Leadership

Being able to see any situation from a calmer and more balanced vantage point is one rung on the ladder to achieving flow.

This column has focused on exploring flow, that state of complete clarity and awareness in which you feel most enlivened and operate from a state of relaxed ease and, even, bliss. This time, let’s look at the role of centering as a step in achieving flow. Centering is a way to calm the mind and […]

Timely follow-up communication underscores your practice’s commitment to client service and patient care.

The concept of client callback systems is not a new one. Veterinary practices have used them for years and have seen positive results. Most practices started with lab results and then added surgery callbacks a day or two after the procedure. Sadly, many hospitals stopped here, thinking that was enough. The common assumption is that […]

Not understanding common contract terms and failing to renegotiate certain provisions when appropriate can cause unnecessary risk and liability.

Reading the fine print in a business contract is probably not your idea of a good time. You have a busy practice and negotiating contracts is clearly not why you became a veterinarian or hospital administrator. That said, every business owner or manager should have a firm understanding of which contract provisions require careful review. […]

Unmotivated employees hinder the progress of hard-working, career-oriented achievers. Both groups need your attention to ensure a healthy work environment.

Imagine a bucket full of crabs that can clearly see the opening overhead. They topple and climb over each other as they try to scale the lip of the bucket and reach freedom. At the bottom are a few crabs that don’t want to make the climb. In fact, not only do they not want […]

Rather than look at maternity leave and parental needs as impediments to business, see the bigger picture and adopt a practice culture that communicates empathy.

While I have always respected the roles that mothers play in society, it was not until I became a mom that the breadth and depth of the job sank in. I have the tremendous fortune of working for a true servant leader, a working veterinarian-mom of three who is sympathetic and accommodating to the demands […]

Your hospital’s reputation could be at stake if a team member’s online remark goes too far, so be sure to craft clear, legally defensible guidelines.

The use of social media can be a double-edged sword, especially in the workplace. On the plus side, social media is a wonderful vehicle for marketing a veterinary practice and connecting with current or potential clients. On the darker side, what happens when an employee posts content that reflects negatively on your practice? Should you […]

Money is wasted during each minute of a meandering back-office meeting. You need to set a tight schedule, establish ground rules and be selective with the invitations.

Staff meetings, department meetings, management meetings, lunch and learns. Veterinary professionals are not immune to the meetings epidemic that plagues many companies. Meetings are often a necessary evil, but many of them are unexciting, unfocused and unproductive. We rarely stop to think about the real cost of meetings because, after all, the attendees are clocked […]

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Do the little things to turn an average client experience into one that pet owners will relish and long remember.

We all know that clients determine the quality and value of a veterinary practice based on what they see and experience. Furthermore, this determination is made in the first three minutes that clients come into contact with the practice. This phenomenon is known as perception of value. During a recent onsite consultation, I noticed a […]

Veteran employees often take the lead in sharing knowledge and advice, but newbies can do it, too. The key to success is to create the best possible relationships.

Although mentoring is not a new concept in the workplace, modern partnerships are not necessarily like those of the past. According to HR Magazine, formal mentoring relationships in previous eras would typically last at least a year and informal ones could last a decade. In today’s workforce, these relationships are often shorter and more specialty-oriented […]