Shawn G. McVey, MA, MSW

Dont panic. Practice management guru Shawn McVey has advice for keeping things professional instead of personal.

Shawn McVey counsels a new practice manager on coaxing along a veterinary team used to a hands-off management approach.

Be your "authentic self" and watch what happens

Selling doesn't have to be feel bad

Shawn McVey counsels a veterinary team member whos trying to balance her bosses' high expectations with her lack of resources.

I'm pregnant, and I'm afraid to tell my coworkers. But there are a few tasks as a veterinary technician I can't safely perform. How can I protect my baby without seeming like I'm slacking at work?

One of the veterinary technicians is super territorial and bossy, and Im so sick of her Im ready to quit! What can I say to my boss to help her see this Super Tech is ruining our team?

Shawn McVey counsels a veterinary team about what they can ask to weed out toxic job candidates early in there interview process.

Shawn McVey counsels a team member who cant afford to continue working in the veterinary profession

The pitfalls of trying to be everything to everyone in your veterinary clinice

Get a whiff of this. Shawn McVey, MA, MSW, of McVey Management Solution in Austin, Texas, tackles the tough topic of a team member with odoriferous emanations. Listen as he sniffs out a solution for a manager who needs help to delicately handle this potentially embarrassing situation with grace and sensitivity.

Learn these signs and take care of one another in the clinic

Shawn McVey counsels a manager who's struggling with a veterinary technician and receptionist who frequently call in sick.

Q: What percentage of practices, large and small, would you say have the receptionist duties include taking the client into the exam room, pulling vaccines and filing and dispensing medications from the veterinarian at the end of the office visit? I feel its a lot of work for the front office team and takes them away from the phones and reception desk. The practice owner feels it would increase the payroll percentage too much for a technician to do.Overworked

Q: A new mobile, free-or-almost-free nonprofit on wheels opens up shop once a week in my working-middle-class-to-upper-class neighborhood. As a practice owner, what can I do to deal with this situation and avoid losing business?

Shawn McVey offers advice for a veterinary hospital manager struggling to define her job duties.

One of our co-workers started a side business selling merchandise. She invited the whole team to her party, and we attended as a friendly gesture. But we felt pressured to buy from her so a few of us placed small orders. Now she's pressuring us to buy more, sending us emails about new products and bringing us catalogs. How do we politely say "No thanks" without making her angry and ruining our work relationship?--Sold out

Adapt and survive market segmentation by the consumer.

There doesn't seem to be appreciation for kennel technicians at my practice. We do a lot of the dirty work and are treated like we aren't as good as everyone else. How can I make my fellow team members value my work?--In the doghouse

I'm a receptionist, but I also do a lot of assisting the doctor and technicians. My biggest frustration is trying to learn tasks at the back of the clinic that would make me more helpful while always being interrupted by the phone and walk-ins. How do I balance the work?-Not dropping the ball

Every person at our practice has an important job to keep this business running smoothly. But our reception, kennel and lab team members don't always get along. I wish all areas could be more understanding of each other's jobs. But sometimes it feels like we're considered expendable. How can we bring our group together as a team?-Feeling expendable

I love my job but our office manager is a big problem. She's very unprofessional and rude. She has given a tongue lashing to many clients and driven them away. I and my other team members suspect that she's stolen money, and we're sick of her attitude, the disrespect to others and her laziness. We confronted the owner about our concerns. He will have brief chats with her, but it only does good for a couple of hours. Help!

Q: A team member hangs out in the kennel area on her phone and spends all her work time texting her boyfriend and Facebooking with friends. Some of the other team members and I end up working harder to pick up the slack. How can I tell the manager without sounding like I'm tattling?-Tempted to tattle

Stand up straight and send a message.

Clarity in the clinic is crucial.

Avoid awkward conversations by citing clinic rules.

Constant conflict creates a wedge between you and your co-workers and shatters teamwork. Learn to fill in the crevices you've created and repair your broken team.

Create a fit, toned hospital that won't run out of steam before you reach your goal. Use advice from "The Biggest Gainer" coaches and participants to shape up the financial health of your practice and reach your best in fiscal fitness.

A team member at our veterinary practice has controversial decorations on her car, and our practice manager is worried that the materials will offend clients when they see the car parked in front of the veterinary practice. Does it violate the employee's right to freedom of speech if the manager asks her to remove the potentially offensive material?-Caught in the Middle

Our veterinary practice has a list of duties all team members are responsible for, but not everyone helps out. A few of us always get stuck doing all the work and staying late, and the manager chooses to ignore the issue because the team members who don't help are her cronies who always suck up and tell her she's right. There are many reasons I love my practice, and changing jobs just isn't an option right now. What can I do? -Cinderella