• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Stop complaining about negative team members, and show them the door!

March 1, 2005
Roger Cummings, CVPM

Let's solve your morale problem by just firing all the unhappy people. Think that sounds rash? The truth is you have nothing to gain from keeping them around. You can't change them. Yes, you can require certain behaviors, such as being on time, doing their jobs, or developing proficient skills or knowledge. But a lot of people simply have a rotten, negative attitude, and there isn't much you or anyone else can do to change that.

Let's solve your morale problem by just firing all the unhappy people. Think that sounds rash? The truth is you have nothing to gain from keeping them around. You can't change them. Yes, you can require certain behaviors, such as being on time, doing their jobs, or developing proficient skills or knowledge. But a lot of people simply have a rotten, negative attitude, and there isn't much you or anyone else can do to change that.

Roger Cummings

My favorite question gets to the heart of this issue: "If you could change one thing about your practice, what would it be?" Too often I hear owners answer with, "I just wish my technicians could work together," or, "My associate is constantly complaining," or some other people-fixer fantasy. This is really no surprise when you understand that managing people is the toughest part of running any small business.

Veterinary practice is a challenging profession. Everyday you deal with life, death, and all the emotions that go to the core of human existence through your patients.

Advertisement

As hard as all this is, managing your employees is harder still. So why do you complicate your life further by tolerating people who focus on all that's wrong with their world?

To illustrate my point, let's say you just can't live without your senior technician who's been there for years. But lately, she's been a key complainer who teaches co-workers all of her bad habits and none of her skills and who neglects her responsibilities. Please, do everyone a favor and let her find happiness—somewhere else.

Wait, she knows everything, you say. Maybe so. But you'll find that nothing brings a team together faster than the challenge to gain the skills and take on the new responsibilities needed to cover for the old grouch that left.

An important note: Owners aren't immune to sour-attitude disease. And negative staff attitudes often stem from the negative outlooks of their leaders. Which brings me to my second-most-favorite question: "Would you hire yourself?"

Think about it. Are you being the exemplary team member you expect your employees to be? Do you arrive early, ready to work, and go through the practice greeting staff members with an upbeat "Good morning"? Do you convey a positive, caring attitude from the first patient check in the morning to the last check before you leave in the evening? Do you thank each staff member for a good day's work at the end of the day?

Your team follows your lead. If you're a source of negativity, fire the old, burned-out you, and find the help you need to recreate yourself as a positive leader.

You really can't change others' attitudes. The only mindset you can change is your own. And in practices with endemic negativity, transforming your attitude may be the solution. Changing yourself is far from easy. But if you don't change, very little around you ever will.

Roger Cummings, a certified veterinary practice manager, is a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member and president of the Association of Veterinary Practice Management Consultants and Advisors. Please send comments to ve@advanstar.com.

Related Content:

Owners
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Proper praise for a flourishing team environment
Proper praise for a flourishing team environment
3 tips for selling your practice
3 tips for selling your practice

Advertisement

Latest News

An AI solution is speeding up insurance claims processing

3 categories of inappetence in dogs

FDA approves first generic moxidectin injectable solution for cattle parasite treatment

UC Davis oral surgeons repair kitten’s severe left palate

View More Latest News
Advertisement