Career Development

Facing a big change in your role? The resources can help!

Every year, practice owners review their employees, telling them what they did well and how they could improve. But have you ever taken time to give yourself a year-end review? Whether you're the boss, an associate, or a support staff member, you can benefit from evaluating your year, says Jinny Ditzler, author of Your Best Year Yet! A Proven Method for Making the Next Twelve Months the Most Successful Ever (Warner Books, 2000).

The leader's role changes at each stage of team development. Are you doing the right things to help your team grow and go?

Growing up in the South, I quickly learned that there were certain subjects one simply should not talk about in mixed company--religion, politics, and money. There are similar touchy topics in business, such as pay raises and compensation plans, staff disagreements, a desire to make important changes in the practice, and disagreement about management styles. Although we'd like to avoid these topics, they need to be discussed.

How much am I expected to contribute to my associates' retirement plans? Does this count as part of the compensation my associate earned based on production?

Set a date for your associate's buy-in, then use this timetable for a smooth transition.

Professional reward... is closely aligned with a thoughtfully managed hospital.

When you know what goals you really want to accomplish, the path to your dreams becomes clear. Here's how to harness the power of goal setting for your practice.

I rewrote my original column for this month. Originally it was written as a blueprint to prepare for the credentialing processes of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners.