How do you manage your manager?

If you hire a practice manager, what would be your role as a practice owner? What guidance should you provide the manager? What type of supervision is required? In short, how do you manage a practice manager?

Step one: Decide what type of manager your practice needs. There are basically three types of managers: office managers, practice managers, and hospital administrators. In a nutshell, an office manager is a receptionist with some management duties. On the other end of the spectrum, a hospital administrator is responsible for all management concerns including overseeing associate veterinarians. The practice manager's duties lie somewhere in between.

Step two: Make sure you can afford what you need. Management costs for veterinary practices normally run 3 percent to 4 percent of practice gross. Will that be enough? A hospital administrator earns $80,000 to $120,000, practice managers normally receive $34,000 to $40,000 a year, and an office manager usually earns $1 to $2 per hour more than a lead receptionist.

Step three: Delegate duties and responsibilities. This is where the famous job description comes in. It's your responsibility to develop a job description and thereby explain what you want your manager to do. Sure, you can look at samples. But, in the end, you must step up to the plate and decide what your manager's duties and responsibilities should be.

Of course, having a manager doesn't mean that you're out of the loop. In fact, your role is more important than ever. You must be aware of what the manager does and how well she does it. It would be a huge mistake to hire a manager and turn her loose.

You should meet with your manager regularly to review her performance and let your manager know how well she is doing and what must be improved. Also ask your manager to build in feedback controls for all key areas of responsibility.

For example, your manager might give you a report of the inventory purchases made monthly with the cost stated as a percentage of gross. With this approach you can determine whether the practice's inventory purchases are in line. The same can be done with any management responsibility delegated. Remember, you can't expect what you don't inspect!