Leadership

Employees can’t run on autopilot. They need proper training, oversight and feedback. You’re not doing your job if policies aren’t enforced and necessary discipline isn’t meted out.

I was consulting at a veterinary practice when two team members began arguing and yelling at each other in the pharmacy/laboratory area. Clients sitting in exam rooms could hear them, nearby colleagues were aware of what was going on, and the practice manager could not have been more than 10 feet away in her office. […]

Recognizing signs of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion is the first step in returning to your natural flow state.

Are you having fun in your work and life? If not, you might be on a path toward burnout. Anyone who’s spent time camping in the woods will likely recognize Smokey Bear’s admonition: “Only you can prevent wildfires.” As the incidence of burnout rises steadily in our profession, it’s important that we learn to become more […]

Devoting a day to cats and practicing low-stress handling techniques all the time will elevate wellness care in the mind of pet owners and improve medical care.

For the past five years, October has equated to CATober in my practice, a month where we rally around all things feline. The marketing program was a response to the industry’s call to expand our reach and enhance our approach to feline veterinary care. Nearly seven years after the release of the Bayer Veterinary Care […]

Technicians are in a great position to raise the topic of health coverage — and all its benefits — with clients.

Pet health insurance has been a part of our industry for longer than you might think. It dates back nearly 130 years to Swedish businessman Claes Virgin, who wrote policies covering horses and livestock. Not until 1982 was the first policy issued in the United States. As of 2018, about 2.2 million pets were insured […]

You can easily talk your way out of a job or accept less than you’re worth.

A veterinarian interviewing for a job indicates that she needs to earn a certain starting salary. The hiring manager decides the veterinarian is the best candidate for the position and offers the job at the requested salary. The candidate then asks for $50,000 more a year. The hiring manager is not pleased. Feeling as if […]

The newest wave of employees is looking for fun workplaces, ethical brands and more interaction with supervisors.

Millennials are often in the news and have been for quite some time now, with countless articles discussing their effect on the workforce. But what about Generation Z, the group born between about 1995 and 2010? They’re in or entering the workforce, and their perception of the world is different from that of the millennials […]

C’mon, veterinarians, you can do better. You need to stop discounting, and clients need to pay for all services rendered. Oh, and two more things: Dress the part and treat your employees properly. Now get to work!

You might not believe me after reading this article, but few things bug me in life. That is especially true with regard to my personal life. I subscribe to the philosophy “Life is too short, so don’t let the little things bother you.” Some things on the business side of my life, however, do bother […]

Employing people who share your values will elevate a practice by introducing different perspectives and creating a more diverse workforce.

It doesn’t take long to find articles that share why you should hire for culture fit. You might be employed by or have worked for companies that stressed how crucial this is. In fact, it’s gotten to where “hire for culture fit” is something that “everybody knows,” which can serve as a red flag. First, […]

If you’re struggling to find — and hire — an associate veterinarian for your practice, get to work fixing the problem. You can do it.

I’m a proponent of tough love. As a veterinary recruiter, I give tough love to my clients and candidates almost daily. I administer it in a consultative way, of course. This is because clients and candidates rely on me to get them the things they want. Specifically, I: Help animal health and veterinary professionals find […]

Practice partnership agreements need to be tightly written and account for eventualities, such as how disputes are settled and how a buyout is accomplished.

After extensive deliberations, you take a leap of faith and decide to dive into a veterinary practice partnership. While excitement compels you to rush into the venture, taking a step back to evaluate the implications and properly structure the business arrangement will greatly benefit you and your partners in the long run. A carefully tailored […]