Research and commentary dating back to the 1910s shows that taking vacations, i.e. completely disconnecting from work, is critical to lowering burnout, increasing energy and engagement, and improving overall health and well-being. The results lead to more consistent productivity, writes Marlo Lyons. Easier said than done, Lyons shares five tips to set firm boundaries in a … [Read more...]
Apologize properly when something goes wrong
Mistakes happen. We are human after all. Tim Riesterer shares how to deal with mistakes and the importance of an apology message and intentionally delivering it to the customer. When delivered well, an apology message can improve the customer relationship to the point where it is stronger than if the mistake had never happened, a phenomenon known as the service recovery … [Read more...]
Burnout at work isn’t just about exhaustion. It is also about loneliness.
Months before the pandemic and Galaxy Vet’s insightful investigations into our industry’s burnout, Emma Seppälä and Marissa King wrote about burnout and the accompanying loneliness felt by those dealing with individual challenges. Source: Harvard Business Review, June 29, 2017. Link. Burnout’s link to loneliness suggests that greater human connection at work may also be key … [Read more...]
A 2-minute burn out check up
Burnout is the result of chronic stress and, at work, that stress tends to accumulate around your experiences of workload, values, reward, control, fairness and community. Chris Bailey’s short assessment can help you gauge whether you’re on the path to burnout, and where you should focus your attention to make beneficial changes. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 9, … [Read more...]
You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader
Matt Mayberry shares three actions that hone leadership skills to help become a highly respected and influential team member: Devote time to daily growth Discover and embrace your personal strengths Improve your ability to connect with people Source: Harvard Business Review, February 13, 2023. Link. Introverts, ambiverts, extroverts . . . anyone can learn how to … [Read more...]
Finding the optimal pattern of a customer journey
Commentary Customer journey analysis is not new, although customer experience management is relatively new. The identification, optimization and management of touch points that lead to action by a prospect or customer challenges brands, budgets and companies in today’s internet world. Even so, earning a customer and retaining them is a journey animal health pros discuss and … [Read more...]
Beware the busyness culture
An industry colleague shared this article by Adam Waytz who challenges busyness versus productivity. It also offers ways to break away from this fixation. Activity is not achievement, and the sooner companies recognize that, the better off they and their employees will be.” Source: Harvard Business Review, March-April 2023. Link. Five approaches are offered to help overcome … [Read more...]
Make meetings places for honest conversations
Permission to say or ask anything is priceless, writes Paul Axtell. Giving permission and creating safety are two key areas that can increase freedom, candor and quality of conversation in your meetings. People don’t just want to belong, they want to contribute. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 11, 2019. Link. The quest for better meetings ultimately lies in leading … [Read more...]
How to answer, “What are your salary expectations?” (video)
Amy Gallo offers practical strategies for how to approach the salary expectation question along with sample answers to use as a guide. The article also includes a video from Tori Dunlap, founder of Her First $100K (5:26) on the topic. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 13, 2023. Link. You don’t have to give a number. Some states and localities have outlawed the … [Read more...]
The Neuroscience of trust. Management behaviors that foster employee engagement.
Commentary Although it’s five years old, this article about Paul Zak’s research on trust is relevant to current employment conditions and challenges. Note the eight measurable management behaviors that foster trust he identified. “To boost engagement and retention, treat people like responsible adults. Set a clear direction, provide the resources needed and get out of … [Read more...]
For better health this year, keep it simple
The less time you are required to spend on healthy behaviors, the better. When we eliminate or reduce the struggle, we are far more likely to succeed. If something is fast, convenient and easy, we’ll keep doing it.” Source: The Washington Post, January 1, 2023. Link. Also see: When life is busy, focus on a few key habits, Harvard Business Review, May 2019. Link. Daily or … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – December 21, 2022
Last week’s most read posts – Happiness and meetings. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, December 15, 2022. Link. ==================================================================== U.S. warns of escalating ransomware attacks Source: Security Affairs, October 2022. Link. U.S. government agencies warned that the Daixin Team cybercrime … [Read more...]
In a downturn, focus on existing customers not potential ones
You Mon Tsang shares strategies that can translate to veterinary hospitals and retailers in the animal health market. Companies that relentlessly focus on existing customers can ride through uncertain times with the least disruption. Not only is retention less vulnerable than acquisition to the short-term swings of a bad economy, but the rule of thumb that it costs five times … [Read more...]
How technology can make work harder
Citing the smorgasbord of software needed to do any task these days, Hope King uses terms like toggling tax and digital dexterity to explain how tech advancements have come at mental and sometimes emotional costs along with declining productivity among knowledge workers. Source: AXIOS, November 7, 2022. Link. One Harvard Business Review study suggests workers are switching … [Read more...]
The 25-minute meeting — REALLY?!
