Productivity experts John Zeratsky and Jake Knapp created a system to overcome the obstacles that prevent us from doing the things we really need to focus on. . . . there’s a default in our culture, in our work culture, and our everyday society of guilt . . . a lot of the tools that are out there are just designed to nag us . . . to make us feel more guilty.” Source: … [Read more...]
Learn from Herb Kelleher’s leadership legacy
The world lost a great leader when Southwest Airlines co-founder and longtime CEO Herb Kelleher passed away January 3. His legacy is one every leader should aspire to emulate. I experienced how his leadership impacted people even after he was no longer involved in the daily operations of the company. Source: Purpose Unlimited, January 17, 2019. Link. As evidence of the … [Read more...]
Texas Tech’s vet school given $10 million
Former Amarillo, Texas, Mayor Jerry Hodge and his wife, Margaret, presented the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine a gift of $10 million this week. Hodge, founder of Maxor National Pharmacy Services Corporation is a well-recognized business leader in the Texas Panhandle.. Source: Drovers, February 4, 2018. Link. In August, the Texas Tech University System’s Board of … [Read more...]
7 sales trends to help you dominate in your industry
John Hall has seen more change in sales recently than ever. He says shifts like AI technology and a rapidly declining sense of trust have made it incredibly important to stay educated about best practices and evolution in the way prospects buy. . . . unless you can piece everything together to see the big-picture changes that are underway, you’re going to have a hard time … [Read more...]
2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show wrap up
Nearly 9,000 people attended this year’s Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show that wrapped up last week in New Orleans. Jennifer Houston of Sweetwater, Tennessee, was named president. Animal health pros made up a good percentage of the 350 exhibitors in the seven-acre trade show. As is tradition, Cattlemen’s College kicked off the event. Source: AgriMarketing, … [Read more...]
Things to know about DMSO
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in an industrial solvent turned anti-inflammatory therapy. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for topical use on horses. However, veterinarians regularly use the chemical off-label in other ways to treat an array of inflammatory conditions from laminitis to neurological problems, writes Christine Barakat. She shares some history … [Read more...]
Opinion – Livestock producers still facing nuisance laws
As the noise increases about non-traditional-sourced 'meat' proteins, increasing pressure on source and production practices, the livestock industry remains under fire. Urban sprawl and the conversion of farm property to acreages encroach on buffer areas next to livestock production facilities. Iowa attorney Eldon McAfee says agricultural nuisance lawsuits in Iowa are … [Read more...]
As Farm Aid turns 30, its focus raises questions (includes video)
Farm Aid was created during the farm crisis of the 1980's and is today is a nonprofit with the stated mission of helping farmers and farm families. Clinton Griffiths questions the current focus while sharing information about the organization. Source: Drovers, January 25, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
Connecting buying style to clients
In a recent presentation about self-awareness and self-management, Betsy Charles, DVM, related self-awareness to dealing with animal owners’ choices. She shared perspectives about over buyers and under buyers at a recent conference. Self-awareness is the ability to accurately perceive your own emotions and stay aware of them as they happen and if you don’t know yourself … [Read more...]
Mind tricks keep us addicted to our phones (includes video)
Zip, whoosh, boink, Ta-dah, ding! Add red dots, alert boxes and brightly colored notices and our cell phones tinker with the habit-forming parts of our brains to keep us coming back to them. Nicole Bayes-Fleming explains how those trigger-action-reward systems are integrated in persuasive design to be habit-forming. The average person spends a combined total of one … [Read more...]
Manage flu in swine and you
Whether it’s the neighbor’s pot-bellied pig, the large swine operation nearby or your family, flu season is here, and we all need to pay attention. Since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, research has been conducted to better understand human and pig influenza. Because flu viruses can be transmitted between pigs and people, biosecurity is important to prevent the spread of influenza from … [Read more...]
Learn to use productive procrastination to your benefit
Talk about oxymorons! Clinical psychologist Nick Wignall says procrastination can be a powerful productivity tool. Procrastination is quite normal and is nothing to feel ashamed about. There are ways to use procrastination to your advantage, he says. He recommends three steps to become a productive procrastinator: Pay attention to negative self-talkProcrastinate … [Read more...]
Good news for veterinary technicians
Enhancing the use of veterinary technicians was a core topic during the recent AVMA House of Delegates business meeting. Clearly the value of veterinary technicians is unquestioned. The consensus was that efforts need to be made across the profession to increase technician use and boost job satisfaction. Source: AVMA@work, January 25, 2019. Link. Additionally, the AVMA … [Read more...]
How to follow up with people after a conference
Dorie Clark provides a framework for structuring post-conference follow-up to increase chances that new connections turn into meaningful professional relationships. What matters is capturing the data and making a list of people you spoke with whose cards you didn’t obtain. Source: HBR Ascend, January 2019. Link. Most new relationships will fall into three categories, … [Read more...]
Researchers bust antimicrobial-resistance myth
It would seem logical to assume beef from cattle treated with antibiotics would carry more resistant bacteria than beef from “antibiotic-free” production systems. Testing this hypothesis researchers with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have shown shows similar levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in ground beef raised with and without antibiotics. The … [Read more...]
