AAHA Study: Culture Can Make or Break Veterinary Practice's SuccessApril 13, 2016The culture and relationships within a veterinary practice may have a significant impact on its overall success. That’s according to survey data that was revealed during the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) 2016 State of the Industry presentation. The AAHA 2016 State of the Industry, which was presented during the AAHA Austin 2016 Yearly Conference, examined data from a fall 2015 survey AAHA conducted with the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver that studied organizational culture in veterinary practices. AAHA Chief Executive Officer Mike Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (C/F) shared the survey results along with an update on economic data from IDEXX Laboratories. The culture study surveyed more than 1,000 veterinary hospitals to study the qualities of organizational culture in veterinary practices, evaluate the overall and specific subcultures in veterinary hospitals, and determine how culture affects veterinary practice metrics. Key findings of the culture survey include: Perceptions toward training and career development as well as staff relationships with veterinarians are positive. Perceptions toward institutional fairness and communication as well as rewards and recognition can be improved. Less positive perceptions of culture are held by employees with little decision making power …
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7 Ways to Make Your Millennial Employees Happy in the Vet PracticeApril 11, 2016Reprinted with permission from Smart Flow Sheet. Many define the "Millennial Generation" as those who were born sometime in the 1980s through the 90s. This generation is used to instant results, changing technology and an attitude of working smarter, not harder. This generation is used to instant results, changing technology and an attitude of working smarter, not harder. In certain definitions, I find myself part of this generation although I do remember my childhood rotary dial phone, waiting for my favorite song to play on the radio so I could tape record it, researching papers using encyclopedias and using a pager. Most Millennials, however, do not know a world without text messages, Google, Facebook or Mp3 players. We're finding this generation taking over the population of many businesses, including the veterinary world. They have a bad rap for being lazy, but honestly they just work differently than Baby Boomers and Generation X. Here is how you can use them to your advantage: 1. Work Smarter, Not Harder. This could very well be the anthem for the Millennial generation. They are accustomed to a world of technology and it making their life a …
Two of My Employees Don’t Get Along With Each OtherApril 11, 2016I am the sole owner of a small practice and don’t have a practice manager. Two veterinary technicians on my team just don’t get along. One of them has been with us for about a year (“Lisa”), and the other about two months (“Jane”). Things were good in the beginning, and they got along very well. I think they quickly became friends out of work, but now they are not getting along. They say they are still friends, and I hear from other team members that they see each other outside work, but there has been a lot of tension between them at work and it’s affecting everyone. For example, Lisa will come to me with minor errors that Jane has made and vice versa. When I have approached Jane to give her feedback, she blamed Lisa and took the opportunity to vent to me about her work ethic and client service. Jane is also not happy about taking direction from Lisa, and she has complained about being delegated menial tasks or the manner in which Lisa speaks to her. I spoke to each team member about this individually …
4 Tips to Productive Meetings with Your Veterinary StaffApril 6, 2016Reprinted with permission from Smart Flow Sheet. If you've ever had to host a meeting, you understand how terrifying it can be. Will people show up? Will they listen? Does anybody care? Here are a few tips to keep people from mindlessly staring at their phones and engaged in your meeting. 1) Make Sure There is Food Nothing gets people more pumped up at meeting than food. The only downfall is that it can be somewhat distracting, but definitely not as distracting as a cell phone. 2) Keep the Conversation Moving Forward The best meetings run smoothly because there is an agenda, they are organized and it moves forward. If your meetings have a habit of getting off track, set a timer per topic and then move on. Make sure you have a form of accountability to keep you on track. 3. Come Armed with Possible Solutions to Your Concerns (Otherwise You Are Just Whining) In a meeting where you need to address some issues or negativity among your team, always bring a solution. It is great to make the team aware of issues, but make sure you include several solutions to turn …
Why Listening is an Important SkillApril 5, 2016When I was in the third grade my teacher wrote on my report card that I talked too much. I adopted that identity and became quite a “talker.” In fact, I enjoyed being an expert in various categories and loved talking about what I knew. I saw myself as an educator. It wasn’t until many years later when I took a course in listening that I learned that a) I didn’t have to do all the talking, b) I could learn a lot from others, c) listening really is a skill, d) listening opens others to listening and learning and e) this skill has the power to lead to deeper understanding and relationship building. The first time I tried this new skill, I met a little girl who told me that she was going to have her tonsils out. Before I took the course, I would have said, “Oh, that’s too bad,” or “Now you’ll get to have ice cream when you’re in the hospital.” Instead I said, “Oh, really?” She looked up at me and said hesitantly, “Yes, and I’m really scared.” Courtesy Lee Golpariani Anxious little girl: Dahlia Golpariani That was the evidence I needed that there …
