Who or What is Causing the Discord?

The day starts on a good note, but the tension builds as the hours go by. You overhear two veterinary nurses grumbling in the treatment area, “If only the front desk knew how to schedule better, we wouldn’t be so backed up.” Taking this cue, you head out front to see what is going on only to hear the CSRs saying, “If only those techs in the back would stop chatting and get to work, we wouldn’t be so backed up.”

Both groups are finger-pointing and complaining about the same thing – being backed up. Why can’t they work as a team? Why are they divided into front versus back? 

It seems so easy to place blame, to finger point – however, it is important to remember the saying, “when you point your finger at someone, there are three fingers pointed back at you.” What could you be doing or not doing that causes the battle between front and back? 

Many will say the main culprit of this discord is the appointment book that causes the fight between the front and back. The truth is that it goes much deeper.  It is about the culture, poor communication, a lack of understanding of each side’s role in client service, patient care, and even leadership errors.

Culture is unique to your group.  Culture determines how the group works together –it fosters stability and drives its members’ thinking and behavior. It gives the strategy of what, when, where, and how to do things.

Think about that 4:54 pm client calling your practice about a sick pet – are they automatically told to come in, or referred to the local emergency hospital? Is there a “dance” around asking for permission, tip-toeing around the people who will say no in favor of someone who will say yes?  Your culture may be causing the battle between front and back.

Communication is always a primary suspect any time there is discord. Over 80 percent of a person’s success at any job is due to communication skills….also known as people skills (per The Harvard Business Review¹). 

With only 20 percent of their success based on technical skills, why do so many training sessions concentrate on technical skills and ignore the people skills?  Communication is vital to patient care, client service, and team performance – assess communication gaps when the finger-pointing starts.

Lack of understanding of roles, responsibilities, and pressures is common. Think about the team’s different roles – nurses give full attention to patient care, CSRs focus on client service – there will be times when the roles can seem incompatible.

Without working in every area of the hospital, understanding the pressures of each area can be difficult and may lead to unrealistic expectations from co-workers in the other areas of the hospital. Unrealistic expectations lead to conflict.

Leadership errors are another possibility – remember those three fingers pointing back at you, the manager. Error number one – refusing to accept personal accountability. The buck stops with management and how the team is held accountable. Other leadership errors are: 

• Failing to develop and train people on the team
• Aligning oneself with a side
• Managing everyone the same way
• Being a buddy and not a boss
• Failing to set standards
• Condoning incompetence
• Forgetting the power of communication 

Management may be the cause of the tension between front and back. Knowing that there are different root causes to explore does not mean that the solution is out of reach. However, it will take some effort to get everyone on the same page and work as a team.

Potential Remedies

Upon examining common root causes (culture, poor communication, a lack of understanding, and leadership errors), it is possible to initiate remedies that may address a few root causes at one time. One such remedy is the daily huddle.

The daily huddle is a 5-10 minute long meeting to assess what will happen throughout the shift, troubleshoot potential problems, and agree upon a game plan. Everyone understands their different roles and expectations; communication is clear, and the team knows the goals for the shift.

Team meetings are another tool to quell discord between the front and back. Have the different areas submit challenges, clinical inefficiencies, and other problems. Divide out into groups (groups must include nurses, CSRs, doctors, ward attendants, etc.), brainstorm together, bring up their unique perspectives, and work together to achieve the best solution.

If the different areas hold separate meetings, bring in the lead person for the other area – he/she can listen to concerns, give input from his/her perspective, and work on solutions. Team meetings are also an excellent opportunity to reward the team and conduct team-building activities.

Another solution is cross-training or job shadowing. Cross-training is not always possible in some situations, such as training a receptionist to do the job of a certified veterinary nurse in surgery. Still, the receptionist can gain an understanding of the position by job shadowing and assisting the veterinary nurse.

Scheduling team members to work a shift rotation in other areas will not only help them to understand the roles, responsibilities, and pressures associated with that area, but it will also give an idea of how the roles can complement each other and when it may be necessary to step in and offer assistance (even without being asked). 

While on the topic of training – pay attention to shift leaders, supervisors, and managers. These team members need additional tools for communication and tips on how to avoid fatal management errors that erode team unity. 

Building a cohesive team does require policies and procedures. Review and update any standard operating procedures (SOPs) and job descriptions. Create checklists and ensure collaborative workflows across all areas of the hospital. 