Vegetarian-fed animals: Good marketing, bad for industry
Finding the right balance between science and marketing is an everyday challenge for animal health pros. Nutritionist Ioannis Mavromichalis, Ph.D., offers perspectives on why all-vegetable diets may not be best for animals or the animal protein industry: It’s not true to the consumerIt’s not true to the animalWhat about vitamin B12?Do not drive your customers to decide … [Read more...]
Best productivity hacks for 2019
Whether at work, in relationships or at home Mike Schultz’s productivity tips make sense. See which ones will improve progress to your key objectives and goals. Source: Marketing Profs, January 21, 2019. Link. There are thousands of time-management and productivity tips and systems out there, but with so much information available, it's hard to know what works and what … [Read more...]
Beating procrastination can be tough
Researchers no longer consider procrastination as a basic time-management problem. They now view it as a complex and highly individual phenomena; a complicated failure of self-regulation. Experts define it as the voluntary delay of some important task that we intend to do, despite knowing that we'll suffer as a result. Source: Entrepreneur, January 21, 2019. Link.The … [Read more...]
Veterinarian suicides continue to be a growing problem
In January, the Centers for Disease control released the first study to examine veterinarian mortality rates in America. The results showed that between 1970 and 2015, male and female veterinarians committed suicide between two to three and a half more often than the national average, respectively. Further, one in six veterinarians have considered suicide, indicating a growing … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club to honor Cavanaugh and Stephanus at WVC
Dr. Michael Cavanaugh, CEO of the American Animal Hospital Association, and Julia Stephanus, founder and president of Avviare, will be honored by The Bridge Club and be presented with a lifetime Bridge Club membership February 18th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bridge Club's ICON Series live event will take place during the Western Veterinary Conference and will take place from … [Read more...]
Make the best of networking events
The trade show season is in full swing. For animal health pros, networking is a common activity that accompanies trade show duties. Zack Friedman reminds us of things NOT to do when networking. Source: Forbes, January 15, 2019. Link. Make sure you don't do these 5 things at networking events: Give a hard copy of your resume to everyone you meetBrag about how amazing … [Read more...]
Pitching veterinary products in the clinic (includes video)
Of all the actions that take place in exam rooms, presenting products often frustrates clinic team members. Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM, emphasizes that recommendations shouldn't be the first things and to pay attention to body language. Source: Veterinary Economics, January 16, 2019. Link. Halow shares a comment from one of his sessions where an attendee told the class how she … [Read more...]
This list can help you be an effective manager
This article is titled “15 Tips for New Managers,” but it could just as easily be titled “Checklist for Managers.” Whether you are in your first month of management or a grizzled veteran, it holds a great deal of value for you. Source: the balance careers, August 21, 2018. Link. Use the Four Magic Words: “What Do You Think?” This is a favorite quote from management guru Tom … [Read more...]
Reading is essential for a healthy brain
Reading books can exercise your brain and even boost your emotional intelligence. Despite this, about a quarter of all Americans haven’t read a book in the last year and our overall book-reading time is on the decline, writes Dan Seitz. He offers some ways to fit in more reading. Source: Popular Science, January 1, 2019. Link. While paper is still the clear winner in … [Read more...]
Wild pigs, agricultural and environmental terrorists
A growing wild pig population sparks fear as threats of African swine fever (ASF) hitting U.S. soil are publicized. In Texas, the number of wild pigs could soon be nearly as large as the U.S. sow population of six million sows. Wild pigs can vector 21 some odd diseases we are aware of – communicable to all livestock animals Source: PORK, December 14, 108. Link. When … [Read more...]
Think of delegating as a chance to teach
It would simply be easier to do it yourself sometimes. Art Markman makes a valid case for involving other team members to teach them how instead of assigning them tasks. He suggests managers need to stop thinking of passing off responsibilities as delegating. Period. Delegating with this mindset sets your employees up for failure. Structure experiences so that your employees … [Read more...]
Better ways to say, “You screwed up”
Whether you’re interacting with a brand-new hire, a peer, a direct report or even your boss, needing to tell someone they messed up is always awkward, writes Kat Boogaard. Fortunately, she shares a few phrases you can lean on without being totally brutal. Source: The Muse, December 2018. Link. Traditional wisdom might tell you to sandwich your constructive feedback … [Read more...]
What are you DOING that’s making a difference?
Darius Foroux challenges the pursuit of happiness. Happiness can’t be a goal in itself, he writes. Therefore, it’s not something that’s achievable. He believes that happiness is merely a byproduct of usefulness. It is something to consider as you pursue your 2019 resolutions and establish objectives for your work and personal life. Being useful is a mindset. And like with … [Read more...]
VMX 2019 starts January 19th
VMX 2019 is hours away from its kickoff. Hosted by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), the largest U.S. convention enters its second year with its new name. More than 17,000 animal health professionals anticipate sharing experiences, taking continuing education and interacting with colleagues from across the globe. Source: NAVC. Link. As last-minute plans are … [Read more...]
Animal health industry poised for growth
Increased pet adoption, livestock ownership plus milk and meat consumption fuel the growth of the animal healthcare market, according to an abstract from Open PR. In the U.S., the AVMA’s November 2018 Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook spotlights shifting patterns of pet ownership and points to unmet healthcare needs among America’s pets. There are near-unlimited … [Read more...]