When life has felt apocalyptic at times, there’s been a surprising level of resilience among us all and a clear desire to work through adversity, grasp the opportunities and adapt to whatever nature has thrown at us.
That said, challenges remain and it’s important not to be complacent. It’s easy to assume that we can handle whatever is thrown our way. Agility and flexibility give us the gift of being resilient, steadfast, nimble and smart.
More change is coming and many are still in an adjustment period and it’s a good time to reflect ahead of the new year. Check out our blog on the
change factors affecting veterinary practices.
Eight steps to managing change
We thought we’d make it easy for you to identify main areas for managing change by providing you with our change management eBook and an Eight Step infographic with detail, that you can download and review at your own leisurely time. It is also outlined below:
1. Set the foundation
2. Plan for impact
3. Establish communication
4. Coach and encourage
5. Train and prepare
6. Embrace chaos
7. Reinforce positive behavior
8. Review what’s working
Change is the only constant
It’s the old adage of accepting change as a way of life, recognizing resistance and managing it effectively. Where resistance lives, whether it’s against new policy changes, staff changes, new technology or otherwise, it’s important to equip your staff with the necessary means to cope. Being able to pivot or switch on bravery, courage and ‘positive thinking’ doesn’t always come easy, so in needs to be continually addressed and nurtured.
In an interview with Kay Ritchie, expert veterinary recruiter, she points out the need for “talking about issues” which ties directly to step number three, establishing communication. Cultivating an open workplace and environment where team members can speak to each other in an honest way with regular performance reviews allows a clinic to identify any issues with change, maybe even nipping it in the bud, before anything becomes a bigger issue. This, as well as reinforcing positive behavior, ensuring satisfaction and motivating staff means they will be better equipped to deal with changes currently and in the future, avoiding any resentment or resistance. Holistically reviewing something (step number eight), also helps a clinic identify what’s working and what isn’t.
Pivot and perform
Always being on the lookout doesn’t mean a constant state of paranoia but rather adopting a healthy level of astuteness. If you’re a clinic owner, practice manage or in management, we know having a commercial mindset can be challenging, as it’s more often about being a passionate vet taking care of animals, as opposed to revenue and profit. Though it’s important to sustain a healthy business environment that supports the work that your vets do every day, especially when many long hours are endured and high-stress situations are encountered often e.g. demanding clients, and emergency operations. So looking out for any threats, macro or micro – and minimizing them will be critical to the success of your clinic.
One way to do this is to invest in and develop in your staff. Whether it’s webinars, continued professional development (CPD) courses, first aid courses or training on technology[KL1] , there are many resources available to your teams.
In an interview with Chris the Vet, he said of mental health first aid course he went on:
We know managers can’t simply dictate “my way or the high way” or “just get used to it” – it has to follow an accommodating change process which enhances staff wellbeing and motivation levels, allowing them to pivot and perform.