Commentary This SmartBrief survey graphic underscores the need for better meetings. Too often meetings are called without intention and result in more meetings. Two articles address meeting overload, restructuring them and improving results. The Nano Tools for Leaders® from Wharton Executive Education offers tips to halve the time and double the impact of your meetings. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 12, 2022
Last month’s AHD posts September 2022 archives. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, October 7, 2022. Link. Research: Men are worse allies than they think Source: Harvard Business Review, October 7, 2022. Link. Despite the new DEI focus on allyship education and programming, research shows that women and other … [Read more...]
The elevator pitch
Earlier this month I shared the importance of opening a conversation effectively <Link>. Once that is accomplished, you have less than a minute to engage your audience and Carmine Gallo has excellent tips to help you to do just that. Source: Harvard Business Review, October 3, 2018. Link. What is your idea? If you can answer in one compelling sentence, you can hook … [Read more...]
Stop feeling guilty about delegating
The last few years have left many animal health leaders with short staffing and heavy workloads for all team members. Guilt about adding more work to a team member’s to-do list has been a primary obstacle voiced by many leaders, writes Dina Smith. . . . when unchecked guilt gets in the way of delegating, it’s a no-win situation. Increased leader workload results in anxiety, … [Read more...]
How to get better at learning
Being a quick study doesn’t mean you’re the smartest person in the room. It’s that you’ve learned how to learn, shares Ulrich Bolser. He shares three practical, research-based ways to build your learning skills. Effective learning often boils down to a type of project management.” - Ulrich Boser Source: Harvard Business Review, May 02, 2018. Link. A growing body of research … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 15, 2022
Last week’s most read posts - Five metrics veterinary practices should track. Link. Touring a veterinary hospital with Temple Grandin, PhD, Marty Becker, DVM (video). Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, September 8, 2022. Link. Top recommended veterinary products Source: DVM 360®. Link. 748 companion animal … [Read more...]
You don’t have to be CEO to be a visionary leader
Commentary There are many layers of leadership in business and society. Animal health pros can lead by example when dealing with each other or with animal owners. Opportunities abound in smaller businesses to affect company direction, vision and help increase consistency among team members. In research for the HBR Leader’s Handbook, the authors identified three critical … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 1, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Stop the high turnover in the front office (video). Link. Wendy Hauser, DVM: Client trust, human-animal bond and meeting client concerns. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, August 25, 2022. Link. =================================== 28 pet food industry mergers and acquisitions 2022 Source: … [Read more...]
Ask for what you need at work
Cold requests are difficult in our careers and relationships. Deborah Grayson Riegel covers four strategies to get the most out of the early days of a new relationship: Apply the magic 5:1 ratio of healthy relationships. Make requests, not demands. Get curious about what “no” means so you can get to a “yes” Cultivate a positive affect Source: Harvard Business … [Read more...]
Onboarding can make or break a new hire’s experience
Even before the pandemic and the ensuing great resignation, one-third of companies did not have a structured onboarding process. Too often, onboarding efforts are about orientation and last 90 days or fewer. To ensure long term productivity and support employee growth and success, the authors suggest onboarding is a 12-month effort. Onboarding is a team’s job where … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 28, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Asian longhorned ticks are on the move. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, April 7, 2022. Link. =================================== Love is the key to career success: Marcus Buckingham Source: Harvard Business Review, April 15, 2022. Link. (video) Buckingham says you don’t have to love all … [Read more...]
How to stop procrastinating
Most of us procrastinate, writes Alice Boyes, who believes the problem probably stems from one of three things: your habits and systems (or lack thereof) your desire to avoid negative emotions (like anxiety and boredom) your own flawed thinking patterns (which can make a task seem harder than it is). Boyes shares simple strategies for managing each and getting off … [Read more...]
Managing pressure
Most of us can reflect on a few moments when we choked under pressure. Maybe you lost your voice or your ability to think straight when speaking with an important client, manager or audience. No one is immune. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 7, 2022. Link. Rehearsal is important, whether you’re alone in your office or in front of a camera or crowd. You can raise the … [Read more...]
Planned obsolescence in technology
Opinion Technology is responsible for driving more of the U.S. economy than any other profession than healthcare <Link>. The article revealing iPhone obsolescence prompted some juxtaposed thoughts about how often healthcare sustains dependence on fax machines in many situations. “All things must come to an end,” writes Cecily Mauran. Really? What’s the point for … [Read more...]
Unifying the old guard and new team members
The last two years have brought great change in employee makeup. Beyond the dynamics of four generations working together, there are camps of us versus them when new hires arrive. If your organization has become divided, Ron Carucci presents ways to start putting the pieces back together and reuniting people. The arrival of new faces can be unsettling, especially if those … [Read more...]
Balancing performance and compassion
In a recent worldwide survey of 300 senior business leaders across industries ranging from hospitality to automotive to biotech, 61 percent reported they’re struggling to balance employees’ need for support with their company’s drive for high performance. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 16, 2022. Link. Leaders need to find out what employees really care about … [Read more...]