Associates: Use these 7 mantras to fit in at any hospital

In this column in the May issue, I gave practice owners a list of seven mantras to help them find and keep good associates—that's you. You'll be glad to know I told the owners to reward you for good work, share their knowledge with you, and listen to your opinions. Now it's your turn to sit back and absorb a set of my homemade mantras. They'll help you fit in at any hospital and with any owner. In fact, they're guaranteed to lower your stress level faster than an hour of meditation in a Zen rock garden. OK, maybe not. But they will help you throughout your career.

1 The team knows all.

Yes, you graduated at the top of your class. Yes, you hold high medical standards. But to meet those standards, you know what you need? Team members. They know a thing or two. After all, the team has been getting along just fine without you for a long time.

Solicit team members' suggestions on managing the workload, working with difficult clients, or fixing billing errors, and take their advice when it's offered. Team members may not always be right, but often they are, and they can help solve many of your problems.

2 Good business equals good medicine.

Let's not get into who owns the practice and how you need to make enough money to help pay off your boss's new yacht. That's so dreary. No, let's put this in terms that are germane to you. First, good business means good medicine. If you're part of the generation that worships at the digital altar, you need to bring in enough revenue so the practice can purchase all those silicon-driven diagnostic and treatment aids. If you want to lase, someone has to pays!

Purchasing advanced equipment is all about charging appropriately. If you charge for the services you do offer, you'll generate the income needed to expand into new areas. Plus, it's not just about technology—you also deserve a good income. You offer great value to your clients, so remember that whenever you step into the exam room. Translate that value into production income, and you'll be able to pay off your loans and even buy a sort-of-new car.

3 Business smarts bring personal tranquility.

As an associate you don't need to know all the details of your practice's finances, but the principles of practice management still govern a good part of your life. If you understand practice expenses, you may be more conscious of capturing charges. If you know a little about motivational management, you can help nurture a better working environment. If you understand what ACT means—it's average client transaction, by the way—you can better control your own income.

Some owners don't teach their associates about business, because the owners don't understand it themselves. But there's a bunch of help out there, in print and online. And you associates are always welcome to attend management lectures at every conference. (There will be some great presentations at CVC Central, I hear.) You may or may not be able to introduce new ideas into your practice. But management knowledge will always help you personally. And if you end up buying a practice someday, you'll be ready.

4 I'm proud of what I do.

You don't know how long you'll stay at your current job. There are too many variables to forecast the next year, much less the next three to five years. But go ahead and pretend you'll be in your present position for the rest of your career. Be part of the practice family. Do your best to boost the business as if it'll be yours someday—it might! Even if you do part-time or relief work, you should still contribute wherever you can. If you find yourself daydreaming about some other job, your mind isn't on the task at hand and the clinic will suffer.

Set some short- and long-term goals for yourself that go beyond dealing with today's disasters. Maybe you're interested in promoting staff training, marketing the clinic, learning new procedures—whatever it is, bring that to the practice. Even if you win the lottery tomorrow and move to Tahiti, you'll always enjoy the satisfaction of having made an important contribution to the lives of many people and pets.

5 I manage my time well.

This can be a toughie if you work in a practice without clocks, but learning to be efficient is essential to your career. Efficiency is not a euphemism for taking shortcuts; it's organizing your practice life so you can do the maximum amount of work in the shortest amount of time. Efficiency in the treatment area translates into more time to talk to clients, more time for staff training, and, of course, more time for chocolate breaks.

Practice managers measure efficiency by the number of client visits per day, average client transaction, and staff hours worked. There's a less-complicated benchmark: Is it dark when you come to work and even darker when you leave? If so, you're not working efficiently.

6 Healing patients is a team effort.

Delegation boosts your efficiency because it enables you to spend your time doing the things you're good at. It provides other benefits, too. Most significant is the effect on the staff. Team members are no different from you—they come to work every day hoping to do something new, interesting, and significant. If they don't, they won't thrive. If life gets too dull, they'll head down the road to Interesting Animal Clinic where they'll lead a fruitful life while you spend valuable time reading your own hematocrits. Way after dark.

7 I will take care of myself.

As an associate you may be abused. Long hours, lack of resources, an unpleasant work atmosphere, a meager staff, and low pay are all-too-common fates for young doctors. A bad job hurts you, and you shouldn't tolerate it for long. Veterinary medicine offers opportunities of many kinds, in almost anyplace you want to practice, at any level of commitment you want. You can always find a job that's good for you professionally and personally and that nourishes you rather than overwhelms you.

If you feel powerless as an associate, remember that you always retain the power to respect yourself and others, work well with your team, and improve your abilities and the effect you have on coworkers and patients. Now ponder these mantras and go take the veterinary world by storm.

Craig Woloshyn, DVM

Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Craig Woloshyn recently sold his practice to a wise associate. He still dispenses enlightening knowledge through his company Sun Dog Veterinary Consulting. Please send questions or comments to ve@advanstar.com