H.R. Huddle

Successful conflict management requires knowing when to act, what to say and when to sit everyone down for a little coaching.

The reality is that after spending all day with your co-workers, almost every day of the week, conflict is inevitable at your veterinary practice. What is reasonable, though, as well as desirable, is to create a healthy work environment, one where conflicts that arise are managed in a functional way that allows the practice to […]

You have a responsibility to respond quickly and firmly to situations involving outside predators. It all starts with the employee handbook.

Harassment in the workplace lowers morale, reduces productivity and otherwise upsets employees. It can take the form of unwanted flirtation, forced touching or inappropriate jokes about an employee’s religion, race or gender. It could involve an unwillingness of someone to work with, for example, a sight-impaired employee. Harassment also can occur when someone inappropriately contacts […]

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 […]

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 […]

Team members are more likely to embrace change initiatives when practice leaders better communicate the vision and celebrate small victories.

Although plenty of businesses talk about change and many of them devote significant time to change management, too many efforts are failing. An article in HR Magazine analyzed why this is happening and offered suggestions for making your next change-management strategies take root. The February 2018 article “Why Change Efforts Fail” cited a Prosci study […]

Consider three strategies for retaining a star employee who has reached the top of the job pay range.

Let’s say you employ the veterinary nurse of your dreams. Not only is she wonderful with the animals, she is compassionate with their owners. She communicates clearly with clients, she’s highly experienced in necessary skills, she’s always on time, she’s willing to do her share and more, and she avoids gossip, among other positive traits. […]

Know what to do when employees refuse to sign a disciplinary notice.

You created disciplinary policies and procedures that are clear, fair and approved by your attorney. You carefully document misconduct and poor performance, and you discuss the acts with all relevant parties. But then an employee throws a curve ball by refusing to sign a disciplinary notice. You really want the signature as proof of the […]

Testing can help identify the right person for a job, but be sure to choose the right exam and to develop a policy for its use.

Workplace culture in a veterinary practice is significantly influenced by the personalities of the people who work there. So, it makes good sense to gain a clear understanding of personality assessments and how they can benefit a practice. In 2015, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) published an in-depth piece about personality tests and […]

Practices should have clear written policies so everyone is aware of what they can do online during work hours and what is always inappropriate.

Telemedicine may come to mind when you think about internet legal issues that can affect veterinary practices. However, it’s not the only issue. Let’s examine three others. Social Media “Research” Social media makes finding information about people, including those you are considering hiring, so easy. But is searching on social media platforms for information about […]

Spoken and unspoken messages say a lot about a veterinary team’s assumptions, values and beliefs.

If you’ve owned, managed or worked at a particular veterinary practice for any length of time, you may be so used to the workplace culture that you can’t effectively define it, much less analyze its strengths and weaknesses. If that’s the case, it’s perfectly normal. Having said this, it makes good sense for your practice […]