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Move Your Team Forward
With a Clear Vision Statement
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It's a practice owner's job to align the team with his or her vision and move the practice forward. If you haven't written down your vision and shared it with your team, your staff isn't working toward a common goal. Sure, everyone knows that you want to "help pets," but you have to get more specific. Vision is the foundation of a successful business because it serves as a compass, pointing everyone in the right direction.
Define Your Vision
As defined by Gino Wickman in his book Traction, vision is a clear definition of where your practice is headed. The way I define it is what your practice would look like if you had no encumbrances, meaning you had all the time, staff, money, and energy you needed, and everyone wanted your services.
When you write your vision statement, talk about outcomes and feelings. Define "who we want to be." Talk about what's going to happen in the future if the team works to achieve the mission and lives by the organization's core values. Make it as specific as possible so that your team and your clients can buy into your perfect future, as in this example:
"Venice Veterinary Hospital is known for its modern facility, state-of-the-art equipment, highly skilled doctors and staff, and comprehensive services. We pride ourselves on being the most trusted provider of uncompromising medical care and customer service in our market.
In our ever-expanding practice, we treat clients and their pets with great compassion and respect. We focus on educating clients one-on-one about pet health and wellness. Open
communication--with our team and our clients--is a priority."
Share Your Vision
After you write the vision, continuously communicate it and clarify how it relates to the day-to-day work at your practice.
To start, hold an all-hands kickoff meeting to share your vision. Give examples of behaviors that demonstrate alignment with it. For example, brainstorm with the team how each person can contribute to educating clients or show compassion and respect. Save time for a Q&A session at the end.
Then, schedule short, quarterly, vision meetings every 90 days. As a team, identify answers to questions such as, "Where have we been? Where are we? Where are we going?" The leadership team should be prepared to provide data to support the discussion.
When It's Not a Fit
It's your business, and you have the right and obligation to expect each team member to understand your vision, share it, and work to achieve it. Some people will find that your company is not a good fit for them and leave on their own. For those who don't align and don't make the decision to leave, you must let them go.
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This article is adapted from content in Shawn McVey's presentations titled, "Setting Intentions: How to Craft Your Mission, Vision, and Values," "Pathway Planning: How to Get Traction," and "The Rules of the Road: How to Start a Practice from Scratch." To book Shawn to speak to your group about creating a vision and making that dream come true, contact Cindy Oliphant at 888-759-7191 or by email.
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What Would Shawn Do?
How to Handle Facebook Snarking Q: I am a receptionist in a busy clinic, and one of our technicians has been making comments and sharing quotes on Facebook that seem directed at me. She doesn't mention me or the clinic by name, but I'm sure she's talking about me. I'm usually very even-tempered, but this is pushing me to my limits. What should I do? A: First, question your assumptions. Unless she named you or a specific incident that only you were involved in, you don't know for sure that she's talking about you. It's really easy to personalize people's online behavior, but you need to allow for the possibility that there is an alternate explanation. Second, don't fan the flame. Facebook conversations are public, and the fallout from a passive-aggressive word war isn't worth it. If her remarks really are directed at you, and she's hoping you'll notice, the fire will die out much more quickly if you simply ignore them. Lastly, work on the relationship. Try communicating with her directly about any problems between you, without mentioning the Facebook posts. Be a good listener, and ask questions to get to the root causes of the problems so that you can work together to solve them. If she ever does name you, or posts negative comments that are specific to your role or the clinic, take a screen shot and report her to the practice manager or owner immediately. Online bullying is completely unacceptable and is harmful to you and the clinic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have a question you'd like Shawn to answer in a future issue of our newsletter, please reply to this email or submit the question via our website on our contact form. (We will maintain your anonymity.) Thank you!
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Upcoming Gigs
Here are Shawn's upcoming speaking and consulting engagements. For more information or to schedule services, contact Cindy Oliphant at 888-759-7191, or by email.
OCTOBER
October 29, 2015 Zoetis Winnipeg, MB, Canada Private Speaking Engagement NOVEMBER November 8, 2015 Associate Veterinary Clinics Ottawa, ON, Canada Private Speaking Engagement November 10-23, 2015 Platinum Veterinary Alliance Sydney, Australia Private Speaking Engagement DECEMBER December 3, 2015
CVC San Diego
Topics:
Emotional Intelligence: Taking Your Leadership Up a Notch
Calm, Cool, and Collected: Dealing with Conflict Like a Pro
How to Build Your A-Team
Lead, Manage, or Get Out of the Way
Own It, Work It, Live It: From Manager to Leader
December 9-11, 2015 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA Private Consulting Engagement JANUARY
January 26-27, 2015 VMG 17 Minneapolis, MN Private Speaking Engagement
Topic: Pathway Planning
Emotional Intelligence
January 30, 2016 Onatrio Veterinary Medical Association Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto
Topics: Attitude Matters Wow Them With Winning Service What To Do When You Can't Say Yes Building Client Relationships How to Focus on the Client Managing The Service Puzzle
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McVey Management Solutions | 3930 Bee Cave Road | Austin, Texas 78746
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