Time management is more than just work-life balance. The way you successfully manage your time is less about a packed schedule and more about a clear and organized mind. Learn what brain science says about how to manage your time so you can be more successful: Manage your time by prioritizing information to make better decisions Manage your time by being wise in how you … [Read more...]
Price matters
The internet has significantly impacted price transparency and it also gives us a picture of price variability. Frank Rumbauskas speaks to salespersons in this article and recommends establishing a fair price that is not the absolute maximum discount. Source: B2C, December 15, 2016. If you’ve read my materials before, you know that I am very blunt about speaking the truth, … [Read more...]
Your people’s brains need face time
The technology that supports virtual meetings and dispersed teams is getting better and less expensive. But our own brains are not wired for two-dimensional relationships void of non-verbal cues. We need the human connections. Source: Strategy + Business, December 12, 2016. Building trust is a multi-sensory experience. Only when people are physically present together can … [Read more...]
Study looks at group housing for sows
Consumers have been driving the conversation about the use of group housing for sows. The swine industry has been hesitant to adopt this practice because of concerns over sow aggression and lack of control over individual feed intake. Source: National Hog Farmer, December 28, 2016. For producers, this means that a variety of mixing options can be used successfully for sows … [Read more...]
Top 10 BEEF articles in 2016
Looking backwards is most valuable when it helps you focus forward. The top 10 list featured in this article reflects the continual need for practical solutions, as well as basic education. The review of metrics is also an eye-opener for animal health pros at all levels. Source: Beef, December 29, 2016. Here are a few facts from the digital world of Beef. In 2016, over 2.3 … [Read more...]
Transparency was the marketing word of 2016
Buzz words are fun to track and frequently represent top-of-mind focus for marketers. This year is no exception. Other top choices in the 2016 Marketing Word of the Year voting were "customer experience," "content marketing," "influencer" and "programmatic." It was the third consecutive year for which ANA announced a Marketing Word of the Year. Previous winners were “content … [Read more...]
Summaries from Drs. Blach and Clark
Dr. Ed Blach and Dr Andrew Clark develop and write Is My Practice Healthy? It is formatted to be quick-hitting, thought-provoking and actionable. These three posts from holiday installments caught our attention. Leadership versus management in veterinary medicine Science versus service Manage Creeping Incrementalism Out of Your Expenses Source: Is My Practice … [Read more...]
Boss’s technical competence important to employees
The topic of expert leadership is recent and burgeoning. Many factors can matter for happiness at work – type of occupation, level of education, tenure and industry are also significant. They don’t even come close to mattering as much as the boss’s technical competence. Source: Harvard Business Review, December 29, 2016. The benefit of having a highly competent boss is … [Read more...]
Hay, its winter!
Mike Rankin writes about feeding hay, the challenges, strategies and opportunities during these winter months. Winter chores are a survival game, but don’t lose sight of what’s going on during the hay-feeding ritual, he says. One of the tasks associated with bale feeding is removing the bale-binding material, be it net wrap, plastic twine or sisal twine. Source: Hay and … [Read more...]
Social video viewing enhances purchasing
Animal health pros use social media routinely. Yet, the use of video to educate and influence customer buying decisions has not become mainstream during sales calls or follow-up communications. According to new research commissioned by Brightcove, Inc., 74 percent of consumers say there is a connection between watching a video on social media and their purchasing … [Read more...]
Social media transitions in 2017
Ryan Holmes writes about social media, its future, its transition and the opportunities in this article. He writes that for businesses, the decline of organic social media reach needn’t be a doomsday scenario. The new social media order that's taking shape in 2017 promises companies the kind of precision and measurable results long expected from traditional channels such as … [Read more...]
There’s a fix for weak Wi-Fi
A strong Wi-Fi signal is important at a time when the number of Wi-Fi–enabled devices that use the internet is growing, no matter what they’re used for. A new type of Wi-Fi system is now available—a mesh network that overcomes many drawbacks of the old-style routers that most of us have in our homes or small businesses. Source: Bottom Line, December 1, 2016. Because Wi-Fi … [Read more...]
Fade the use of treats when training dogs
Reducing the use of food rewards should be a goal when training dogs, but always be ready to to use more or better treats when you add distractions, duration or distance to a behavior. Here’s a good excerpt on the subject from a book sold by Whole Dog Journal. It’s up to you if you want buy it, but the practical training tips are good to share with pet owners. Source: Whole … [Read more...]
How we self-sabotage
Ed Batista shares perceptions about our relationship with ourselves. Common interpersonal relationship principles show up as three forms of self-sabotage: Self-Criticism: Viewing a problem as the result of our defective personality Self-Contempt: The belief that we're inferior in some way to others Denial: A refusal to engage ourselves and take … [Read more...]
Change your life – trust your future self
Have you broken one of your New Year’s resolutions yet? Being human is hard. We know the sorts of choices we ought to make, and we intend to make them, but we often don’t. The struggle seems to be between good and bad. According to an emerging model from the field of addiction studies, the struggle is between the future and the present. Source: Science of US, January 3, … [Read more...]
