A new training tool
As you may know, we launched a new magazine especially for team members last fall-Firstline. (Hopefully you've seen it around the practice. I'd be even happier if you saw it in your team members' hands.)
As you may know, we launched a new magazine especially for team members last fall—Firstline. (Hopefully you've seen it around the practice. I'd be even happier if you saw it in your team members' hands.)
One reason we chose to invest in this new magazine is that we think we can help with one of your biggest challenges—personnel issues—by going directly to your team with expert ideas about how they can contribute more to the practice and achieve more success serving animals and their owners. And we can help them achieve more job satisfaction by offering them ongoing training and advice on communication, service, and teamwork.
Of course, working on both Firstline and Veterinary Economics gives us a special opportunity to offer team members complementary advice at the same time that we raise an issue with you. For example, in this issue, Dr. W. Bradford Swift shares strategies for coaching team members who come to work under the burden of personal problems. We hear the stories, so we know you face this.
Got a doozy to tell that we haven't heard? We'd love to know what happened and how you survived the experience. Just drop me a quick e-mail: ve@advanstar.com
As you'll see in "Personnel With Personal Problems" Dr. Swift gives advice about how to diagnose the core problem, rather than getting caught up in the details. And he talks about how to develop a work environment that supports team members in the effort to break out of an ongoing cycle of disruptive problems.
We raised the same issue with team members in the March/April issue of Firstline. In that article, Dr. Swift gave receptionists, technicians, veterinary assistants, and practice managers advice on how to take responsibility for their circumstances. He talked about the differences you feel when you approach a problem from the perspective of a victim compared with the mindset that you mold your own path. And he suggested strategies that minimize the disruption a personal problem can cause at work.
I hope this two-pronged approach gives everyone more tools for the next time you're faced with a team member's personal crisis. Maybe we've even given you a safe place to start a conversation about how you expect team members to handle personal problems and what support they can expect from you.
Marnette Denell Falley
If your team isn't getting Firstline, they can still qualify for a free subscription. Just send them to www.firstlinemag.com. But do it soon. The number of free copies is limited. And I would sure love to give your team access to this exciting publication. In the next issue of Firstline, for example, they'll get advice on renewing their passion for their work, supporting new hires, and making a clear recommendation. Don't miss out!
Marnette Denell Falley, Editor
