Veterinary Clinics in Transition: Melding Old & New Employees
Dear Editor:
I am a new graduate (2009) that joined a practice that was purchased in April because the original vet had died. We are in a state of flux right now...new leadership, new team members, plus the original employees. Just starting out, I find myself stuck between the new leadership and employees and the old employees who are used to doing things the "old" way. Now the new owners have a new way of doing things, which is fine for me and the new employees, but seems to be met by some resistance by the old employees. The new owners are "transforming" the clinic with a remodel and equipment upgrades, which is wonderful, but the original employees are still really attached to the vet who died and his "legacy." Any suggestions where I can fit in as a new associate to help the transition go more smoothly?
Dear New Veterinarian:
You're in a difficult position, but one in which you can make a great deal of difference. Your goal is to meld the two office groups AND create a safe situation in which the practice can evolve in a healthy way.
Although I'm sure the new owners have great intentions to both improve the business and enhance the practice, I suspect the original employees feel displaced and potentially as though their deceased leader is being disregarded. After all, they had a successful team for many years until the veterinarian's death forced the changes that have now occurred. Keep in mind that "the old way" may be their last connection to a way of life and work they all valued and had made comfortable. From their point of view, a new team has come on board and decided to "throw out the old" to ring in the new. It would be difficult for them not to take this personally and to either passively or aggressively fight to keep some sense of the original practice. They probably feel threatened by the new procedures, new upgrades, and new colleagues. This is the normal, albeit frustrating reality of such practice change.
Knowing this, the new leaders' tasks are multifaceted and you can assist them in this transition.They must somehow create a new team that honors the original members while still crafting opportunities to upgrade and transform. The first step is to get everyone on board with this evolution. It sounds as though there may not have been enough preparation upfront to blend the teams.
First of all, I'd suggest a team retreat where the agenda is to hear from the original team what they most appreciated and valued in their old practice. Allow them to express their feelings of sadness and regret that their original veterinarian died, and necessitated the change that is currently afoot. That is their reality and deserves to be both stated and heard. The current leadership can then empathize with them, take their ideas under consideration in the new structure, and urge the entire team to work with them to create a new practice vision which holds on to the best of the old and includes some fresh new ideas. If this is handled sensitively and empathetically, the original team will feel as though their experience and ideas count and that the management cares enough about their legacy to include it in the new vision.
At this point, the leaders can ask the entire team to help create the vision for what this innovative practice might look like. Have everyone join in the brainstorming. In this way, everyone has been invited to the table as the new practice is envisioned, and has joined in the creation of the "next steps." This is a very different scenario from the "tug of war" between two factions that you describe in your letter.
Leaders should always ensure two key factors are in place when they attempt to move a team to a new level. 1) They need to honor and acknowledge what "was" and 2) They need to encourage and empower ALL employees to participate in the creation of the new environment and practice. It's much easier to get people to follow you when they believe they've had some say in where you are going!
I wish you wisdom and compassion as you help your new leadership bridge the gap between these two factions!
Sincerely,
Dr. Ruby
editor@myevt.com