Building a United Team

Looking back at the morning fight over the appointment schedule – consider a procedure to map out certain appointments for sick, well, and urgent time slots. Conduct a huddle at the beginning of each shift to update the team on the appointments and the game plan to mitigate any problems that may arise. Involve the team in a debriefing session afterward to discuss what worked well and what didn’t. 

Discord, drama, disagreement – no matter the label you give it, it is a problem that needs to be nipped in the bud before the negativity spreads and impacts client service and patient care. Clients see and hear. They sense the tension, receive the exasperated sighs and the apologies, and wonder what level of care their pet is receiving. Give the team the tools to successfully work together as a team unified and deliver exceptional patient care and client service.

Read the rest of the Louise Dunn series here:

Leading Your Veterinary Team Through Change

Guiding the Veterinary Team Through Conflict Resolution

What To Do When Training Isn’t Producing Results in Your Vet Team

Raising the Bar at Your Veterinary Hospital

Conducting A Daily Huddle In Any Veterinary Practice

The post Uniting the Front and Back Veterinary Teams appeared first on iMatrix.

It’s first and then – the offense huddles before executing the play. It’s down to a buzzer-beater – the team gathers around the coach for the strategy. Almost every sport has a time when the players gather to get insights for the next play. No long meeting, no sit down for an hour to discuss options, just a quick recap of what has transpired. In comes the game plan of what is needed to score or stop the opponent from advancing. Businesses took notice of the concept and the results – and the ‘huddle’ moved from the playing field to the office.

In the veterinary office, the daily huddle can be one of the best ways to encourage teamwork, provide clarity and reduce chaos. Huddles are brief (10 minutes) standup meetings occurring at the start of each shift. The purpose can vary from veterinary hospital to hospital, but the most common focus is looking ahead at the day’s schedule. 

Benefits Of The Huddle

Take a moment and go back to this morning at your vet hospital. Clients are arriving, the phone is ringing, and patients are getting checked in….when the client service representative (CSR) asks if it is ok to squeeze in a sick cat? Those within earshot start grumbling about having no time. Hospitalized patients still need to be looked at, and the kennel attendant called off sick. Suddenly, it’s like the CSR is a clueless bad guy trying to ruin the day. What if the day started with a huddle?

Before the phone calls and check-ins, the team huddles in the treatment area. They are informed about the kennel attendant calling off and who will be filling in. The hospital census is reviewed on the whiteboard, the appointment book is looked at. Then spots to squeeze in a sick pet are identified beforehand. Now, when the CSR answers the phone, they already know the game plan to execute this morning. Prior to the start of the next shift, there is a review of the morning results, a discussion of potential trouble spots, an update on the hospital census, and a new game plan communicated to the team. 

Improving Daily Productivity

Huddles can help the team avoid confusion and identify bottlenecks that can wreak havoc on patient care, client service, and team performance.

They can allow the team to raise issues for immediate solutions or escalate issues to a manager or practice owner. In addition, huddles can provide an opportunity to close the loop on prior concerns. As well as give praise to team members, announce new patients or clients coming today.

Plus, update the status of practice goals, or share important notices about changes to policies or procedures during your daily huddle. Save your team time and energy by avoiding poor decisions and the redundancy of tasks. The huddle ensures timely answers and enforces team accountability.

To start doing huddles, know why you want to conduct huddles, set the start time……7:52 AM, 12:48 PM. Your choice, but most experts recommend choosing an odd time because it gets people’s attention. Stick to the time limit such as 5 minutes but no more than 15 minutes), display the agenda (see examples in the next section – but do not make it too long for your time limit), and close on time.

Developing A Huddle Agenda

It’s essential to follow a plan – call it a checklist or an agenda. There is no single agenda that works in every practice – this is where each practice’s strategic imperatives come into play.

The following are examples of huddle agendas:

Example 1:

1. Check-in With the team
2. Review today’s schedule & identify scheduling opportunities
3. Discuss special patient needs for today
4. Share practice updates, policy changes
5. Share a client compliment or social media testimonials

Example 2:

1. What did we do ‘right’ yesterday (or previous shift) – any honorable mentions of team members who went the extra mile?
2. Review schedule – potential trouble spots for emergencies
3. Identify new clients/new patients – prep welcome kits, prepare for typical questions
4. Follow-up calls – update patient status from post-op or post-appointment calls
5. Social Media/Testimonial/Reviews – share updates from clients, what the practice is posting

Example 3:

1. Victories from yesterday
2. Priorities for today
3. Anything that has you stuck? 

Example 4:

1. Are there any unconfirmed appointments?
2. Do any clients have outstanding balances?
3. Who are the new clients/patients?
4. Are there any potential scheduling conflicts today?

