Self care has a bad reputation as being too selfish, but in a world of high expectations, stress, and eventual burnout, self care is crucial. That’s why I asked Lillian Clegg to be on the VHMA Manager to Manager Podcast today. Not only is she an excellent practice manager, but she is a former massage therapist who knows all about the importance of self care.

In today’s episode, Lillian and I discuss the importance of self care and what that could look like. In some cases, it could be taking the well-deserved vacation time that you’ve earned. But in other instances, it could be as simple as taking a walk around the building to recenter yourself. Lillian gives excellent tips on how to fit a few minutes in everyday to take care of yourself and ways you can set boundaries for yourself and your staff to better avoid resentment and frustration.

We know there’s a lot of stress in this profession, so listen on for some ways you can start implementing positive self care practices into your routine.

[2:57] - Lillian explains why she left her career as a massage therapist to the veterinarian field as an assistant.

[4:45] - In management particularly, there’s not a lot of downtime and the pandemic has changed the pressures. We can’t support the staff if we can’t support ourselves.

[5:48] - Many times, we don’t take the opportunity to care for ourselves. We strive to find a work-life balance for leaders but not always for ourselves.

[6:59] - Self care has a bad reputation for being selfish.

[7:48] - We can’t keep dwelling and worrying about burnout, we have to try to prevent it.

[8:40] - Lillian explains what she does to identify the need to step back for herself.

[9:57] - Sometimes the small things that only take a few minutes can have a huge impact.

[11:23] - It is important to just be human. If you need a moment, it’s necessary to take it.

[12:32] - Lillian has a lot of hospitals in her area and can collaborate with other managers.

[14:20] - Debbie shares her positive experience with a forum that she’s a part of.

[16:17] - Lillian admits that she used to not take her vacation time. But she has learned how important it is to take the time away that she has earned.

[18:30] - Teams need to be prepared if you are away. Empowerment talk is important.

[21:01] - Use sick days when you need them or you will become more physically ill.

[22:40] - We also need to be sure not to get irritated when others need to take time for self-care.

[23:50] - It is important to understand that staff need time off, too. There are some that are more chronic for calling out, but in general we need to consider this.

[26:26] - Lillian describes the boundaries she has in place for herself and how she communicates this to her team.

[28:42] - A boundary that should be in place is interruptions.

[30:54] - Phone calls after business hours or during time off could cause resentment. That is where boundaries come in.

[32:15] - Lillian avoids that resentment by having a team in place to handle issues when she is not working.

[33:54] - Although salaried, you should have a set schedule so expectations are clear on when you are available to support your staff.

[35:23] - As you set up boundaries of yourself and your staff, the boundaries of doctors should be respected as well.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• VCA Old Tappan Veterinary Hospital
• Lillian Clegg on LinkedIn

Today’s guest is Melissa Benway, a CVPM at a three doctor practice in Michigan. She was invited to the show today to talk about something incredibly important and impactful: communication. This means communication between employees and with clients. Oftentimes we have miscommunication or poor communication skills in our team. What can we do as managers to make sure that communication is effective?

Personality styles go hand-in-hand with communication and Melissa Benway has a lot of great tips to make sure that we are 1) hiring the right fit personalities for a strong but diverse team and 2) communicating with each employee effectively.

Melissa is the perfect person to chat about this with as she is passionate about management and learning as much as she can at all times. Listen on to our conversation about communication and personality styles and see if there are any tips and tricks you can bring back to strengthen your team.

[1:42] - We all have so many different types of employees and Melissa believes that is what makes things fun.

[2:23] - Ineffective communication is what causes 90% of the problems in the workplace.

[3:13] - Communication is a trainable skill.

[3:53] - Melissa uses different breeds of dogs as examples of client personalities to make it easier for employees to understand and work with.

[6:15] - From a management aspect, Melissa loves the strength binders as quizzes for her to review to make sure she understands each employee.

