Good Medicine, good business

Top 23 ways to bridge the generational divide

Coddling is a new buzzing issue in human resource management and with good reason.

A Wall Street Journal article recently reported that this country is in the grips of a "coddling crisis."

What is a coddling crisis? Parents are writing college term papers; children are living at home until 30; young adults expect to live a lifestyle that rivals their parents without taking the same career steps, and there is a belief among some that employment is an entitlement.

(The article also delves into causes and effects).

Consider this: A survey by the University of Chicago found that most Americans now believe that adulthood starts at about 26, not the previous 18- and 21-year-old standard that we have come to love and appreciate.

Employers now are facing a coddled segment of the workforce where entry-level employees expect the boss to look after them the way their parents do."

Add to this the psychological issue that young professionals who endure in-depth education have delayed emotional development during the educational processes.

Specifically, one enters into an intense professional educational tract at 22 and finishes up at 26, then resumes life. They graduate at 26, but are emotionally 22.

Gail Sheehy's classic Passages outlined the basic patterns of adolescence during the baby-boomer years.

The two main life patterns were, first: go to high school, college, get a job, get married, start a family and wake up at 30 unhappy, then start to sort out your life.

The second, go to high school, rebel, maybe go to college, don't get a job, drift up to age 30 and wake up — you got it —unhappy, then sort out life.

The implications? The whole process of emotional development is being delayed, therefore entry-level professionals and lay staff might not be really settled and productive until, get this, their mid-30s.

An additional labor issue is sequencing. And factoring in the recent discussion of the effects of sequencing in a DVM Newsmagazine article, the work force of 2005 has changed and continues to evolve and present great challenges to employers.

(Sequencing: the rotation of older workers from the workplace for non-work related activities.)

Baby boomers, in general, work a full career (20 years), then retire to a part-time work role and other interests.

The current era of "instant gratification" dictates that privilege is inherent without the responsibility of earning it.

Coddled adults get the privileges without the responsibility. It adds more issues for employers to address.

Many employers today must adapt more quickly to the changing workforce to prevent the demise of their own dreams.

Current veterinary employers have genuine concerns about this generational and philosophical disconnect with entry-level staff and sequencing lay and professional staff members. They do not share the same goals.

Some entry-level employees can bring into the workplace child-like behavior patterns, including petulance, tantrums, dependencies, passive/aggressive techniques and the inability of commitment.

• The consequences within the segmented workplace are real and MANY:

• Veterinarians with excellent clinical skills are in shorter supply.

• Veterinarians burn out faster.

• Some veterinarians are overworked.

• Some veterinarians do not develop some basic skills.

• Some veterinarians have little time to read and upgrade current skills.

• Some veterinarians begin to just refer it all out (even simple dermatology cases).

These changes in the workforce and subsequent adjustments are rocking the old school of thought.

So, to the young and the old, let's reinvent this workplace around our strengths and weaknesses.

Here are 23 ideas to make it happen.

• Accept that employer/employee relationships are changed forever.

• If you are new school, listen and improve your skills and contribution.

• If you are old school, listen, relax and coddle yourself more often.

• Give up growth of new clients to add another veterinarian.

• Seek growth with expanded services for current clients.

• Shorter working hours are essential.

• Improve the productivity of the non-veterinary staff.

• Plan for employee turnover.

• Consider stronger pay incentives to feed our instant-gratification culture.

• A clinic's medical protocols should be updated continuously to keep pace with medical advances.

• A clinic's management protocols should be updated to stay in line with the flexible workplace.

• Purchase time off, or do not hire an associate.

• Make the work place fun to attract and hold clients and staff.

• Avoid becoming the rudderless practice by becoming "expensive parents."

• Ensure burnout protection with exercise and outside interests.

• Frustrations within a practice should be unveiled and addressed.

• Rethink the business plan and dream.

• Improve interview skills to find better employees (a subject for a future column).

• Run away from employee petulance and tantrums.

• Begin resume investigations for future staff members.

• Get a better staff with pay and insurance.

• Provide internships for first-year veterinary graduates.

• Improve the profit margins in the practice.

Dr. Riegger, Dipl. ABVP, is the chief medical officer at Northwest Animal Clinic Hospital and Specialty Practice. Contact him at www.northwestanimalclinic.com, Riegger@aol.com, telephone and fax (505) 898-0407. Find him on AVMA's NOAH as the practice management moderator. Order his books "Management for Results" and "More Management for Results" by calling (505) 898-1491.