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Unleash your veterinary career
Ready to rule the world (or at least your practice)? Before you race for that promotion, you need to learn to manage your manager. Consider these three examples to untether your career and get ready for greatness.
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More career builders
1. Offer solutions. Don't complain about problems and expect someone else to fix them.
2. Go above and beyond every day. Don't just stick to the normal scope of your job.
3. Cross train. Be sure to learn as much as you can about all areas and positions in your hospital.
4. Get CE … lots of it. Learn as much as you can about the industry and topics you're passionate about.
5. Step out of your comfort zone often. Challenges will always present an opportunity for you to set yourself apart.
Bored Betty is so over the mundane reality of the job she once loved. She comes to the hospital and does the same tasks every day. She longs for new challenges to tackle. And if she doesn't feel fulfilled soon, she may start looking for a new job.
She can fence herself in by ...
> Sporting a bad attitude about her position. Negative behaviors are like infectious diseases. They'll only perpetuate her bad feelings about work.
She can unleash her career by ...
> Seizing the day to take responsibility for her own career and happiness.
> Making a list of what would challenge her and benefit her hospital. For example, improving efficiency by suggesting checklists for all departments or improving patient care and client education by updating hospital forms and handouts.
> Meeting with her manager to present her new ideas. This way Betty's manager knows she's interested in new responsibilities and concerned with the hospital's wellbeing and growth-traits that all good managers must possess.
More career busters
1. Don't focus on the past. You can't change it. Focus on the future and changes you can influence.
2. Don't keep your ideas to yourself. Voice all of your ideas and solutions to your manager and offer to help make the change.
3. Don't wait for someone else to get the job done. Take the initiative to stand out and be ahead of the game.
4. Don't feed into gossip and unnecessary drama. Starve the rumors and feed into the opportunities they may present for bettering your hospital.
5. Don't be reactive, be proactive. When you see a potential for a problem, don't wait for the problem to occur to create a solution. Stay ahead and help prevent it by solving it before it happens.
Carla Career is interested in the new client service supervisor position at her hospital. She's always wanted to advance her career in veterinary medicine and she knows she would do a great job. She just isn't sure whether her manager knows she's interested.
She can fence herself in by ...
> Assuming her manager knows she wants the new position. She shouldn't wait until a position opens up to demonstrate that she's the perfect pick for this promotion.
She can unleash her career by ...
> Making the client service team more effective and more efficient.
> Asking peers for their input on how the team can change for the better.
> Meeting with the manager. Carla can detail all her plans with enthusiasm and explain why she's the right choice to implement changes with the team. Critical point: Carla must mention that she sought input from her peers. This shows she's a team player who realizes how important it is to involve the team in decisions-and to value the team's input. This will also help her gain her team's respect.
Helpful Heather has noticed her manager's been crazy busy and a little overwhelmed. Heather wants to help her boss so her boss can focus on other things.
She can fence herself in by ...
> Failing to take initiative to complete her own tasks. Heather shouldn't add to her boss's workload by failing to take initiative to get her own tasks done.
> Making comments about how tough it is to do her manager's job. This could seem unappreciative, and her boss may not see Heather as a team player.
She can unleash her career by ...
> Pitching in with gratitude. Heather can tell her boss she's happy to help and grateful for the opportunity that helps her learn more about the business and her manager's duties. She can thank her boss for the chance to help out.
Erika Ervin, MBA, CVT, is the hospital manager at VCA Twin Rivers Animal Hospital in East Windsor, New Jersey.