[7:21] - It is important to review personalities and team member strengths periodically.

[8:29] - When hiring, it is important to look for a good fit regarding personality style.

[10:02] - Everyone thinks they have the right personality style, but being able to recognize your strengths and weaknesses are crucial for communication.

[11:06] - Melissa shares an experience regarding miscommunication in her practice.

[12:18] - There’s a lot of coaching that goes with communication skills.

[13:45] - Debbie shares how many managers feel they can “fix” people. But really, it all boils down to personality styles and communication between employees and clients.

[15:24] - We have to remember that we know the ins and outs, but clients don’t.

[16:18] - Sometimes shifting tasks for those who communicate with clients all day can benefit employee stress levels.

[17:20] - Melissa does not believe that personality styles don’t really change but you can recognize your personality traits and manage them.

[19:21] - Debbie admits that when she started in her first position, she knew nothing about the industry or animals at all. But someone believed in her.

[20:05] - It is part of a manager’s job to bring out the best for each employee.

[22:01] - Regarding communication failures due to personality styles is a topic there isn’t a cut and dry answer for.

[22:40] - Melissa shares the success of “morning huddles” and describes how they work.

[23:57] - The morning huddle isn’t just good for clear communication but it’s good for morale and teamwork.

[25:36] - Personality styles and communication skills will show the best and worst about each person. The best thing to remember is that everyone is different.

[27:58] - From a manager’s perspective, it is important to look at personality styles and invest in learning about each person you work with.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Melissa Benway VHMA Manager Profile
• Melissa Benway, CVPM on LinkedIn
• Oceana Veterinary Clinic

Especially during the last year, delegating tasks and empowering team members has been a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be. Even those employees who don’t see their job as a career path and even those who have the menial (but necessary) tasks that no one else wants to do can and should have a voice. Today’s podcast guest, Meg Oliver, demonstrates beautifully the importance of expectations, training, and providing opportunities to everyone.

Meg is a CVPM of a four doctor practice in New York. She has 20 years experience in the field and a special interest in finance. She is also the founder of her local manager’s group and the owner of Central New York Pet Emergency Fund. In today’s episode, she explains a lot of common problems and ways to solve them. Not only does she have practical advice specifically for those in the veterinary medicine field, but she also offers amazing recommendations for leaders anywhere. 

Empowering and delegating is hard to do but it can be done and it requires a lot of letting go on your part as a leader.

[2:43] - As managers we get stuck in the mindset of things getting done right if you do it yourself or the mindset of helping the team complete tasks that you don’t need to do.

[3:03] - Meg says that it all starts with proper job screening. Being on the same page of what the job expectations are is crucial.

[4:03] - Phase training is also incredibly important. We can’t expect great results if we don’t provide the proper training.

[5:29] - Setting up parameters for team members is vital for making sure we empower them but that they don’t just “take it and run.”

[6:29] - The foundation of training makes a huge difference. This includes clear communication to those who are doing the training.

[7:30] - It is advised to prepare new receptionists that not everyone comes in happy.

[8:27] - As managers, it might be hard to let go of certain tasks and delegate them to someone else. It also feels good to be the person that is needed.

[8:54] - You should be able to step out of the hospital and it run without you.

[10:22] - It is okay for managers to ask support staff how to do something that you haven’t done in a long time or don’t know how to do. It helps bring the team together.

[12:18] - Meg suggests having the team write the SOP. This gives them voice and an opportunity to bring fresh ideas to the table.

[13:11] - Give the team a template and expectations and empower them to make decisions.

[14:40] - The assistant position is perfectly fine to use as a stepping stone to a higher position or not. Not everybody is an overachiever.

[15:43] - The “workhorses” and overachievers balance each other out in Meg’s practice. They all offer something different.

[17:11] - There are some different levels of delegation and empowerment. We are setting ourselves up for failure if we don’t have the norm of job and movement expectations.

