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 Change: Ready or Not, Here It Comes!
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The single biggest impediment to growth is the inability to change. Building quick reflexes and a culture that embraces change will protect your business and allow it to thrive.
"The only thing that is constant is change." -Heraclitus
How Do You Respond to Change?
Your environment is constantly changing: the people you work with, your clients, who gets elected to public office, and your teenager's taste in friends. You can choose to interpret change in one of two ways: pessimistically or optimistically.
Pessimistic Interpretive Style
Are you filled with panic at the mention of an impending change? Are you unable to concentrate, impulsive, and apt to complain? Do you resort to sitting on the couch, sucking your proverbial thumb? Does finding alternate ways of doing things give you a headache? Do you long for the good old days? If you find yourself nodding and answering, "Yes!" to these questions, you are a pessimist when it comes to change.
Even positive changes involve loss, uncertainty, and some degree of emotional turmoil. But you will not be successful at work if you typically interpret change as: - Permanent,
- Universal,
- Internal, or
- Scary.
Optimistic Interpretive Style
Do your ears perk up when there's talk of change? Do you meet the challenge head on? Do you take initiative instead of waiting for others to address the problem? Do you spend your energy on solutions rather than emotions? Do you take risks, use your imagination, and keep learning? If these statements describe you, you are an optimist when it comes to change.
Change initiatives succeed because people adapt their attitudes and behaviors as fast as the practice needs them to. You will be successful at work if you typically interpret change as: - Temporary,
- Specific,
- External, and
- Exciting.
When Making a Change
Dealing with change doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here are some ways to make it easier:
Break down the process.
Look at each step of the change, and identify exactly where you need to make improvements.
Estimate implementation costs.
Factor in training, lost productivity, and unexpected challenges.
Evaluate your plan.
Do you need to write new procedures before you can implement the change? What can you address before beforehand to circumvent potential obstacles?
Share information.
Constantly communicate and educate. Your team should understand what the change is about, and what it's not about. Help people see the "why" of the change. Relate it to the vision, mission, and core values of the practice. The transition won't begin until they understand the change.
Encourage participation.
Help employees see how they, the clients, the patients, and the clinic will benefit. Emphasize teamwork. You'll get buy-in through participation; people don't argue with what they help create.
Get going.
Get in the trenches with front-line employees. Roll up your sleeves, improvise, and learn.
Next month, we'll dig deeper into strategies that improve your chances of being successful when implementing change at work.
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This article is adapted from content in Shawn McVey's presentation titled, "Managing Change and Growth" and "Manager's Guide to Implementing Change." To schedule Shawn to give this presentation to your group or team, contact Cindy Oliphant at 888-759-7191 or by email.
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What Would Shawn Do?
How to Hire an Associate Veterinarian Who Will Stick
Q:
Our practice is expanding, and we need to hire another veterinarian. We've had trouble in the past with high turnover. Associates interview well but turn out to be lacking in important ways. For example, one talked down to the staff to the point that staff members were regularly leaving in tears. Another gave away the farm because she didn't feel comfortable charging full price for products and services. What are some surefire ways to identify a quality doctor?
A:
As you've experienced, a quality doctor is more than someone who practices good medicine. Your ideal candidate must also be able to relate exceptionally well to clients and team members. Here are three things you can do to find those people.
Ask behavior-based interview questions.
This kind of question helps the candidate talk about real, past behavior rather than theoretical, future behavior. Examples:
- Identify a specific client type you find challenging. What makes this type of person challenging? Tell me about a time you dealt with this type of client in the past. How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
- Talk about an interaction with a client in the past few months that went badly. Why did it go badly? How would you approach it differently if you had it to do over?
- One of our core values is honesty. Tell us about a time when you were honest in your last position, even though it was difficult for you to do so.
- Think about the biggest challenge you've had with staff. What did you do to overcome it?
Conduct thorough interviews.
Ask the same questions of each candidate, and keep good notes. Conduct a phone interview first, then a face-to-face group interview with the leadership team, then a team interview (where the person doesn't really work but observes the team at work while the team interacts with the candidate).
Check references.
Finally, thoroughly check references. Ask the same questions about each candidate, and be sure to cover on-the-job behavior.
Good luck!
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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. APRIL
April 26-27
LSU Veterinary Hospital
Baton Rouge, LA
Consulting Engagement
MAY May 4 Academy for Veterinary Managers Fairfax, VA Speaking Engagement Calm, Cool, and Collected: Dealing With Conflict Like a Pro
May 12 CVC Virginia Beach, VA Speaking Engagement Calm, Cool, and Collected: Dealing With Conflict Like a Pro Register here!
May 19-21 Emergency and Specialist Veterinary Clinics Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Speaking Engagement Leadership Seminar
SEPTEMBER
September 9-11 Veterinary Growth Partners Boca Raton, FL Sponsored Speaking Engagement What's Your EQ? Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
OCTOBER
October 14-16 Veterinary Growth Partners Scottsdale, AZ Sponsored Speaking Engagement Pathway Planning: A Road Map to Success NOVEMBER
November 4-6 Veterinary Growth Partners San Antonio, TX Sponsored Speaking Engagement Commando Conversations: Becoming Conflict Competent
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McVey Management Solutions | 3930 Bee Cave Road | Austin, Texas 78746
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