EVT Magazine May/June 2012 Issue

Features

From Pack Mentality to Teamwork: 5 Top Pitfalls for Managers and Employees

Let’s talk about an “untold truth” about working in animal healthcare: employees often make a habit of voicing continual disapproval of a manager’s style and decisions, and in return managers tend to regard employees as a pack, forgetting they are individuals with hopes and aspirations.

The Art of Effective Employee Interviews

Have you ever interviewed someone for a job? It’s been my experience that employers often feel as nervous and intimidated by the interview process as the job candidates they are interviewing.

Client Service Representative Superheroes

Imagine that your clients enjoyed calling the veterinary clinic, looked forward to arriving early for appointments, felt secure when their pets were sick, and trusted that their questions would be answered.

What Does Your Clinic Do to Make New Employees Feel Welcome on Their First Day?

EVT asked 3 veterinary professionals how their hospitals welcomed and oriented new employees their first day—and beyond!

Vilen Vlasov, Hospital Manager, VCA Main Street Animal Hospital, San Diego, CA

DiSC-overing the Key to Highly Effective Teams

"Welcome to the team!” As a new employee, that greeting conveys a special sense of being wanted, accepted, and belonging. All too often, however, that initial enthusiasm is quickly extinguished as the new member tries to fit in and existing team members grapple with the inevitable change in team dynamics.

7 Steps to Successful Protocols

Just as there are associated benefits with protocol-setting, there are also associated challenges with effective implementation—one of which is building team buy-in.

4 Courses at a 5-Star Restaurant: Explanation & Planning Part 1

Mrs. Kensington just arrived for her appointment with Zipper, the family’s gray and white male cat to investigate the lump on his neck, sudden loss of appetite, and onset of lethargy.

Case Study: NorthStar VETS

NorthStar VETS is a cutting-edge veterinary emergency trauma and specialty center, one that excels with its technician training program even as the team constantly seeks to improve it.

Collaborative Coaching: How To Get the Most from Your Employees

Gone are the days of the “command-and-control” leadership style. Who wants to work for someone who simply gives daily hospital orders and conducts annual evaluations from behind a closed door?!

Surviving Appointment Pile-Ups

It was 11:15 am and my waiting room contained my 10:20 appointment (who had just shown up), my 11:20 wellness examination, an emergency “squinting dog,” and a woman desperate to talk with me about whether I thought her sister’s dog might have Cushing’s disease.

How to Write Great Facebook Posts

Social media has changed the way we communicate. Having an account on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+ is great, but it only benefits your practice if you’re actively generating content and engaging with fans and followers.

Discuss Microchipping with Clients

Losing a pet = heartbreaking
Microchipping your pet = $50
Peace of mind = priceless

Checklist for Collaborative Coaching

Please click on the PDF icon to download your "Checklist for Collaborative Coaching."

For more information on this subject, see "Collaborative Coaching: How to Get the Most From Your Employees".

Welcome Home Team: I Can Do It!

So Far in Welcome Home, Team!…

In January, we developed a 2012 plan for progress. In March, we looked at the power of choice. In this article, we will discuss the third of Thomas’s intrinsic motivators: competence.²

Superstar Animal Hospital Procedure Improvement Plan

Client Service Representatives are focused on continuous improvement. The question they ask is, “Where are we now and how can we make each visit even better for our clients?” For more information, please see Client Service Representative Superheroes

Ways to Invest in Continuing Education

Competency gained through mastering new skills energizes individuals and builds better veterinary teams. Use these strategies to optimize your team development efforts. For more information, please see Welcome Home Team: I Can Do It!

Break Down Barriers to Competence in Your Veterinary Practice

Use these tips to develop your veterinary team’s culture of competence. For related information, please see Welcome Home Team: I Can Do It!

In Conversation About End-of-Life Care

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts when communicating about end-of-life issues with pet owners. For more informaton, please see End-of-Life Care: The Last, Best Gift

NorthStar VETS Technician Test: Level 3

NorthStar VETS is a cutting-edge veterinary emergency trauma and specialty center, one that excels with its technician training program even as the team constantly seeks to improve it. To see an example of a technician test, please download the PDF above.

For related information, see Case Study: NorthStar VETS

End-of-Life Care: The Last, Best Gift

Just as there is no “one size fits all” for how individuals process and approach death and loss, in veterinary medicine there is no single approach to death, dying, and euthanasia that can serve each patient and client.

NorthStar VETS Technician Level 3 Checklist

For more information, please see Case Study: NorthStar VETS

Discuss Pet Obesity with Clients

The latest national survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) shows that 53% of adult dogs and 55% of cats were deemed overweight or obese by their veterinarian.

Use Discounting to Attract New Clients

Say the word “discount” and it conjures up violent, knee-jerk reactions in the minds and hearts of practice managers and owners.

Yes, You Really Do Need a Social Networking Policy

Thinking (hoping desperately?) that YouTube, Facebook, Google+, blogs, and Twitter will fade away like 8-track tapes is an exercise in futility, much like Lady Grantham’s attitude toward electric lights in the wildly popular “Downton Abbey” series: “I couldn’t have electricity in the house, I wouldn’t sleep a wink. All those vapors floating about.”

The 10 Most Important Questions to Ask When Interviewing

How do you distinguish one potential employee from another? How can you style your interview so that you can maximize your understanding of the candidate?

What's Your Leadership Style?

I am standing on my front porch, already late for work, about to call my 3 dogs in from their morning exercise adventure.

Real Marketing Strategies for Your Practice

An effective marketing strategy needs to be carefully planned and executed; just sending out a few email blasts about the services offered won’t get the desired results.

Master Your Financial Reports

Given the current overall economy, and given the improving though still wobbly financial nature of the veterinary industry, correctly using the financial statements of your practice is more important than ever.

A proper set of financial statements is comprised of three linked reports. They are the following:

1. Balance Sheet
2. Income Statement
3. Statement of Cash Flows