[18:09] - We need to step back as managers and accept that not everyone will see their job at the practice as a career. They can still have a voice.

[19:36] - Meg shares “The Kitty Jar,” which is something she implemented to encourage positive feedback and acknowledgement. These small things make a difference.

[20:42] - One of the goals of a leader is to encourage everyone and get the best out of everyone that you’ve already got.

[21:21] - Deb shares a humorous story of how they discovered an employee had Covid as she was going above and beyond cleaning a mess.

[22:27] - We can’t always control everything, but we can offer an environment that is positive and encouraging. For something to reach self-actualization, they need to feel fulfilled in their job.

[23:24] - Meg suggests reading books by Brene Brown to understand this even more.

[24:10] - Opportunity can mean a lot of different things for everyone. You have to give people an opportunity to succeed but also to fail. Mistakes will happen for growth.

[25:49] - Giving someone the task of managing social media gives them the feeling that they are contributing.

[26:32] - Self value is part of being happy and being fulfilled at work.

[27:02] - During evaluation periods, ask team members what their interests are and find out what they want to be better at.

[28:10] - As a profession, delegation has not been a strength.

[29:03] - Educating outside veterinary medicine is important when you are a leader. Look outside the box and learn how to better the team.

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

• VHMA Web Page
• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Meg Oliver on LinkedIn
• VHMA Provider Profile: Meg Oliver
• Cicero Animal Clinic Home Page
• Cicero Animal Clinic Facebook
• Cicero Animal Clinic on Twitter

“It’s amazing the amount of money you can find when you look for it,” today’s guest says when speaking today about salary and benefits for staff and employees. This is a hot topic in the industry right now because it is an unfortunate truth that technicians and other staff members are underpaid for their responsibilities in a practice or hospital. So what can we do as leaders to change that?

Today’s guest is Melissa Stedman, a practice manager in the Philadelphia area and one of VHMA’s emerging leaders in 2019. She has experience in general practice, ER, privately owned, and corporately owned hospitals, so wherever you are, she has been there. What she has learned and continues to be passionate about is investing time and money into people. In today’s episode we talk about why and how we should pay more in salaries and benefits and how a mindset shift can change the industry. Melissa gives us practical ways to make this happen and where you may be able to find the money to do so by just making a few changes. It all starts with education, so let’s get started.

[2:04] - How do we get people to love their job and stay? Melissa says that the stressful, high-pressure environment has a lot to do with it. 

[2:45] - The average technicians are in their late twenties and are not making ends meet. Certified techs also come with a lot of student loan debt they can’t pay back with their hourly rate.

[4:05] - Even leading in the market is not enough pay for the job. The reality is that technicians can’t pay their bills and it affects their performance and attitude.

[4:54] - Pharmaceutical companies are taking techs away from practices because they can offer better benefits and salaries.

[5:35] - Regarding health insurance, many hospitals say they cannot afford to pay for health insurance for their techs, but Melissa says that’s not true. Offering health insurance is crucial.

[6:59] - Melissa shares an online store is a great way to make a little extra money to be able to pay your techs more. It isn’t a ton, but it's more than you’re making without it.

[7:40] - Wellness blood work is another money maker that Melissa recommends to find more money that increases salaries.

[8:27] - If techs know that wellness blood work can make more money for the practice and therefore for themselves as well, they will offer it and educate clients more effectively.

[9:41] - People are the biggest priority. Melissa gives examples of how she runs training and education in her practice.

[10:38] - You don’t have time or money for the turn-over and replacing someone if you don’t take the time to train appropriately upfront.

[12:09] - Debbie points out the stress level on management and the rest of the team when someone leaves. It is very demotivating.

[12:57] - Doing one on one meetings with everyone gives a leader an idea of what each employee needs and wants. Melissa admits that she is very transparent and takes the time to develop a relationship with staff.

[15:23] - When faced with a solution that seems difficult to implement, Melissa explains that many practices will give up and say they can’t do that. But something has to change in order to keep people on staff.

