The WVC 2017 program and conference was attended by more than 6,000 veterinarians. Plus, more than 1,400 veterinary technicians and 360 practice managers were among the 14,000 veterinary professionals who attended. W. Mark Hilton DVM, PAS, DABVP (beef), assumed the position as the WVC 2017 president. He is a technical consultant for the Elanco Animal Health beef team and a … [Read more...]
Changing behavior requires awareness and determination
The amount and pace of transformation around us is overwhelming. Change is the new normal. According to scientists we are living in a VUCA world; one that is heavily impacted by increasing levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Yet, even if we see the benefit and understand the need for change and although we have the knowledge, skills and resources to act … [Read more...]
Multilingual employees are the best
Speaking a different language changes how one’s brain is structured and how it works. This change can help see situations differently and apply novel solutions to problems. According to the school of thought called linguistic determinism, the structure of language we speak influences how we see the world around us. This implies that those with different language backgrounds … [Read more...]
Take control of your inner control freak
Our AHD team monitors concerns about stress and depression in the veterinarian community. Stressors are often self-induced or expectation-centric. Cari Romm shares insights on the proverbial, “control freak,” primary controllers and secondary control. Some of you will find this worth the read. Source: Science of Us, March 3, 2017. There are ways to let those take-charge … [Read more...]
Delegate meeting leadership to gain effectiveness
Well-run meetings allow you and your team to clarify issues, set direction and move objectives forward. Yet, meetings are seldom planned or executed well. Paul Axtell says it’s time to rethink whether you should even lead your own meetings. Source: Harvard Business Review, December 23, 2016. Letting other people lead meetings has three key benefits: Development of your … [Read more...]
4 ways to give effective feedback
Receiving feedback is often difficult. Many times, providing feedback is just as difficult. But, without it, we have no idea if we are meeting expectations, are below expectations or exceeding expectations. Most importantly, we need to know if there is opportunity for improvement. The simplest solution to this dilemma is to provide feedback in a way that has a positive impact … [Read more...]
“My door is always open.” Fact or fallacy?
As animal health companies, practices and retailers integrate and grow, leaders must encourage candor. Megan Reitz and John Higgins have studied accessibility, employee dynamics and why employees rarely cross the leader’s office door threshold. They challenge leaders to ask five questions. Source: Harvard Business Review, March 9, 2017. Reitz’ and Higgins’ research suggests … [Read more...]
Equine asthma syndrome review
David Ramey, DVM, reviews the various causes of equine asthma syndrome, a new term to describe airway conditions characterized by inflammation and airway hyperreactivity. Among them: broken wind, heaves, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and IAD (inflammatory air disease). Source: Veterinary Practice News, February 27, 2017. Depending on the clinical signs and … [Read more...]
Client control is key to optimizing pet health
Joel Parker, DVM, discusses ways to communicate effectively with clients whose inboxes and notices are just as full as our own. He suggests three strategic steps to help plan and execute a good Client Control Program (CCP). Source: Messenger, February 2017, pages 17-18. Follow these steps to put a good CCP in place: Set up your client communication lines Get your … [Read more...]
Celebrate the women in our profession
International Women’s Day was celebrated worldwide yesterday. It’s theme, BeBoldForChange, is a reminder of the contributions women make daily to our profession. They’re often the ones leading the charge for change, whether it is research for a breakthrough new vaccine, a simple routine change in a clinic or getting a customer to improve his baby animal care protocols. If you … [Read more...]
Technology is a literal pain in the neck
Many of us walk around with our necks jutting further forward than they should be. It is a consequence of being so tied to smartphones, notebooks, driving and working on computers. Bob Fischer, a personal trainer in Philadelphia, shares his five favorite moves for counteracting the effects of "tech neck." Source: Prevention, January 25, 2017. One study published in the … [Read more...]
Organizational alignment counts
Regardless of size, the most effective businesses succeed because their strategies, organizational capabilities, resources and management systems support the enterprise’s purpose. But many businesses struggle to keep the balance needed to excel. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 7, 2017. A tightly managed enterprise value chain that connects an enterprise’s purpose … [Read more...]
Deal with it!
Most big problems are ones that were ignored in hopes they would go away or magically resolve themselves. Conflict avoidance occurs in many industries. Veterinary medicine is not immune to its impact. Thus, using the FIGHT strategy to deal with issues before they grow is likely helpful. Source: CharlesMarshall.net January 2017. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but the … [Read more...]
Toxic teams hurt patient care
Ask sales reps about their in-practice or retail store experiences and you’ll likely hear about some pretty tense business settings. The dvm360 toxic team survey reveal that stressful environments not only hurt employees and dissuade animal owner visits, but the environment is harmful to animals as well. Source: Vetted, February 2017. Toxic veterinary teams are a problem, … [Read more...]
Software and gadgets enhance work and play
Technology plays a tremendous role in how animal health pros manage their days at work and home. This article reviews technology advancements that include drone security, video doorbells and key finders. It is followed by good automotive-related news and hacks. Source: Repertoire, February 2017. Pages 50-53. … [Read more...]
