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Veterinary Practice News Editorial Blog:
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Agree to Disagree
By Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR
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Have you ever disagreed with your boss? Whether it was the practice owner, the hospital manager or your immediate supervisor, it can be tough when you disagree. Even disagreeing a minor disagreement can complicate your relationship. So how do you speak your mind, but keep your job and, more importantly, maintain the respect of your boss?
Let’s focus on that first point, speaking your mind. Why is that so important? Can’t I just fake agreement in order to keep the peace? You can, but it won’t get you anywhere except where you are right now--in disagreement with your boss.
It’s OK to have a difference of opinion. That’s what makes us individuals, and why we are all important to the organization in our own ways. If we were all the same, the practice would never grow or change, and in business, stagnation equals death. So feel free to feel the way you want, but use your common sense in expressing your opinion.
Are you really worried that speaking your mind will cost you your job? If so, there are bigger problems at your practice than just a difference of opinion. Respectful and smart bosses will appreciate different opinions, and realize that it is through these different opinions that the practice will change and grow.
If you work for someone who practices the “My Way or the Highway” philosophy of practice management, you might want to look for a new job even before you speak your mind. Hopefully, this doesn’t describe very many of you out there.
When we speak our minds properly, we won’t lose either our job OR the respect of our boss. The respectful way to disagree is to acknowledge the opinion of your boss and present your different opinion in a way that doesn’t negate what he or she believes is true.
Look at this as a “You, Me, Us” discussion:
- acknowledge the boss’s opinion first;
- state your opinion next, and then
- finish by suggesting that your opinion and her opinion can coexist, perhaps until further discussion is possible. Let’s see how this looks in real life, from big topics to more minor but just as important topics.
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- “(Practice Owner), I understand that you are hesitant to have an open-book policy where we share our financial status with the entire staff; your concerns are valid. I feel that if we share some information with them, they will understand the cutbacks in hours and inventory that we are considering. If your concern is sharing actual numbers in dollars and cents, can we perhaps expose them to a discussion of percentages so they can gain some benefit, yet the numbers will remain confidential?”
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- “(Supervisor), I understand that you prefer the traditional jugular catheter because you are familiar with it and its benefits. At the seminar I attended, they discussed a new kind of jugular catheter that may be easier for some of us to place. Would you mind if we ordered just a few and I try them out to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each?”
You can agree to disagree in a way that helps you maintain your integrity and the respect of your boss, if you do it in an appropriate way.
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