[16:48] - If our people are happier, our clients will be happier. Melissa shares results from a survey in which clients told her that her staff seemed so happy and it made a difference on where they chose to come for business.

[17:43] - It is so important that staff look forward to coming to work everyday and not worry about their bills. It is not okay to pile on responsibilities in this field with little pay.

[19:32] - Debbie shares some realities her staff faces in paying a toll on the road on the way to work. This is something to consider when determining pay.

[20:48] - Melissa and Debbie agree that we can do better in this area as an industry.

[23:10] - “Sales hide a multitude of sins.” This is something Melissa says and explains when looking at budgets to determine how much you can afford to pay.

[25:09] - You need to pay people enough to care about your practice.

[25:40] - Melissa says we need to change the mindset from not being able to afford to pay people their worth and think of it more as an investment. You will see a return.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Melissa Stedman on LinkedIn
• Brandywine Valley Veterinary Hospital Web Page
• Brandywine Valley Veterinary Hospital on Facebook

Everyone seems to always need technicians. What are the reasons technicians come and go or we can’t seem to find the right fit for our practices? It is a difficult question to answer at times, but should you hire someone who is already certified, train someone you already have, or go out on a limb and hire someone completely new and uncertified? None of those are bad options, but there’s one major key in hiring and keeping a good technician: proper training.

Today’s guest is Dr. Kate Harnish and just like previous guests, she is a real doctor in real practice implementing the strategies she shares with us today. Kate owns a practice in Pennsylvania with a team similar to many. She serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association. She received her CVMP in 2019 and was awarded the VHMA emerging leader scholarship in 2020.

Listen on to find out how Kate has been successful in finding, investing in, and keeping great technicians for her team.

[2:26] - Regarding finding a technician with the right skills, Kate finds the best through hiring students and investing time and resources into training them.

[3:30] - Debbie agrees and shares that she has also had a good experience with doing the same thing.

[4:57] - The biggest difference that Kate has seen is that hiring students or recent graduates in the field are career-minded and driven.

[6:06] - Wherever there are value-added services, technicians play a critical role. Kate lists several of the services that they can shine and help grow your practice.

[7:27] - It takes a commitment of time and money to go through a technician program and take exams. Doctors need to properly train and utilize their skills.

[8:03] - One of the biggest reasons for a technician leaving practice or the profession is that they are underutilized. Kate advises delegating properly.

[8:39] - Kate gives the four things that she makes sure her technicians are trained in and what she delegates to them. Listen, assist, collect, and monitor are the four steps for technicians. She describes each one of these in detail.

[10:30] - Kate doesn’t consider a technician fully trained until it has been a full 12-18 months and that does not include the time with them as a student.

[10:59] - If you put the time in and repeat yourself kindly and patiently, you will have a great technician in a year.

[12:04] - In the early days of a newly hired technician there is an acclimation period that could last a long time.

[12:38] - Kate shares the story of a technician she hired from being a student in the beginning is now an associate. If you take the time to train, you may be guiding someone in their best direction.

[14:27] - One big problem is technician pay. Many leave the job because it doesn’t pay enough.

[15:07] - There is proof that shows that the well-paid technicians bring a lot more to the practice. 

[17:02] - Debbie shares how she discusses raising pay and how technicians can help themselves by being open to new approaches with clients.

[18:40] - There are three ways Kate likes to reward technicians after she has paid them as much as she can afford. They are food, social events, and special items with their name on them.

[19:20] - Keep technicians satisfied, well-paid, and utilized and they will stick around.

[21:25] - If you are taking on students, you know you are hiring someone who is in for the long haul. If you are hiring someone who doesn’t have past experience or isn’t a student, you still need to invest time and resources into them and push them towards certification.