Are Fear-Free Veterinary Practices Practical?April 4, 2016Jill Breitner, a professional dog trainer and author of the Dog Decoder app is telling pet owners that fear-free veterinary clinics as the "only way to go." In an article for our sister Dogster, Breitner recommends fear-free clinics because pets are "unnecessarily traumatized." As she writes: "What goes on behind closed doors in some veterinary practices is not a pleasant topic to talk about, yet it needs attention. It needs attention because of the lack of education most veterinarians and their staff have in how to read and handle signs of stress and fear in dogs. There are no required courses in veterinary school that teach body language, behavior, or safe handling of animals, so they are not to blame. With limited time to get the veterinary tasks done, our pets suffer needlessly. Thankfully, though, as we continue to be a more aware and educated society regarding our dogs, veterinarians are being called upon to learn better practices." The fear-free movement is a growing trend in the veterinary world, with veterinarians like Marty Becker, DVM, and
Veterinary SEO Quiz: How Do You Rank?March 30, 2016Are your clients finding what they need and want on your practice’s website? Is your site following basic search-engine best practices? How findable is your veterinary practice’s website for new and prospective clients? Test your knowledge with this quick and fun quiz! 1) How many pet owners who regularly visit the veterinarian also go online for more pet health information, either before or after their visit? 1 in 10 3 in 10 4 in 10 6 in 10 Answer: D, 6 in 10.1 According to a survey of more than 1,000 pet owners in the U.S. who regularly visit their veterinarian, 6 in 10 are researching their pet’s health online in addition to going to the veterinarian. 2) True or false: When I perform a search for my practice website or pet-health issues in Google, I’m seeing the same results my clients are. Answer: False. Google and other search engines provide individualized search results based on a number of factors, including location, personal search history, social connections and more — even in private mode.2 In other words, while you and your clients are probably seeing similar types of results …
Are You Forward Booking?March 24, 2016Dentists are experts at forward booking patients’ next exams. Veterinary receptionists should embrace this proven business strategy. Tell clients at checkout, “Just as your dentist has you schedule your next appointment at checkout, we do the same so we can proactively manage your pet’s health. Dr. <Name> can see you on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. or Friday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. for your pet’s next checkup. Which choice fits your schedule? We will remind you two weeks in advance in case you need to make changes.” The 2013 AAHA State of the Industry report estimated that moving the percent of forward booked appointments from 5 percent to 10 percent could generate $40,000 in additional revenue for a typical veterinary clinic (about 3 percent more in revenue growth) and a total of $350 million dollars in additional preventive care revenue for the profession as a whole. For tips on forward booking, watch a 5-minute video tip below: For more tips, go to my YouTube channel, CSVets, here.
7 Habits of the Most Successful Veterinary Practice LeadersMarch 23, 2016Want to lead your practice to its full potential? Successful veterinary practices don’t just happen. They develop over time under strong leadership. Here are 7 strong habits for leaders who want to build successful practices. Habit No 1: Know your priorities and communicate them clearly. People (i.e., your veterinary practice team) need a firm foundation, much like buildings need one. Without a “square” foundation, a building will never be stable. Priorities serve as a foundation for a business. You, the leader, may know your general priorities, but those who follow you need to know what they are too. If priorities are the blocks in the foundation, then clear communication is the cement that holds them together. How to you clearly communicate your priorities? Step No. 1 is to write down your list of priorities. Why? Here are some reasons: The list will help make it official to you and your team. As you work together, you can point out times when your priorities made a difference. You can incorporate your priorities into your mission statement. Once you have your written list of priorities, make them come alive. How do you that? Here are some examples: Acknowledge when a team member …
How to Have ‘The Talk’ on End-of-Life CareMarch 21, 2016One of the most difficult conversations to have in the veterinary industry is “the talk”—the end-of-life and euthanasia discussion. How does one approach clients to tell them their beloved companion must cross the rainbow bridge after 15 or more years together? How does a veterinary practitioner discuss options or bring up memorial keepsakes? What do you do if euthanizing is the only ethical and humane option but the client doesn’t want to let go? Veterinarians experience these scenarios every day, but no one ever warns them. Rarely is a practitioner given a heads-up on what to expect when she walks into the exam room—the client’s mindset, whether the owner has come to terms with the decision, the chance that Doctor Google was wrong. All these drastically affect the conversation a veterinarian is about to have with the individual. Weighing the Decision Ultimately, the final decision rests with the client. However, it’s up to the professionals to guide the client to the appropriate and humane decision. Clients may do whatever they can if there’s hope the pet’s quality of life can be maintained through medical care, surgery or ongoing therapy. …