Example 5:

1. What’s up – what are some accomplishments since the last huddle
2. The numbers – critical metrics we are monitoring
3. Roadblocks – bottlenecks being experienced
4. Our values and ideology

As evident by the examples, the huddle agenda can take many different forms. Tailor your agenda to meet specific areas if the practice is large enough for each area to conduct its own huddle (i.e., CSR, Lab, Surgery, Kennel). The critical factor in creating the huddle agenda is what does the practice want to accomplish? 

Measuring The Effectiveness Of The Huddle

To measure your daily huddle’s effectiveness, refer back to what you are trying to accomplish. It may be because you want to improve client service by not having long appointment delays.

Perhaps the goal is to improve patient care by having everyone aware of the hospital census and patients coming in for appointments. Or it’s about building community and team efficiency. Another reason may be to reduce adverse events, improve client satisfaction, or enhance team engagement. Each veterinary practice has its reason – know the ‘why’ and then assess the effectiveness.

One way to assess the effectiveness of the huddle is to debrief at the end of the shift. This is not the time to assign blame, but instead, focus on identifying the pros and cons of actions and decisions. As well as identify important issues that unfolded, and performance gaps needing attention.

A debreifing session will provide information about whether the communication was clear or not. Debriefing should be a quick, five-minute query asking the team what worked well and what did not. This will help determine if the team understood their roles and responsibilities. These efforts help pinpoint when potential situations were successfully mitigated.

Make a note for future reference – after all, you want the team to gain knowledge, comprehend the outcomes, and apply what they learned to future situations. 

Other measurements may entail metrics such as appointment fill rates, new clients and new patient numbers, or client satisfaction survey results. There are measures for team efficiency such as revenue per FTE DVM, invoices per FTE DVM. Also staff hours per transaction can also shed light on the change in the team’s performance after starting huddles and debriefings.

Brief huddles enable communication that builds a culture of trust. As a result, the team can maintain awareness of patient scheduling, client needs, business goals, and team performance. Like the sports team, the goal is to ensure a win at the end of the day.

To sum up, have a daily pow wow every day at your veterinary hospital. Create an enjoyable, productive works space, prepared to tackle challenges at ease.

The post Conducting A Daily Huddle In Any Veterinary Practice appeared first on iMatrix.

Where Are Your Bars?

Raising the bar is a phrase (an idiom) that we often hear when performance must surpass current levels – be that an athlete’s performance in a sporting event, a child’s behavior at home or school, or an employee’s job performance. Raising the bar is a battle cry to do better, to improve, and to achieve a higher goal. In a veterinary hospital, there are three bars to focus on – patient care, client service, and team performance.

Before one can even think of attempting to “raise the bar,” one must know where the bar is set at. If the hospital manager tells the team, “We are raising the bar on patient care,” what exactly are they saying? The team needs to know three things:

1. Where is the bar sitting at this particular moment?
2. Why does it need to be raised?
3. What will they need to do to raise the bar?

Metrics, or key practice indicators (KPIs), can indicate where the bars are sitting. And, when compared to prior business metrics and industry benchmarks, managers can determine the trend and the potential. But there are other measures, such as surveys, testimonials, and performance reviews, that can also shed light on a bar’s current position. To get a good picture of the bar’s location, different metrics and information should be assessed.

Tools to Use at Your Veterinary Hospital

Choosing the tools is a critical first step for raising the bar. Knowing where the bar has been, and its trend (up or down) will provide the “why” the bar needs raising. The following is a list of some metrics; however, each practice must establish its own set of valuable metrics.

When assessing the bar’s status for patient care, look to the quality of care indicators such as completed puppy and kitten vaccine series, the ratio of progress exams to medical exams, number of cases per month for GI, urological, cardiac, etc., and lab tests performed. 

These metrics tell the team what they are doing to diagnose and treat patients. For example, if the kitten vaccine series shows a low completion rate, the team has their current stat and knows the importance of vaccination – thus, an easy answer to why that bar needs raising.

Client service involves client satisfaction surveys (such as the Net Promoter Score or NPS), trends in client complaints, testimonials posted on social media, client bonding rate, phone shopper conversion, new clients per month, and new patients per month. 

The team should also pay attention to client requests or comments starting with, “why don’t you….have virtual visits like my doctor,” “why don’t you…mail medications to my house.” These comments provide a window into your clients’ expectations – often due to what they are experiencing with other businesses and physicians. 