[23:18] - Even as frugal as most practices are, Kate and Debbie advise to invest in technicians and proper training because you will see the return.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Anthracite Animal Clinic
• Anthracite Animal Clinic on Facebook
• Anthracite Animal Clinic on Instagram

We all want positive culture, but oftentimes we don’t know where to start and we give up too soon. Culture is frustrating! We all want it and no one seems to want to do anything about it. But there are things we can and should be doing that begin the process of building and maintaining a positive culture that not only the staff feels, but clients feel, too. 

Today’s guest, Kristie Buys, has so many wise words for us when it comes to building and maintaining a strong culture in the workplace. Kristie is a hospital administrator outside of DC and part owner of Balance Veterinary Center. She has been a part of multiple startups and has a particular passion in practice building. The reason for this is her love for investing in teams and the people who will ultimately be responsible for helping maintain the culture she develops.

[2:22] - This last year has been tough and curbside has been a challenge. But Kristie thinks that a lot of culture is a choice. We can choose to focus on gratitude.

[2:56] - The foundation of client and clinic culture is those core values of your practice.

[3:16] - If you can meet your clients with compassion, it will help build culture.

[3:56] - During interviews and the hiring process, Kristie drills the core values of the organization and will remind herself and everyone of what they are periodically.

[4:49] - Occasionally, Kristie even revisits core values and has other staff members contribute to the big picture. That’s how the value balance came from.

[6:12] - A few years ago, Kristie’s hospital relocated so there is a mix of people who moved with them and a lot of newer staff members.

[7:02] - Getting feedback from the team ahead of time is another strategy Kristie uses to make sure that her practice’s culture is not cliquey.

[7:58] - Debbie points out that some practices without a positive culture tend to have a high turnover rate.

[8:51] - Another strategy Kristie utilizes for retention is to cross-train everyone. 

[10:40] - Even through the challenges, we need to always keep our core values and culture in mind. There are negative experiences in the industry, but how can you turn it around rather than spread the negativity?

[11:42] - Sometimes when staff members are venting about a client and can’t seem to turn it around positively, we need to focus on the health and happiness of the pet. You have to call out the person venting and find the root of the problem.

[13:17] - Everyone has a different reason for working in their job, but the culture of the team and the environment needs to be the same.

[14:40] - Having the culture conversation over and over again can be uncomfortable if the culture in your location is not great. But it is a necessity.

[16:14] - Debbie shares that she will always let a team member fail once, but then if they make the same mistakes over and over again, she can only assume they are choosing not to learn. 

[17:00] - Having a positive culture doesn’t mean that you aren’t managing your team. 

[18:24] - Culture is misunderstood that is always easy and fluffy. But we are all human with human emotions, so sometimes culture is not always simple.

[19:56] - Kristie points out that sometimes it is hard to find the right people to fit the culture you are building, but it is important to make sure that you take the time to do that.

[20:45] - A strong culture is that every single individual on the team helps build it and helps maintain it. Culture is not a goal you hit, it is a consistent process to maintain.

[22:10] - The uncomfortable conversations are a really important part of building culture.

[23:12] - Every disciplinary conversation Kristie has circles back to the core values. What core value was violated?

[25:04] - Accountability is a huge piece of positive culture. Team members need to be held accountable for their part in building a positive place to work.

[26:32] - Kristie and Debbie discuss how to address staff members who are struggling with coming to work on time or chronically calling in sick.

[27:21] - No matter what your “why” is for working in the field of animal care, you are responsible for your part in building and maintaining a strong culture.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Balance Veterinary Center Home Page
• Balance Veterinary Center on Instagram

Happy New Year! It is my favorite time of year because we get to dig into numbers. Not everyone feels this way, of course, but it is one of my absolute favorite things to talk about. But once we’ve tracked our numbers and have seen our data, how can we discuss them with non-number people? We have to be able to translate the numbers in a meaningful way to see growth, but how?

