Ask the Expert

Hi Dr. Ruby:

I am in a unique situation at my job; I'm a full-time associate who has recently also taken on the overwhelming task of staff management. I've been at the practice for 3+ years and have seen a lack of leadership in that time that forced me to decide "if no one else is going to do it, then I need to." I want those who work with me to love being there like I do. I know I can't do my job if others aren't doing theirs. My ultimate goal is to create a sense of teamwork that has never been there before.

After the practice owner announced my new position to the staff, the morale instantly improved. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief that maybe things COULD change. Then, there was a major road block that has appeared to be almost too much for the practice to handle...the second associate who had been hired six months before this.

She's a solid veterinarian who knows her stuff. She's previously owned a one-doctor practice in another state and has since been a relief vet for many years. Our practice took her on as an associate because during her relief work and her working interview, she was fun to work with, good with the clients, and appreciative of the staff. But, all that seemed to change once she was officially hired.

She became rude, demanding, and inconsiderate. Her attitude toward the clients was more often disrespectful and questioning than supportive and caring. She never trusts the licensed technicians to do her fecals or even urinalyses anymore! She complains about what kind of pet owners our clients are and makes judgments about them which she voices to anyone who will listen while she's in the treatment area, just BARELY out of the client's hearing range.

My goal is to build a team here, and I am now more than ever having a hard time accepting her into that team.  I hear the way she speaks to our staff in a condescending tone, and I've heard her on the phone with clients or referral doctors. It makes me uncomfortable to know she is representing our hospital.

I have no idea what I should do. I am at a place with a lack of leadership and so going to the boss for help is usually counterproductive; though I have tried to discuss the problem with him before. I do not consider myself a manager of the doctors, but I am trying my best to take care of our other staff members. I am tired of seeing them disrespected and knocked down in confidence whenever she is around. I want to take care of them, but I can't do that without addressing the true problem - the inconsiderate associate.

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you may have. I just started reading EVT and checked out the website. I am so excited about this resource!!!

Amy

Dear Amy,

Wow, you have taken on a big, and very important job. Your desire to help grow your practice into a healthy workplace shines out of every word you've written and that aspiration will carry you a long way with most of your employees. It sounds like most of your crew is thrilled to have someone step up to improve the clinic. As you said, providing hope that positive change is possible is a great morale booster. I suspect your boss just didn't know how or what to do and was happy to turn things over to you.

So, now the only thing standing between the practice you love and the change you long to bring is a toxic associate. Sadly, this is not an uncommon problem in practices, but it is one that most people choose to ignore. Don't take that route! The problem needs to be addressed and it needs to be done in a way that provides an opportunity for the associate to improve her attitude and work. The good news is, since she had shown a better side when she worked as a relief vet, you know she's got the capacity to do a better job.

Before you begin to address this situation, it would be helpful to watch the "Watch Your Wake" webinar on our website. This program addresses the problem of toxic employees and offers many strategies for working with them. (Click here now to watch the short video).

As painful as this next step will be, I urge you to put your shoulders back and do it! Let this associate know that as part of your new leadership duties, you'd like to meet with her to discuss the practice. Schedule this meeting for after work, when you both have time to concentrate on the subject at hand and aren't distracted by other work issues. Have the meeting in a neutral place, like a conference or break room, to keep the meeting from feeling like a trip to the principal's office. Let her know that you've appreciated the experience that she brings to the practice and that you know the transition from relief vet and a one-doc practice before that, must be a somewhat challenging one. Ask her how she thinks things have gone since she joined the practice as an associate. Hopefully, her account match what you have been seeing and she will provide some excuse for her slip in behavior. This provides you with an opening to discuss your concerns about her performance and how much it differs from the job she did as a relief doctor. Keep your discussion focused on specifics that you have seen, just as you've described them in your letter to me.

If she doesn't provide an explanation of her performance that matches what you've seen, you will have to let her know, gently but firmly, how your perspective differs. Share that having such a conversation is difficult but that you know, since she did such a great job originally, that you assume there must be some problem causing the behavior shift. Again, describe what you've seen in her behavior with the staff and the clients that is of concern.

When you get to this point, ask your colleague what she perceives is the cause of the current difficulty. Perhaps she's unhappy in the new location or new job. Maybe she's grieving the life she left behind. Although not excuses, I suspect there is something causing her to be unhappy and disrespectful at work. If you can get her to acknowledge this, ask her what you might do together to help her get back to her earlier level of excellence.

In this way, you are opening the door to finding out what is creating this behavior change, empathizing with her turmoil, AND offering to partner with her in making things better. If you handle this discussion with sensitivity and an authentic desire to get to the bottom of what is creating the difficulty, you create a safe space for this troubled associate to confront her own bad behavior, and begin to see how to dig her way out of it. She may have been needing to share some difficultly that was causing her bad behavior and will welcome this constructive and supportive discussion.This would be the best case scenario.

If the discussion does not go this well, and the associate denies having a problem, then you'll have to take another leadership step and let her know that your respectfully disagree. Share that you have undertaken to the job of improving the work environment within the practice. Describe for her the new vision you have for the clinic, the employees, the clients and the patients.Tell her you value what she brings to the practice, and that you know that she can be a great addition.Then, ask her if she believes she can buy in and contribute to helping you bring this vision to life? If so, what will she commit to doing to improve?

Notice that in this discussion, I'm having you both confront destructive behavior and then issue an invitation to her to join in the new effort.

By keeping the discussion cordial and professional, and by offering her an invitation to join you in the creation of a new and better workplace, it is my hope that she will get on board with you as an ally. If this is not the case, you will have a better idea of what you are dealing with. Her behavioral change indicates something has gone wrong either in her personal life and she's taking out at work or that work has somehow become a disappointment. In either case, by first listening to her and empathizing with her struggle, you provide her with a positive way to process her predicament. Whatever comes out of this discussion will provide you both with "next steps" that can be taken to improve the situation.

At the end of the meeting, summarize for her what the two of you have decided to do as short term action steps. For instance, list three or four behavior changes you both would like to see her work on over the next week. Then, set a meeting to follow up on the progression. Call these meetings mutual coaching sessions and attempt to enlist her as an advocate in improving the practice climate and environment. The aim here is to help her clearly see her own behavior as destructive and to enlist her in designing an intervention that she believes could turn things around.

In your new leadership role, you will learn a lot about how to manage, motivate and develop colleagues and staff through this interaction. Rather than dictate to her how she must change, your goal will be to help her see herself more clearly and realistically and then to help inspire her to productive change.

I wish you the best as you move forward with your plans to improve your practice. You have great ideas and you're on the right track!

Dr. Ruby
editor@myevt.com

(Do you have a question? If so, please email Dr. Ruby at editor@myevt.com)