March issue of JAVMA
There continues to be a lot of attention paid to probiotics. Among the papers in this issue is Use of probiotics in small animal veterinary medicine. Animal health pros will appreciate it as well as with the others presented. Source: JAVMA, March 2017. (abstract access only) … [Read more...]
Leadership requires physical, mental strength
Effective leadership requires much – vision, strategic thinking, tactical skills and the list goes on. We sometimes overlook the physical and mental requirements to be truly effective. We previously focused on the physical health requirement and would like to move to the mentally strong leader. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2017. Confidence is often described as being … [Read more...]
Screwworm eradication: An Interactive View
The parasitic New World screwworm has an interesting history in the United States, and the USDA has developed a series of interactive graphics to illustrate past and present eradication efforts. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, February 15, 2016. The USDA interactive website illustrates the biology of the screwworm fly and uses maps to illustrate past and present eradication … [Read more...]
Guide helps eliminate busywork
“Busywork has a double negative impact," Renee Cullinan says. "It consumes time that could be better spent on other things, and it drains energy. Longer term, it breeds a work culture that values activity over results and busyness over effectiveness." Source: Fast Company, January 27, 2017. Cullinan says busywork often fits one of these three scenarios: You don’t know … [Read more...]
Generation X more addicted to social media than millennials
A Nielsen report released last week shows that Americans from 18 to 34 are less obsessed with social media than some of their older peers are. Smartphones are driving activity in all age groups. Source: New York Times, January 27, 2017. The report also broke out which social networks were most popular on smartphones, finding that Facebook still dominated on mobile, with … [Read more...]
Violence in veterinary practices – be prepared
Since 2006, news outlets have reported dozens of violent crimes against veterinary professionals in their workplaces in the United States, ranging from simple assault to homicide, murder–suicide, and rape, followed by murder. The offender may be a client, a stranger, a team member, or an outsider in a volatile relationship with a team member. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, … [Read more...]
Dealing with a bossy coworker
Sara McCord offers suggestions to deal with a coworker who has a hard time keeping their leadership (i.e. bossy) tendencies in check. Source: the muse, February 12, 2017. While it’s super-frustrating to deal with a bossy coworker day in and day out, there are steps you can take to address the situation. Speak up in the moment Schedule a chat Nominate coworkers … [Read more...]
Make emails give the right impression
Every email you send affects your professional reputation. Avoid these all-too-common mistakes in your communication: emails too long for anyone to digest including way too many people dashing off incomplete thoughts burying the lede Source: Harvard Business Review, February 6, 2017. Take a close look at your sent folder. Everything you need to know about your … [Read more...]
Quiz: Surgical Instruments
Challenge yourself and your knowledge of instrumentation using this fun quiz. Consider choosing sides and starting a veterinary team or sales meeting with it as a game or contest. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, November/December 2016. How many of these commonly used surgical instruments can you correctly identify on sight? … [Read more...]
Coaching is the key to success
With society's inward focus, the concept of helping others succeed may not seem to be the answer to the perennial question, "What's in it for me?" Yet, when one stops long enough to contemplate the commonality of the success around us, we begin to see how coaching others to succeed plays a central role in our individual success. Source: Evan Carmichael 2014. If you want to … [Read more...]
Top 5 genetic diseases of cats
The most frequent conditions are complexly inherited and involve combinations of multiple genes and environmental factors. Jerold S. Bell, DVM, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, discusses: Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) Diabetes mellitus Lymphocytic or plasmacytic inflammatory disease Polycystic kidney disease Hypertrophic … [Read more...]
Joining an organization can help animal health pros
Multiple organizations advocate for the animal health profession and provide an array of services and benefits to members. Keith Loria sorts out the acronym alphabet soup and explains who is who and who does what. Source: Veterinary Practice News, January 31, 2017. Veterinary professionals, regardless of specialty or job path, can join an association—or multiple … [Read more...]
10 secrets to keep your veterinary nurses happy
Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ, went behind the scenes and has deep, confidential conversations with veterinary surgery and anesthesia nurses. From these discussions he developed a list of behaviors that will keep them smiling. Source: Veterinary Practice News, January 27, 2016. How to keep your surgery and anesthesia nurses happy during the new year and beyond: Get … [Read more...]
Get over phone anxiety
For some, answering or making a phone call requires a big effort. They rehearse what to say 1,000 times, dial with shaky hands and often get a panicky feeling in their chest when the ring rings. Digital tools we have now may help phone shy people avoid calls. But calls are still necessary. Hating the phone doesn’t necessarily mean a social anxiety condition, although the two … [Read more...]
Take a stand, compete
If Super Bowl LI taught us anything, it was to persevere and stay focused. Often, the best defense is a good offense, even when you don’t get rolling until the fourth quarter. The same principles are applicable when confronted with a low-cost or low-price competitor. Laura Patterson discusses five ways to have a fighting chance: Differentiate Be customer-centric … [Read more...]