To answer this question, I’ve asked David Liss to speak with us for this episode. David has a background as a Veterinary Technician Specialist working in an ICU practice for more than ten years. He also was an ER department and hospital manager for two 24-hour practices and led the Platt College Veterinary program as Program Director. Today, he and I talk about numbers and how these numbers can be meaningful to specific team members. They can boost energy and are a fabulous tool to boost numbers for the new year.

[1:45] - Debbie and David love this time of year because she loves working with numbers and spreadsheets.

[2:37] - The problem for managers is to translate these numbers to those who don’t “speak the language.”

[3:14] - It is recommended to think about the 5 W’s when giving information to your team.

[4:29] - As a manager, David likes to zoom way out and look at the biggest numbers.

[5:18] - David likes to see qualitative data and explains what this looks like for him when he digs into numbers.

[6:19] - The translation of these numbers is the most important thing because specific points of data are important to different team members.

[8:48] - David and Debbie discuss lab revenue data and the changes coming with where revenue will be coming from this year.

[10:16] - There’s two ways to make more money. You can do more or charge more and Debbie points out that there’s a cap to how much you can charge before you lose clients.

[12:20] - To the people who are medical, these talks about numbers also include talks about clients and compliance.

[13:26] - These conversations turn into an eye opening experience for many employees and David says it can boost energy for them to try to get clients compliant.

[15:26] - The staff already knows the gross income, but the costs are even more important.

[16:57] - David describes an exercise he did with his team and the kind of point it made regarding costs. The exercise made a big impact on staff understanding.

[18:49] - Share enough of the numbers that makes it apparent where that income is going.

[20:18] - To tell staff that they need a certain percentage of visits in a year, it seems unattainable. But to tell staff that 1 or 2 more of something per day is doable and adds up in a year.

[22:08] - Debbie and David discuss the high costs of new equipment and how to translate numbers to technicians on paying for it through services.

[23:01] - David expresses why managers tend to feel guilty when talking about money.

[24:10] - The purpose of the vet clinic is not to make money. It is to care for animals. But you have to make money to do that and you have to step into power a little bit in order to achieve that goal.

[26:32] - The message is to break down these numbers to match the team member. What job do they do and how can these numbers change how they approach their job?

[28:46] - The cool thing about KPIs is you can develop your own. Every practice is different and the KPIs that you track depend on the needs of each practice.

[30:18] - There’s a lot of meaning when you track certain numbers for specific doctors, techs, or office staff.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• About David Liss
• David Liss, RVT on Facebook
• David Liss VetBloom Web Page

With the holidays coming up, what are your plans to celebrate your team? This year is quite different than those in the past. I believe that right now, it would be irresponsible to host an elaborate party. But that doesn’t mean holiday plans are completely cancelled. So today, we’re getting creative with our guest Marian Rowland.

Marian is a CVPM in Charlotte, North Carolina working in a 7 doctor practice. She loves the HR and culture aspect of managing a team and her creative ideas and encouragement during this unusual time is inspiring. We hope that the ideas we have in today’s episode will help spark your creativity and provide you with a way to celebrate your wonderful teams.

[2:01] - Right now, it is corporately irresponsible to have a holiday party for our practices. Marian shares how things are going in the Carolinas.

[3:02] - Debbie shares that her practice went back to open exam rooms in September but isn’t sure how much longer that will last before they go back to curbside.

[3:31] - One of the Christmas traditions that Marian’s practice has every year is a holiday movie night at a manager’s home. They want to continue this this year in the parking lot of the practice.

[4:46] - Debbie shares that her team has done really well in regards to HR and culture and she knows she wants to celebrate them.

[6:02] - Practices have a holiday fund every year and instead of using it for a large event, get creative with the money you have. 

[6:48] - Marian recommends a gift tree and a cookie bake off. We need to have something to distract the team from the disappointment of missing an event.

[8:03] - Asking your team for ideas is also a great idea because there are people who think of something interesting.

[9:27] - There are some county and state restrictions right now, but a safe pot luck with just the team members could be very fun.

