Personnel Management
Ask Katie: Is there a better way to train my team?
The veterinary staff at this practice get the job done just not the way theyd been trained to. In cases like this, training and re-training might not be the answer.
Team tool: A sour story to provoke discussion
Is something rotten in this veterinary practice getting its latest hire? Whos to blame? What could they do about it? Turn a short, engaging, ambiguous story into a brainstorming tool for your next team meeting.
No longer an afterthought: Making your veterinary practices retail area shine
Dont let those valuable products gather dustadopt these habits for a top notch practice retail area.
A happy team makes the dream: How to deal with staff nightmares
One veterinary surgeons yells. The other plays music. Team members dislike both. Heres some advice on how to clear the air and create compromises.
Team meeting idea: Insurance, pet care costs
A new brochure from Trupanion debuted at VMX showcases common claims at different ages for 12 dog breeds and highlights the average cost, through claims data, of those illnesses and injuries.
This isnt Mean Girls: Lets talk woman-to-woman bullying in practice
Raise your hand if youve ever felt personally victimized by another woman in your clinic. Days in veterinary practice can sometimes feel like a scene out of Mean Girls. How do we change that?
Weve got to stop meeting like this! Tech alternatives to face-to-face meetings
Discover digital tools that allow you to communicate and collaborate with your veterinary team, when a meeting really isnt necessary.
Should you have been a plumber? Comparing vet team pay to other jobs
These jobs provide a similar pay rate to those in the veterinary industrythey also require little to no formal education.
Case study: What DVMs are paid on ProSal
The creator of this salary-plus-production doctor compensation system answers a readers detailed question about a particular patient involving client education, blood work, medications, technician-only visits and more.
Will your employee handbook come back to bite you?
A vaguely worded handbook may result in a tangle of litigation. Heres what you need to know before presenting one to your team members.
Stop telling people what to do
If you like telling friends, family and colleagues what to do—and as a smart, solution-driven veterinary professional, you just might—it’s time to ask whether it’s what people you care about actually want or need in conversations with you.
Team meeting: Lets talk money
If youre experiencing exhaustion from difficult conversations with pet owners about paying for veterinary care, why not open the discussion with your team? You may identify small tweaks to communication and policies that might ease everyones stress about managing the tough question of paying for top-notch pet care.
Creating a practice culture that values feedback
A veterinary practice’s success is highly dependent on employee commitment and engagement, both of which skyrocket when constructive feedback is offered.
Drug testing in veterinary clinics?
Human medicine provides a cautionary tale.
The future of leadership is female
But if youre going to rule the world, you might still need to break some harmful habits to be an effective leader in veterinary practice.
How not to lose it: Self-management for dummies
Know what youre feeling, pause before reacting, and help yourself and your team. Betsy Charles, DVM, MA, executive director of the Veterinary Leadership Initiative, worked with Fetch dvm360 in San Diego attendees to think about how.
Ask Katie: My team is killing my resolutions!
Youve changed things this year in your veterinary practice? Human beings are resistant to change, and your veterinary team members are human beings. Here are some basic steps to face this.
AVMA reinstates health insurance for veterinarians in some states
Coverage options, halted in 2013 after regulatory changes, will be available to some members and their employees starting in July.
'Seek first to understand' in the veterinary clinic
Instead of forming a knee-jerk opinion, start asking questions. You'll get a clearer picture of how things got the way they are.
Are disengaged employees a plague in your hospital?
Happy employees, happy veterinary practice. Here are some ways to establish high levels of employee engagement within your company culture.
Why Do Clients Leave a Practice?
There is no secret to retaining veterinary customers. Just do a few things right every time, and your practice will thrive.
Jumpstart your brain: The fight against decision fatigue
Decision-making shortcuts can ward off mental fatigue in your life and veterinary practice.
Double take: What working parents and practice owners wish the other side understood
Balancing the demands of parenthood with a veterinary associate job is no easy undertaking. Neither is running a successful business. Here both sides plead their case.
Where Have All the Veterinarians Gone?
If your practice is located near a veterinary school, there is a gold mine of potential new employees waiting for you.
Planning for the Unthinkable
Acts of violence at veterinary clinics remain relatively rare, but owners and staff should be prepared.
Are practice teams in balance?
Less than half of veterinary team members are able to manage stress, managers worry in a small survey from the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association on veterinary team well-being and job satisfaction.
Shutting down angry tirades at work
If casual comments offend someone in the veterinary workplace – even if they're made in jest – steps have to be taken.
When first impressions change
A veterinary student wearing a Ralph Lauren jacket can still muddy up and get the job done.
Do parents rule your practice?
Not everyone working in a veterinary hospital has kids (or wants them). How can you, as a practice owner or manager, fairly accommodate everybodys work schedules?
What are your top three priorities?
If you dont know, then surely your veterinary practice team doesnt. Is it time to change that in your veterinary hospital culture?