Communicate well in the exam room
From the minute a client walks in the door, the experience they have sets their perception of value for the services they receive. To ensure continuity in staff deliverables starts with everyone being on the same page. Checklists in this article provide instructions for duties and responsibilities associated with patient exam rooms. Source: MWI Messenger, January 2017, page … [Read more...]
Effective leadership is balanced
A while back I wrote about some myths about leadership that have the potential to mislead potential leaders in their pursuit of that competency. It seems to me that effective leadership has been and will continue to be a balancing act that is always situational. Source: General Leadership. Balance changes with different circumstances. A leader must evaluate the situation … [Read more...]
Do you want to be liked or lead?
I learned long ago that if I wanted to be universally liked, I should not aspire to a leadership role. Certainly, as a leader, there will be people who do like you and appreciate your leadership. There will also be people who dislike you and will attempt to derail your leadership efforts. Getting past that negative is essential to a leader’s success and coming to grips with … [Read more...]
Transition, we’re getting closer
A recent study from the University of British Columbia suggests both rumination monitoring and recording of feeding behavior are effective in gathering data for preventive health care. Sick transition cows tend to avoid eating much like humans with a stomachache or head cold. Preventative treatment then is all about getting out in front of these conditions and getting cows … [Read more...]
10 most popular pet food industry news stories of 2016
In 2016, news about pet food contamination, top dog and cat food companies and market trends topped the list of most popular stories published by Petfood Industry. The rankings were determined by the number of page views recorded by Google Analytics. Source: Petfood Industry, December 27, 2016. These 10 stories received the most attention on Petfood Industry’s … [Read more...]
Know the risks of transporting horses
All horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, regardless of breed or whether they are performance horses or ridden for occasional trail rides. Transporting them adds to the risk of injury and disease. Ligament injuries can occur in the forelimbs or hindlimbs and can be serious enough to end an athletic career or impact lifestyle. Colic aside, injuries to the … [Read more...]
Opinion – Jumpstart 2017
This is a short work week for many that may feel like three or four Mondays in a row as we return to normal routines. Consider what is ahead then schedule a staff or group meeting early next week to discuss some of the following: Attending industry conventions such as: NAVC, WVC, AAHA, NCBA Note that NAVC and WVC are later in the year. NAVC will be at a new venue … [Read more...]
Why your mind has a mind of its own
Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical psychiatry professor at University of California–Los Angeles has spent much of his career investigating why “the mind has a mind of its own.” Much of the project of life, and the essence of well-being, Siegel argues, is to have a well-balanced brain and a harmonious mind. Source: Science of US, December 12, 2016. Siegel says that our relationships … [Read more...]
Horse breeding how-to: making them marketable
How do you breed and raise a horse that appeals to today’s buyers? To find out, AQHA writers picked the brains from three breeding programs: small-time breeder Colton Reid, Cindy McCraw of Riverside Ranch and Brian Egan of Pennsylvania State University’s equine program. Source: AQHA Daily, December 9, 2016. For mare owners, it all starts with finding Mr. Right. After you’ve … [Read more...]
Feed gruel to underprivileged piglets
Gruel feeding is a management practice that targets the bottom 10 percent to 20 percent of small-for-age piglets in any weaning group, regardless of weaning age. In general, research and commercial experiences have indicated that gruel feeding offers four distinct advantages when done correctly: Enhances ingestion of nutrients, especially during the early days … [Read more...]
Revive a cold newborn calf with ice water
Dr. Sheila McGuirk says ice water is a handy way to get a struggling calf on the road to warmth. Calves that don’t score well on a vitality scale need stimulation to avoid hypothermia. Source: Dairy Herd Management, December 1, 2016. Shivering, shaking and making standing attempts are how newborn calves maintain body heat, but they don’t always want to do that right away. … [Read more...]
New flow chart helps teams deal with nasal discharge in cats
Respiratory conditions rank in the top issues feline patients face. Douglas Palma, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), has created an impressive flow chart to help veterinary teams deal with both acute and chronic signs of nasal discharge. Consider using it in staff meetings as a training tool. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2016. … [Read more...]
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found on sow farm
In early December, a research team from The Ohio State University announced that they had discovered the first transmissible carbapenem-resistant enterobactericeae in U.S. livestock on a farrow-to-finish operation. This discovery is a stark reminder of the importance of having the veterinary-client-patient relationship in order as the deadline for the VFD implementation looms … [Read more...]
Veterinary well-being focus of summit
Educators, students and veterinary practitioners focused on veterinary well-being at the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges Veterinary Health and Wellness Summit at Colorado State University last month. Michele Gaspar, DVM, DABVP, MA, LPC, a feline veterinarian, licensed counselor and former chaplain, challenged school administrators to consider how they may … [Read more...]
Unplugged, the digital sabbatical
Two straight weeks without a phone or internet access? Whether this sounds like heaven or hell, possible or impossible, Eric Garcia wants you to join him. Unplugging isn’t one-size-fits all. “Begin by spending a day without your phone,” Garcia suggests. “Then, try a day without social media or stop answering emails after 5:00 p.m.” Source: DVM 360, November 16, 2016. Garcia … [Read more...]