[11:49] - Something as easy as printing out something to bind at Office Depot that is personalized for the practice can be really meaningful.

[12:27] - Marian and her managers hid hundreds of rubber duckies in her large building and her team would find them throughout the month. Whoever had the most at the end of the month won a prize.

[13:45] - Don’t underestimate the little things and look ahead because ordering something to be shipped might be risky late in the month.

[16:05] - We need to do something to celebrate our teams and our clients but the thing to remember is that it won’t look like last year.

[16:42] - Instead of a Secret Santa, Marian is doing a White Elephant gift exchange which tends to be less stressful and more generic to make things easier on the team members.

[17:50] - Remember, even in the years that we have under normal circumstances, there will be people who don’t come or participate. 

[18:38] - Marian says that last year they had to get creative with a small budget because they were in a new building with new expenses that they were not accustomed to.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin

• Park West Veterinary Associates

• Marian Rowland VHMA Profile

All of our plans for 2020 flew out the window due to the challenges we’ve faced with Covid. Now that we are approaching 2021, how should we plan? 2021 seems just as questionable as 2020 has turned out to be, so why bother? Strategic planning is still just as important now as it always has been. We tend to be afraid of what might go wrong and because of that, we just don’t start. 

Today’s guest on the VHMA Podcast is Jake Waas, an owner and practice manager in California. He is definitely the “Culture Guy,” because his team is a crucial part of his practice’s strategic planning. Although this year has turned out to be vastly different than they had planned for, listen on to hear how Jake managed to make the most of 2020 and his tips on moving forward into 2021.

[1:47] - Jake considers himself a “culture guy” because he likes to get the feedback of the team and have them as a part of the process.

[2:07] - Ideally, strategic planning would take place on site to discuss in person a lot of goal setting for the next year, but Covid has made things challenging.

[2:51] - Generally, people think about strategic planning as a numbers game that is only concerned with money. But hiring, staffing, and equipment are also a part of this process.

[3:48] - Jake says that they are always focused on improving their client service, quality in medicine, and making it a great place to work. They start planning on how they can raise the bar in these areas.

[5:59] - Debbie notes that the numbers are the easy goals to set, but changes in staffing and unexpected repairs to equipment impact how these goals are met and must be planned for.

[7:19] - Jake says that they had lofty goals at the start of 2020, but they had to change due to Covid and applauds his team’s resiliency.

[8:07] - This year was a time to set some of the lofty goals aside and focus on the soft skills within his team, such as patience, compassion, and building a teamwork mentality.

[9:40] - Be stubborn on your vision but be flexible on how you get there. That has been a great reminder for Jake and his team because they kept their priorities but had to adapt their plan this year.

[11:16] - We are still a service industry and 2021 is a questionable year to plan for.

[12:24] - Jake encourages his team to share their ideas and gets excited when their vision is bigger than his.

[12:56] - The main thing to listen to when planning is what your market is asking for.

[14:20] - Planning is far more than sitting down with the numbers.

[15:46] - To hit financial goals, increasing prices always feels like the easiest way to do that, but it isn’t always the best option.

[17:21] - Jake not only likes to look at the number of transactions, but the average amount of a transaction. By looking at both, he can make goals for doing more with what appointments they already have.

[18:38] - Where does training fit in with your strategic planning?

[20:15] - Jake breaks down what strategic planning looks like by listing a lot of the things that should be looked at and addressed.

[21:50] - Jake and Debbie both recommend the book Traction which helps you break down big goals into smaller, more manageable chunks.

[22:45] - At the end of the day, when we are in the midst of this challenging year, follow your gut. If you feel something needs to change, move in that direction. Take one thing at a time.

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

• VHMA Web Page

• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Covina Animal Hospital
• Jacob Waas on LinkedIn
• Jake Waas VHMA Member Directory Profile

• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should be the one doing it. That’s our motto for today’s episode all about delegation. It can be an uncomfortable transition to make and you are not alone. Let’s take a look at how delegating tasks can help your workload as well as helping with the professional growth of your staff members.

