Growth and Career Mapping for Your Team with Molly Lautzenheiser

With hiring and retaining quality team members becoming ever more challenging, we have to consider career satisfaction more than ever. One of the ways we can ensure employee career satisfaction is by cultivating a culture of growth through career mapping. This process gives employees learning opportunities that not only fit a need within the practice, but spark their interest and bring them joy. How do you know it brings them joy? By bringing them into the conversation and letting them be a part of the decision making. You may be surprised by what you’ll learn.

Today’s guest is Molly Lautzenheiser from Avon Lake Animal Hospital. Her background is fascinating as she began working in the industry as a boutique owner. Fast forward to present day, she is the Hospital Administrator at Avon Lake and knows the importance of outlining potential growth areas for employees. In our conversation today, Molly shares the changes they’ve implemented in the review process to incorporate career mapping and the effect it has had on engagement and retention among all roles.

We have a responsibility to help people succeed. In these changing times, we need to flip the question from “What can the employee do for you?” to “What can you do for the employee?”

Show Notes:

[3:17] - Career mapping helps with employee engagement and retention.

[3:57] - Bring employee interests in the field into their current role.

[5:15] - At Avon Lake, they are adjusting how they complete reviews and focus on employees working in their job in a purposeful and meaningful way.

[6:58] - Traditionally, this industry does not spend enough money on training and education. 

[8:39] - Debbie shares the experience of an employee wanting training and the thoughts going into the decision to pay for it.

[11:12] - Thinking outside an employee’s typical role can lead to tremendous growth for them as individuals and can bring a new dynamic to the team.

[12:43] - Ask your team what brings them joy throughout their workday. You may be surprised by their individual answers.

[14:47] - Annual reviews have been changed to a more manageable process for Avon Lake.

[15:49] - Molly describes what the first career mapping meeting looks like for an employee.

[17:03] - Breaking things down into smaller manageable chunks makes goals feel attainable.

[19:14] - Who is involved in the career mapping process?

[22:05] - Don’t underestimate your intuition regarding an employee’s strengths.

[24:57] - Come at it from their perspective.

[26:33] - Career mapping is a natural way to create a culture of growth in the practice.

[28:23] - The conversations you have with your employees will be eye opening to the ways the practice can improve.

Thank you for listening. Remember you are not in this alone. Visit our website for more resources.

Links and Resources:

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Avon Lake Animal Clinic