Team performance becomes a mix of business metrics and personnel information. Team satisfaction surveys, completion of training modules, continuing education, and other means of assessing team engagement and professional growth are essential indicators for team performance. 

Efficiency indicators include staff hours per transaction, doctor hours per transaction, staff to DVM ratio, overtime paid, revenue per full-time equivalent DVMs, invoices per FTE DVMs, and late to work and call off trends. Additional metrics may sound like business trends, but they do allude to team performance – support staff wages as a percentage of revenue, income to expense ratios for lab, food, pharmacy, and the heartworm/flea/tick products. 

What if the wage as a percentage of revenue is rising higher than desired? The knee-jerk reaction to cut staffing levels or raise prices must be avoided until after a thorough assessment of other metrics. 

Perhaps it is noted that more overtime is paid because there are not enough trained personnel for surgery, or there is a problem with missing too many charges. There are several possibilities, and raising the bar for team performance will require a thorough study and a group effort to fix any shortcomings.

Encourage Team Effort

It takes a team to raise the bar – and that means having the right people on your team, in the correct positions, working toward a common goal. This should be a red flag to managers – it starts with management laying the groundwork.

Putting an all-star team together requires hiring the right people, not just any warm body, but people who have the skills. You need people who are interested in continuously growing in knowledge and skills, creating a winning culture, and striving to achieve strategic goals. Hire the right people. Establish hiring standard procedures – everything from job descriptions, the wording of ads, interview questions, working interviews, employee handbook, and training manuals and checklists.

Once hired, don’t ignore the power of ongoing feedback and training. Conduct real-time reviews and regularly check in with the team. Get to know what they are doing, discuss what they should start doing or stop doing, what ideas they have, and where they are experiencing snags. 

In addition to strategic business goals, set individual goals to encourage each team member to become a better version of themselves – tracking progress and keeping everyone updated. Do not hesitate to correct workplace performance or release a poor performer. Raising the bar requires everyone to do their best.

Be sure to provide the team with the tools they will need to raise the bar. In addition to the metrics listed earlier, consider the technology and equipment the team is using. Asking the team to raise the bar on client service while neglecting the fact that there are only two phone lines into the business (and those lines are always busy) is not giving the team the necessary tools or equipment they need to raise the client service bar. 

Prioritize Improvements at Your Vet Hospital 

Last but not least, make raising the bar a priority. If owners or managers do not walk the talk, if regular status updates are not given, if the topic is never brought up again, then the team will not view it as a priority and will slip back into old habits. 

Tell the team why it is critical to raise the bar, assign a coordinator to spearhead the project and be the go-to person for updates and training, and reward the team for small wins along the way.

The veterinary industry is changing – medical advancements, client expectations, business models, virtual care… ignoring the changes by never raising the bar will ultimately result in failure. It may not mean a complete closure of the practice, but it may show in poor patient medical outcomes, low client bonding, and a loss of quality team members. 

Look at your three bars’ status, gather the numbers, build a great team, and enjoy the successes with every bar-raising notch.

The post Raising the Bar at Your Veterinary Hospital appeared first on iMatrix.

The SWOT acronym, although commonplace in most business discussions, is sadly underused in the training arena. Why do a SWOT analysis on a training program? Well, here is where one person’s “why do it” may be different from another’s.  A potential “why bother to assess” maybe because the practice is experiencing high employee turnover, maybe the practice is in a hiring phase due to expansion, or perhaps better control over training costs is needed.

For many, merely alleviating the headaches caused by a subpar training program is the driving force. The key is to examine all factors leading up to the training session to mitigate anything that has the potential to create a headache.

It is vital to have a clear understanding of when the business needs to conduct training. Sure, new hire or a poor performer comes to mind, but is there a strategic business plan for other critical situations?

• Change in technology (i.e., telehealth, new equipment)
• Change in business practice (i.e., Fear Free protocols, chronic condition care, treatment protocol)
• Change in company policy (i.e., job duties, laws/regulations, remote work)
• Slow-down or growth in the business (i.e., economic changes, personnel changes, client demographics)

The business side of running a veterinary practice must communicate with the management of the personnel. If the business is considering a change, the team needs to be prepared (AKA trained) to perform any new responsibilities. 