Chatting with me about delegation today is Jen Bruce. Jen is an RVT from Toronto, Canada. She has been in her current practice for 7 years and has been the practice manager there since 2016. Starting with just a handful of staff members and a one exam room practice, she has since grown her team exponentially. This also means that her responsibilities have grown. She can’t do it all and neither can you. Take a listen as Jen and I discuss some tasks that can and should be delegated and how you can give up the control to become a more efficient leader.

[0:56] - We all have control issues and we know that. That’s okay, but you’ve got to have a plan for it.

[2:15] - Deb is bothered by how many people are on the edge, ready to snap.

[3:01] - Jen says that it is so natural to juggle a lot of things because you want to maintain the reputation of being reliable. 

[3:51] - Balancing a tech role and a manager role is a lot to handle. Jen became the go-to person for a lot of tasks.

[4:24] - You have to change your expectations and be clear about them. It is crucial to delegate tasks that you do not have to complete to someone else.

[5:10] - Redirect those tasks that you have done in the past and verbalize that there are others that can take care of these tasks now that you have a lot more to handle.

[6:00] - There is a level of trust you need to have with your team. Step out of your comfort zone and let go of the control so your team can learn and grow.

[7:27] - Jen had a hard time letting go of the control because she is the type of person to want to do something perfectly the first time. 

[8:22] - There is also sometimes a feeling of guilt in delegating a task that you have usually done. It may feel like you are delegating it to someone else to shirk your responsibilities, but it is necessary to refine your focus as a manager.

[10:46] - After delegating and pointing out what your responsibilities are reminds others that you trust them and it builds their confidence.

[11:21] - Ultimately it is a job description issue. Ask yourself if something is in your job description to do or to make sure it gets done.

[11:50] - You may discover that some of your employees or team members are actually better at some of these delegated tasks than you are. Jen delegates inventory and social media to some of her staff members who are better at those tasks than she is.

[12:54] - There’s not always a lot of upward growth in a practice, so delegating some tasks is a great way to provide growth to your staff members. These are also great to add to job descriptions and performance evaluations.

[13:58] - Sometimes a team member wants more responsibility but isn’t ready. As a leader, you will need to know when someone is ready for tasks to be delegated to them.

[16:09] - Be clear about your expectations and parameters when you delegate a task to someone who may not have done it before.

[18:40] - You’ll discover that your staff members have hidden talents. When you delegate a task out, you may discover some of these.

[19:50] - Be aware of what is already on someone’s plate before you give them more responsibility because burnout is a real problem in this industry.

[20:32] - Lay out the groundwork with your team. New tasks are not replacements for your other responsibilities and staff members need to know that you will check in and follow up. Jen says to set up a time frame for when you will check in so it does not appear like you are micromanaging.

[20:44] - If you are giving feedback, let them know that you are not micromanaging when you say to not do something or to do something differently. Odds are, you’ve made the mistakes already, so communicate this and assist.

[24:13] - Think of the long term goals when you think of who to delegate specific tasks to. You don’t need someone who is committed to being in the veterinary industry for 20 years to manage your Facebook page. But someone mature and serious in the practice should be working on scheduling, for example.

[26:24] - Jen shares how recognition impacts job satisfaction.

[26:42] - Don’t just look at the amount of tasks and responsibility on someone’s plate. Look at the level of satisfaction gained when the tasks are completed.

[28:56] - Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should be the one to do it. Your job as manager is to make sure things are running efficiently.

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

• VHMA Web Page
• VHMA Coronavirus Resources
• VHMA Facebook
• VHMA Twitter
• VHMA on Linkedin
• Jen Bruce on LinkedIn
• Wellesley Animal Hospital Web Page
• Wellesley Animal Hospital Facebook
• Wellesley Animal Hospital YouTube Channel