary Care Practices bought out that had been started by individuals, I will tell you what I see. The offices remain patient oriented , but there is a possibility that someone with less education than you may be guiding your life. If they think it is a possibility they may try to ramp up the number of encounters you have on a daily basis. . If I were you, I would give it a chance to see how it would change my mental health and my happiness, before I walked away from a life I know. Best wishes and thank you for sharing. Patients willing to make the transition are always the lube that runs the engine.
September 16, 2021 at 3:15 PM
Urspo
I will give it a chance. I am aware I can improve and things can improve here. I am keen on smelling a rat too. I will see what happens in the long run.
September 16, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Gigi Rambles
I’ve been through exactly one buyout – and I pray I never have to go through another one. Mainly, because I am the keeper of the contracts, so the transition was a bear for me. Also because all these new people just showed up one day. We were told that we were bought for our “knowledge.” No, we weren’t; since they continue to throw out they way we used to do things.
As someone else mentioned, most likely it won’t happen all at once…but changes WILL occur…some good; some not so good.
And yes, you are wise to wait and see how it all shakes out. When our buyout was announced, a bunch of people retired and missed out on generous severance packages that were announced after the transition.
I’m hopeful your experience will be better than mine. Although, I have adjusted, I still resent our Overlords and their micro-managing ways…I want to say, “Excuse me; but I’ve been doing this since you were in diapers…let me handle it the way I see fit.” but, wisely keep my mouth shut since I don’t have the option to retire just yet.
September 16, 2021 at 3:17 PM
Urspo
I don’t take truck with fools and to whippersnappers tell me how to be after thirty years in the chair. Plus, I am very good at psychological ploy.
All the same, i still have no real sense the place is about to go to hell, and I can walk strongly if I don’t care for it.
September 16, 2021 at 3:01 PM
jenn
I hope all goes well with the new takeover. Maybe it will just be “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” and you can just carry on. I know when my private dentist sold out to a big dental group, I changed dentists, as it seemed to be all about getting us to have more treatments and procedures. But that’s not psychiatry. Maybe someone will hang a picture! -Jenn
September 16, 2021 at 3:18 PM
Urspo
The soon to be old Bosses more of less let me be as I assumed they were happy with what I was doing/how it was going.
I am open for new ways if these sound good.
September 16, 2021 at 3:10 PM
Todd Gunther
You should be fine unless you were acquired by a group of venture capitalists. In that case, update the resume.
September 16, 2021 at 3:19 PM
Urspo
My bleeding heart liberal tree hugging bosses I believe would never sell to sordid sorts, especially as one of them plans to be here another five years.
I haven’t written a resume in 15 years. I wonder how one does one.
September 16, 2021 at 5:05 PM
Blobby
“Hegemony”. One of my all time favourite words. And careful about the ‘administrators and know-it-alls”. I’ve built an entire career on that premise of telling doctors what to do. It pays well, but the not enough for them to “like” me.
September 17, 2021 at 9:00 AM
Urspo
I don’t envy you your job. My experience is doctors dislike being told what to do, particularly if it differs from their sense of status quo or what they feel is right. They are a shade lighter than telling anti-vaxxers why they should get the shots.
September 16, 2021 at 11:04 PM
Parnassus
It’s good that you have options, but there is always the anxiety of the unknown. Also, when you say that you can leave if things get bad, that assumes something catastrophic, like a really obnoxious micro-manager, or a 1/3 pay cut. But as people have pointed out, it is often more like a little chipping away here and there, and as one accepts each minor annoyance, it gets harder to know which is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I hope that we are all worrying for nothing, and that you work will proceed unimpeded.
–Jim
September 17, 2021 at 9:02 AM
Urspo
Indeed a new beginning always evokes wonders and fears of the unknown and usually towards the what-ifs on the bad side. Time will tell if anything good or bad develops. Part of me is curious to see what will happen, like an anthropologist watching a tribe going through a culture change.
September 16, 2021 at 11:23 PM
BadNoteB
I’ve grown suspicious of all acquisitioners. While the venture capitalists are the most despicable of this category, they all share a commonality of being motivated by money and ego over quality of the business product. In my experience, there is no altruistic purpose for a medical practice in Florida to purchase and expand thousands of miles away in Arizona. UNLESS there’s a shit pot of $$$ to be made somewhere in the process.
While it is possible to expand practices and profit from enlarged client/patient volume, that often requires large capital investments above initial acquisition costs. It’s far cheaper to alter existing expense profiles and optimize operating procedures, exploit existing talent, economize (cheapen) product quality, and when successful, lower client expectations to a new level of normal.
Unregulated capitalism at its finest – our new American way! We’re so accustomed to it as consumers that no one bothers to complain anymore…
September 17, 2021 at 9:03 AM
Urspo
You are correct the area of “health care” is not driven by health per se but by profit for the owners and stockholders. This can cause conflict of interest. Thus is how things are in the States.
September 17, 2021 at 1:16 AM
Moving with Mitchell
Maybe things will even improve. Hard to say. I’ve been through a few buyouts. One was a huge improvement. One was simply more of the same. And another started off well and then sucked… and I left. Wishing you pleasant surprises.
September 17, 2021 at 9:04 AM
Urspo
Let us hope so
On the positive, there are many things in the present mode of operation I’ve always wanted to see improve but the current owners/bosses haven’t done so. Hey, it’s their place, not mine.
Maybe some of these things I would like will come to fruition now.
September 17, 2021 at 3:57 AM
Jennifer Barlow
Try not to be too crabby! 😉 Maybe it will all work out for the best.
September 17, 2021 at 9:05 AM
Urspo
Crab is off the menu; may I recommend the fisherman’s platter?
September 17, 2021 at 8:42 AM
Robzilla
Buyouts, mergers, and spinoffs can sometimes be scary. I almost went through a buyout at my last employer at the very end of my tenure. If that had gone through, I knew my entire department would’ve been laid off.
Other times when I went through that, it was business as usual with a few tweaks. Hopefully in your case it’s the latter.
September 17, 2021 at 9:07 AM
Urspo
I am thinking more that there is nothing but positives to be:
the new owners could tune up some things I have long felt deficit, or they can prompt me to go elsewhere; nothing like a new frock to brighten up the day.