Roles

Should you fire employees if they’ve jumped into an intraoffice romance?

Grab some laughs between veterinary client visits!

Warn your clients that cicada consumption is bad for their pets.

Use this form to brainstorm the bottlenecks in your veterinary practice.

This course is designed as an introductory course for people who will be fulfilling a veterinary clinic reception job description. Course module topics include receptionist job traits and skills, professional appearance, offering superior customer service, the basics of communication, the veterinary medical record, making appointments, and basic veterinary medicine.

This course is designed for every member of the practice team to improve communication. Topics covered include elements and styles of communication, facilitating communication, how to recognize conflict in a timely manner, dealing with conflict in a constructive manner, how to effectively communicate with clients who are upset or emotional, and developing a communication code of conduct specific to your practice. (5 CE credits)

This 3-week course addresses the management of meetings, including the different personalities within the team and how to redirect the meeting when those personalities interfere with a positive outcome. In addition, the course provides resources, which will allow meetings to be enjoyable while still accomplishing specified meeting goals. There is a training module devoted to more advanced meetings that focus on the management and financial success of the practice including increased compliance. (10 CE credits)

Use this advice to gain acceptance for your new idea.

Avoid these habits to help you reach your potential in veterinary practice.

If your veterinary practice is falling behind in the number of dental procedures, it's time for change-both in the services you provide and how you're recommending them.

It's time to adjust your cat-titude to make way for service that leaves pet owners purring. Consider this advice to come up to scratch when clients visit your practice.

These tips can spice up your professional life now and build stamina for the years to come.

Are you barking up the wrong tree by leading with what you love in life, rather than what you're good at?

Use this advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wash your hands the right way every time:

Whether you're a young pup or a wise old dog, here's how to make sure you're on the path to a successful future.

Fritz Wood explains the right time to hire your first practice manager.

Consider this advice to stay positive when you're being reviewed at your veterinary practice.

Veterinary medicine alone doesn't define you as a person-and it's up to you to discover what else makes your time on earth unique.

Dr. Andrew Roark says despite all the advances in technology, until pets can talk, the physical exam is still essential.

Editor's note: Practice Life is a new column designed to offer tools to help your practice manage daily challenges, big or small, more efficiently

Help make sure you're spreading the microchip message and improve the chances lost pets will find their way home:

Books, finances and bad habits to conquer.

This team resource has tips to get your practice on board and ready to implement the latest AAHA Dental Care Guidelines.

This list will keep you entertained-and maybe make you a better veterinarian.

Q: Sometimes when we mention a pet needs to lose weight, clients blame the animals. How do we keep these conversations positive?

Team resource: 5 steps: How to better promote dental care at your veterinary practice

Q: We have an inventory item that has repeatedly been short when counted. It's a very specific eye medication ordered in limited quantities, and only a handful of clients use the medication. One of the clients has recently been sent to collections, and she happens to be related to a team member. I fear that the missing medication is walking out of the clinic in the hands of an employee. How would you recommend that I approach this employee? We are prepared to fire her for the crime, but we have no proof that she's the culprit. Help! -Suspicious of sticky fingers

Whether you're the reviewer-or the reviewee-it's time to embrace a new outlook on employee reviews. Hint: The manager may be doing them wrong.

Be supportive of pet owners when they're faced with their cat's diabetes diagnosis. Use these communication techniques to ease the burn of this challenging disease.

On the road to veterinary practice improvement, carefully crafted solutions that involve the team win the race.