SWOT the critical parts of the current training program:

• Applicable job duties (per all of your job descriptions)
• Documentation during the training process
• Feedback & communications
• Training resources
• Training methods
• Scheduling 
• Preparing those who will do the training

When it comes to the failure of a training program, it is like a three-legged stool – weakness in one leg will result in a collapse. The point of failure may be the person receiving the training – lack of interest, information overload, or an inability to connect his/her personal learning preference with the training method being used. The person conducting the training may be the culprit – competing priorities, lack of interest, or poor planning. Or business/management may be the weak leg – limited budgeting, lack of resources, poor planning, or neglecting to follow up.

Performing a SWOT analysis requires taking a hard look at any failed training attempts to pinpoint areas of weakness and missed opportunities. However, it should be balanced with a look at successful training. Look at what worked well and determine if or how it can be repeated. 

Common Causes of Headaches While Training Vet Staff

When a patient is presented with vomiting and diarrhea, what are we trained to do? Assess the condition and treat the symptoms while determining the root cause – the same applies to training headaches. The actual root cause of the headache or failed training program often turns out to be something that could have been prevented if steps had been taken early in the process. Consider these common causative factors of training headaches (i.e., weaknesses):

• Hectic schedules/competing priorities. You know the signs – an emergency comes in, not everyone will come in on their day off, people won’t stay after their shift is over, a backlog of phone calls or chart documentation needs to be completed….  There is always some reason that prevents people from attending a training session.
• Different learning habits. There are four or five different generations in the workforce and even more diverse learning styles within the team. While some people learn well by reading, others do better by seeing. Collaborating with colleagues is one of the best ways to learn because it allows team members to work towards a common goal, brainstorm, and share knowledge.
• Lack of engagement. There are several reasons why an employee is not interested in participating in the training program – maybe the topic is not relevant to the employee’s job, or perhaps the employee does not see the “why.” Of course, competing priorities and different learning habits may also be playing a role and should be considered.
• Information overload. It is challenging to squeeze in an hour-long team lunch and learn session, coupled with all the material that is packed into that hour-long meeting, and you have a lot of information with no time to “digest” and ask questions (let alone inhale lunch at the same time). 
• Untrained trainer. The person who is conducting the training session must receive information on how to deliver consistent training sessions, provide and receive feedback, and track post-training performance. We are not all born teachers.
• Lack of planning. More information in the following section about this.
• Costs. Limited budget and training resources will make it difficult to deliver material and conduct a post-training assessment of the success of the session.

Some steps can be taken to treat the common causes – and those steps are outlined in the next section. There will never be a one-and-done fix. Since each training session involves different personnel and different needs, there will always be a need to identify critical issues before starting the training session.

Create a Win-Win Training Program

Once the areas of strengths and weaknesses have been identified, it is time to create a training program that provides a sturdy three-legged stool upon which to sit. To accomplish this, organize the training program, taking into account the known strengths, what weaknesses need to be shored up, and where opportunities can be utilized. 

For example:

• Identify the needs
  • Needs of the individual, the business, and the person/supervisor doing the training
• Identify how to evaluate the success
  • Communicate in advance how success will be measured – i.e., completed checklists, passing scores on tests, performance evaluations, business KPI
• Identify what will change
  • Communicate expectations – performance improvement, acquire a new skill or knowledge, address a weakness or opportunity in the services offered by the business
• Identify the impact on the business
  • Improved patient care, client service, business metrics, or team performance

Included in organizing the training process:

• Agreed upon KPIs
  • Metrics, evaluation scores, test scores
• Assigned personnel
  • Trainers (aka Subject Matter Experts)
• Training processes
  • Virtual, Web-based, Group or Classroom, On-the-Job, Gamification, Feedback, etc.
• Resources and tools
  • Manuals, materials, SOPs, internet access, rewards & recognition, etc.
• Expenses (aka Budget)
  • Wages for the student and the trainer, materials

For the new hire, assessing his/her current knowledge and acclimating him/her to the culture of the practice will have different activities when compared to working with an existing team member in need of improving job performance; or when compared to training the team on a new procedure.

Training is not the same across the board. Specific activities will vary with the individual and the focus of the training, although the template to organize each training program will be similar. It is in using an organized template that alleviates some of the headaches associated with training because crucial steps are not missed.

Monitor the Results

Look back on creating the win-win-win. Identify how success will be evaluated and communicate it to the trainer and the trainee. Knowing the rules and how the training “game” will be scored prevents penalties and fouls. Once again, measuring results will depend on the focus of the training – new hire, performance improvement, use of new technology, etc. 

• New Hire – quizzes, regular huddles/debriefings to discuss progress, incorporating a “see one – do one –teach one” scenario with the trainer
• Performance Improvement – similar to the new hire but there is a performance history so follow up evaluations should show improvement (with visual confirmation by the trainer/supervisor)
• New technology, business practice, or company policies – behavior changes, chart audit trends, charging for the new service, team surveys, see one- do one – teach one whereby mastery of a subject is demonstrated by teaching others 
• Business KPIs – client bonding and satisfaction, employee retention and satisfaction, new service metrics

The veterinary industry will always have new medications, new treatments, new equipment, new procedures. It is a profession that provides opportunities for learning and personal growth. Since we know we will need to continue to conduct training of our team members, why not formalize the process, address any headache-causing issues before getting started, and enjoy the fruits of a successful training program.

The post What To Do When Training Isn’t Producing Results in Your Vet Team appeared first on iMatrix.

The day is off to the ‘typical’ start. Jenny called off so everyone in the break room ‘is hating on her.’ Dr. Smith upset Dr. Jones during a discussion about appropriate treatment options for a medical case. Nurse Tom and Receptionist Claire have started the ‘front vs. back’ fight over the day’s appointment schedule.  And you…well, you find yourself saying, “I don’t get paid enough to deal with this crap.” Sound familiar? 

Conflict happens – even in the best of teams. The problem is not necessarily conflict itself but rather how conflict is handled. The task of conflict resolution is placed squarely in the hands of the practice manager. To make the process easier, conduct team training sessions about conflict and communication techniques, and provide a roadmap (aka conflict resolution procedure) for the team to follow.

Etiology of Conflict

Notice the medical theme in the headline above? We are all trained to look for and understand the cause(s) of a medical condition. Teaching the team about conflict can be similar to teaching them about a medical condition. If a client brings in a vomiting dog, does the team start arguing with the client about poor care, neglect, or selfish behavior? No, the team resorts to their training about diseases and medical conditions that can cause vomiting – they start gathering the details, creating a list of potential causes, performing an assessment, and formulating a plan.  Can the team view conflict in a similar way? Conflict is the symptom, so what is the cause?

Conflict has many sources:

• Dispute about inequities or preferential treatment
• Competition for resources or battle for supremacy
• Unfilled expectations
• Different personalities or attitudes
• Different goals or priorities, or different methods to achieve goals
• Resistance to change
• Unclear job expectations
• Poor communication
• Poor work habits
• Toxic work environment
• Personal problems (hard to leave problems at home at the door when coming into work)
• Differences in perceptions and values (e.g., upbringing, culture, education, socio-economic class, previous experiences)

The extent of the list varies with the scope of one’s internet search. However, discussing a list of conflict sources can help the team when a conflict arises. Did Jenny call off / was the team response due to poor work habits, toxic work environment, or personalities? Is the conflict between the two doctors due to competition for supremacy, resistance to change, or poor communication? Is the front versus back conflict one of different goals or priorities, different methods to achieve a goal, or poor communication? Like the vomiting dog, conflict can be the result of several different root causes. Often, the nature of the problem is not even considered; instead, people fall into nine common responses. Responses that only escalate the level of conflict.

1. Enter into combat mentality – want to see a winner and a loser
2. Oversimplify the problem – because it is too difficult to tackle several issues at once
3. Lack of respect – lack of respect for the other person and perhaps even yourself
4. Lash out or shut down – respond aggressively or rush to smooth things over 
5. Thwarting ploys – threats, stonewalling, sarcasm, silent treatment…
6. Hooked and sucked into conflict – found your weak spot, where you are vulnerable and lose control
7. Rehearse a script – play out in our mind, don’t listen – just recite the rehearsed script
8. Make assumptions about intentions – assume the other person has ill-intentions 
9. Lose sight of the goal – winning the argument is not the goal, must have clear, realistic outcomes

Looking back at the opening examples of the typical day’s conflicts, one can already see where the team skips identifying potential causes and goes straight to a knee-jerk response. Any of the nine listed responses are not part of an appropriate treatment plan for the conflict and will only make the condition worse. When the cause of the conflict is considered, moving to the next stage of communicating through the problematic situation becomes more manageable.

Plan to Communicate

To quote author Stephen Covey, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.” Communicating through conflict does not mean speak loudly and have the last word. Educating the team on conflict communication tools gives the team what they need to address instead of avoiding it or escalating it. Give the team a few scenarios and let them explore responses using the following tools.

