3 steps to a happier veterinary team

GETTYIMAGES/Eric Isselée

“Watch out, the boss is in a mood today!” “Sorry, I'm just in a bad mood.” “You're sure in a good mood today!” Moods. We talk about them, blaming our actions and words on a mood. But what many people don't realize is that a manager or team member's mood affects all aspects of practice, for better or worse. 

Managers and owners: Be honest about expectations

“In all honesty, when a practice owner says he or she wants a practice manager, that often means they want more of a personal assistant, someone who can take care of day-to-day issues, squabbles and complaints,” says Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and co-owner of Halow Tassava Consulting. “A true practice manager wants to make real leadership decisions, focusing on growth goals and moving the practice in the right direction, but the owner often gets involved, castrating the manager's power.”

Create a job description that truly describes what you want done to set the mood, or tone, for the person's true job and expectations. “Do you want an assistant to deal with the refractometer when it breaks, call the lab, address the team member who's chronically late and put an ad in the paper to hire a new client care representative?” asks Halow. “If so, then acknowledge that. Don't gussy up an executive assistant position by calling it a manager. Say what you mean, and you're more likely to hire the person who is right for the position and make it more likely for that person to succeed.”

Shawn McVey, MA, MSW, seconds that notion. “Think about what kind of leader you need,” says McVey, a Firstline board member and CEO of McVey Management Solutions in Austin, Texas. “Are you looking for a big picture leader who can motivate people, or a down-in-the-dirt leader who can lead by example and show people a sense of initiative? It all starts with a job description.”

A 2001 Harvard Business Review article by Daniel Goleman says there is an “incontrovertible link between an executive's emotional maturity, exemplified by such capabilities as self-awareness and empathy, and his or her financial performance. The leader's mood and behaviors drive the moods and behaviors of everyone else. A cranky and ruthless boss creates a toxic organization filled with negative underachievers who ignore opportunities; an inspirational, inclusive leader spawns acolytes for whom any challenge is surmountable. The final link in the chain is performance: profit or loss.” 

You might say that's all well and good, but what does it mean for me? Understanding how to screen job candidates for emotional intelligence-appropriate mood handling-learning to deal with bosses' and colleagues' moods and keeping your own in check will get you further in life. Here, experts share their tips on mood management in the veterinary world.

1. Write-and use-job descriptions

Check yourself: How often do you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, micromanaged or undervalued, all because what's expected of you isn't what you signed on for? If you'd known from day one what your boss wanted from you, your reality could meet expectations. 

What to do: As a team member, you're probably not the one in charge of creating job descriptions, but you certainly can ask for a clear-cut one for yourself. When interviewing for a new position, ask for a written job description and check it out carefully. In your current job, if you don't have a write-up already, request one from your manager or the practice owner.

2. Choose your team wisely

Check yourself: While you can't necessarily hire for mood, you can screen team members to find their strengths. And if you're the applicant seeking a new position, it may wise to ask these types of questions of your potential supervisor to see if the management style is a fit for you.

What to do: McVey uses a series of 18 quantifiable competencies he wants to find in an employee, with a series of questions related to each competency. For example, when looking for a lead technician or client service representative, he wants a person who has a high degree of self-awareness and the ability to self-manage. “This person strong social management skills, as their job is most readily accomplished working with subordinates and peers,” says McVey. So he will ask a series of questions to determine the person's emotional intelligence, rather than just technical skills.

To determine self-management, he might ask the employee to describe a situation at work where you are likely to get annoyed, then ask how the person handles that feeling. To screen for leadership skills, he asks about a time when the candidate and his or her peers were at odds over a work situation or decision, and how he or she handled it.

And to check for empathy, he asks about a time at work where the candidate noticed something was bothering a peer or coworker. He wants to know how the candidate knew something was bothering the person, and to find out what he or she did about it.

3. Manage your mood

Check yourself: No one can make you mad. It's up to you how you deal with circumstances. Chances are, you've said this phrase before, especially if you're a parent. We are all responsible for our own actions and reactions. 

What to do: It's difficult to lead and not become emotionally involved in the outcome, Halow says. But when you're disappointed, team members can read it, and it's debilitating for everyone. It's your job to talk yourself out of a mood, so you're not wearing it on your face.

McVey gives this example: If  the boss calls out team members on how they messed up, using harsh words and a strong tone, their words will not be well received. “Instead, approach the boss later, and say, ‘Doc, I witnessed the interaction you had earlier. Was it your intention to leave people dispirited and untrusting of you?'” McVey says. “He will likely say, ‘No, I just want to get stuff done.' And you can respond, ‘Well, I don't think they heard what has to be done, they just heard the emotional tenor of what you said. Our core value of productivity and communication are affected by this. Can we work on this?'”

Using the right vocabulary, self-respect and confidence to point this out to authority figures can change the mood of the entire office, McVey says. “It's not socially acceptable or effective to manage a person's mood, so we manage behavior instead.”

Whether you're working on your own mood or helping set the tone for others in practice, remember that moods affect how people perform. “A good mood by the leaders boosts people to give that extra that means better performance, productivity and happiness in the practice,” says Halow. “Coach team members, and yourself, to a better day.”

Sarah A. Moser is a freelance writer and editor in Lenexa, Kansas.