• Use “I” instead of “you” to express your feeling (“I understand…”, “I feel…”, “I want…”)
• Pay attention to body language since 55% of communication is body language (7% words, 38% tone of voice)
• Ask questions trying to understand the other person, including how to improve the situation
• Define the problem – do not assume intentions
• Create a follow-up plan
• Validate their feelings (“I’m sorry this hurt you.”)
• Explain the consequences and the benefits of the actions taken
• Explain how the actions conflict with your values
• Explain how actions are hurting you and others

Perhaps the best tool is the I-based statement: “I feel ______ when you   (describe his/her behavior)   because   (specific impact). I would like  (what you want the person to do in the future to prevent the problem) .” Giving the team a few communication tools empowers them to first discuss the conflict before going to management to handle everything. This brings up another essential tool, following a process of dealing with conflict, when to involve management, and what steps can be taken to move through a resolution process.

Conflict SOP

The team is trained to follow a SOAP or POVMR format to conduct a scientific process to diagnose and treat a patient. Something similar applies to conflict situations. One document to use is a Conflict Resolution Policy that outlines the process:

• Manager meets with both parties involved in the conflict. 
  • Set the ground rules
  • Each person completes the standard complaint form
  • Each person summarizes his/her point of view.
• Clarify the disagreement and conflicting views
  • Reflect, reframe, listen
• Describe specific actions each party would like to see the other party take to resolve the differences
  • Stop doing, start doing, do more of, do less of (per Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”)
• Get a commitment to making changes and monitor follow-through

Other formal policies to create are Anti-harassment and Complaint Procedure, and Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.  For a complaint procedure, steps should include:

• Outline the steps to go through the process (as noted above)
• Include the standard complaint form (employee will have it for any future need)
• Have a statement about guaranteeing protection from being retaliated against
• Be specific about time frames for processing (i.e., acknowledging complaints within three days of it being filed).  

Having procedures in place may curtail aimless complaining or griping because it shows that management takes complaints seriously. It will also ensure consistent and fair handling of all complaints. 

Conflict has a reputation for being negative – impacting productivity, morale, and patient care. Having an SOP for conflict resolution can help nip negative it in its early stages. It can also turn it into a positive experience by managing the discussion and working toward a resolution. Put the tools in place to effectively handle situations and turn negative conflict into positive growth.

The post Guiding the Veterinary Team Through Conflict Resolution appeared first on iMatrix.

Although the pandemic created sudden and drastic changes for the veterinary team, moving forward will still require the team to pivot, adjust, and handle changes. It is the responsibility of the management team to provide what is necessary to navigate through transitions.

Your Learning Objectives:

• Effectively plan for change by looking for opportunities and mitigating danger
• Successfully navigate the change process
• Create an agile and adaptable team

Do you consider yourself an expert at handling organizational change after surviving the year of the pandemic? For some, that may be the new skill to list on the resume. For others, the thought of changing anything evokes the feeling of dread and the need to avoid it.

Even though the pandemic created sudden and drastic changes for the veterinary team, it is not one-and-done. Moving forward will still require change, pivoting and adjusting, scrapping the old way (even recently ‘old’), and implementing something new. The veterinary team will continue to be faced with the need to change.

Change does not come easy, especially when suddenly sprung on the team. Leaders in the veterinary practice have the responsibility to guide the team through the transition. To make it easier on everyone, it is best to be prepared – plan for change, follow a change process, and build a team that welcomes change.

Plan For Change

Even though we know the veterinary industry is constantly changing and the practice team will need to deal with it, we are not good at adapting to change. Just think back to when there was a purchase of a new medical device or an update to the practice management software – how well did it go? How long did it take the team to adjust and become proficient? 

It is no surprise that many change efforts fail to deliver anticipated results – as evident by equipment gathering dust, pharmaceuticals expiring on the shelf, and apps and platforms (i.e., social media and telehealth) going unused. Without the positive mindset for a change, it is not always successful.

Planning for change means looking for opportunities and mitigating danger. Everyone on the team must participate – from the owner of the business to part-time team members. And management must be open to hearing about opportunities or dangers noticed by others on the team. Front-line workers are often the first to recognize the need for change (be it a standard operating procedure, skills or competencies, or staffing). Noticing and speaking up should be ingrained in the culture.

Of course, managers are front and center when it comes to looking for opportunities or threats. There are a few tools to help – key practice indicator (KPI) reports, client surveys, pet owner trends, new technology, client and team retention stats, and changes in the competitive landscape are just a few ways that management can keep a finger on the pulse of the business and respond when numbers start to show a negative trend. 

Notice that financials are not the only signal for change. Staff turnover and pet owner trends are also signals for change. When a red flag is noticed, it is time to move into the change process.

Learn More: How to Attract and Support Pet Owners in the Post-COVID Era

Navigate the Change Process

Change does not happen automatically. It requires effort, and it happens more smoothly if specific steps are followed to move the team through the transition. There are change management models to help facilitate change in a business. ADKAR, Kubler Ross, McKinsey 7S, Lewin’s 3 Step, and Kotter’s 8 Step all provide a manager with a process to follow. 

Each comes with pros and cons – different models work better for different situations. That said, let’s focus on just one, the ADKAR model.

• Awareness – start with WHY we need to change, and why now
• Desire – appeal to the emotional and logical side of employees, how the change relates to their current position, WIIFT (What’s In It For Them)
• Knowledge – what the team needs to know, how the change will be implemented
• Ability – train the team, build the SKAs (skills, knowledge, ability) of each person on the team
• Reinforcement – use incentives, rewards, and support to keep the momentum going

It is imperative to realize that communication is critical in each of the stages – and this requires a  communication strategy.

• Communicate the message consistently and frequently (the rumor mill starts when there is a vacuum)
• Use multiple channels – email, text, video, training, meetings, focus groups, bulletin boards…
• Speak to the different learning styles – visual, auditory, reading, kinesthetic…
• Communicate milestones – timelines, progress
• Review metrics that are in place – keep the team updated
• Recognize and reward – celebrate small wins publicly with the team
• Listen – seek feedback from the team, identify barriers

Communication must be two-way, even when managing a change. There must be dialogue, not directives. A poor communication strategy or a lack of an organized process will make resisting change more likely because the team will not understand the need for change or what is expected of them. 

Once a roadmap is established, the transition process will be more successful. In the end, the team will enjoy the process, and they will become more agile and no longer fear change. Managers take note – you can work with the team to help them view change positively.

How to Create an Adaptable, Flexible Veterinary Team

As stated in the opening, some people resist change. When the veterinary healthcare team consists of mainly change avoiders, it makes the manager’s job that much more difficult.  For those responsible for change management, taking proactive steps to understand why people resist change and how to build a more resilient team will make implementing change more effective and successful.

A strategy to build a more agile and flexible team starts with the hiring of team members. Don’t hesitate to have a conversation with a candidate that the work environment is one of the ongoing changes, and not everyone is comfortable dealing with changes all the time. Look for adaptability skills when interviewing a candidate. 

Ask “have you ever” or “describe a time when” to explore past work history and how he/she adapted to a challenge. Look for responses that include problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, communication, and teamwork skills.

Next, understand the common reasons why people on the team are resisting change:

• Fear of job loss – being replaced by technology, job duties now obsolete, etc.
• Fear of the unknown – lack of security, unsure of new responsibilities, what if…
• Loss of control – familiar routines equal a sense of control; change means confusion and chaos
• Lack of competence – a new technology, new routines, new skills, new duties
• Poor timing – already too busy, caught up in trying to master earlier changes
• Lack of reward – WIIFT as listed above
• Poor communication techniques – see discussion above
• Office politics and peer pressure – the culture, the way we do things around here, protecting co-workers that have expressed fear
• Lack of trust or support – mistrust leaders or fellow team members,
• Former experiences – attitudes about change determined by past experiences

When resistance rears its head, stop and listen. Find out what the concerns are, get to the root of the fears, and brainstorm solutions. When the team sees that it is ok to voice concerns and work through them, they will be more inclined to have an open dialogue rather than sabotaging the change process.

Finally, take a look at the culture. Is change considered an opportunity? Does management seek feedback from the team? When change is implemented, does management recognize reactions to change and take the time to address any issues? Does management lead by example – or does management always appear frustrated and hesitant about change? Is it safe to try something new and fail? 

Establishing a workplace culture that accepts and embraces change does not come easy, and management must recognize its role because an inflexible manager will limit the team’s adaptability.

Not everyone enjoys change. However, for any business or individual to grow or advance, there must be change. Managers can not simply dictate “learn it, live it, love it” when implementing something new. Managers are the first people who must be prepared to look for the need and have a clear pathway through any change process. 

Before announcing any new change, spend time with the management team – assessing the culture, learning the best change model to follow, communication techniques to apply, and common reasons of resistance to be mindful of. Once the change management team is prepared, then move out to the rest of the team. Implementing a change does not have to be a battle; it can be pretty easy with preparation.

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