Photo Gallery: How successful veterinary teams model themselves after The Avengers

“And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes found themselves united against a common threat…to fight the foes no single superhero could withstand…heed the call…Avengers Assemble!" - Nick Fury in The Avengers (2012)

Veterinary hospitals owners are often talented clinicians, caring professionals and day-to-day task jugglers. Committed to professional excellence and quality patient care, some even assume the duties of financial officer, marketing expert and human resource director by themselves. Although they can't fly and most likely wouldn't wear a cape, owners may aspire to be superheroes-assuming full control of managing the office and taking care of patients. But sometimes the best superheroes know how to share the spotlight and watch each other's backs.

Juggling too many of the critical tasks that are essential to a successful, profitable and happy practice can lead to burnout, stress and mistakes. As many owners can attest, hiring a practice manager can foster greater productivity and efficiency. But these benefits are generally realized when owners take full advantage of the skills and talents of both the manager and the entire team.

Avengers assemble!

Even practice owners with practice managers don't seem to be communicating how management tasks could be delegated. In a 2014 survey by the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA), 30 percent of practice owners complained that they were spending too much time on tasks that they felt their managers should be doing. Managers were surveyed about what they would like to say to owners, and a recurring theme was, “You don't understand what I can do.”

Finding a happy medium between the overworked owner and the underused manager can result in a high-performing team that's essential to any successful veterinary practice. Whether it's an example of superhero and sidekick-Batman and Robin or a super-team like the Avengers in which management duties are shared with the practice manager as well as others- delegating responsibility and coordinating efforts can be a force to be recognized.

Delegating superpowers

Harnessing the practice manager's power begins by understanding the full range of responsibilities. A manager is equipped to take on all essential office responsibilities and even delegate them to other team members. This frees the owner to address the practice's clinical operations.

The VHMA has identified managers' five job domains. Do you recognize a super-potential within you or someone else?

Photo courtesy: Marvel

Whip human resources into shape like Black Widow. Like The Avengers' Black Widow, who possesses calm interrogating skills and even recruits the super-dangerous Hulk, the manager acting as human resources chief plans and coordinates personnel tasks. Recruiting, interviewing, hiring and directing subordinates are examples of activities that fall under this domain.

Photo courtesy: Marvel

Smash legal and ethical noncompliance like the Hulk. A properly trained practice manager-ideally through the VHMA's Certified Veterinary Practice Manager program-has the knowledge and expertise to monitor office procedures, policies and practices to ensure they comply with laws, regulations and standards. And when law-breakers show up, the best managers can Hulk out!

Photo courtesy: Marvel

Woo new clients and impress current ones like Iron Man. Suave billionaire Tony Stark really wowed clients and crowds with his marketing savvy as the high-tech Iron Man. A great practice manager has a knack for developing marketing plans and monitoring their effectiveness, preparing client assessments and generating proposals for improving client satisfaction. A great manager can keep clients coming back.

Photo courtesy: Marvel

Stay on target and count your product like Hawkeye. Hawkeye is nothing without his arrows, and your practice is nothing without properly maintained inventory and accurate medical records. A practice manager who is as focused about hitting targets as Hawkeye is ideally poised to establish protocols for hospital policies and procedures, coordinate equipment acquisition and oversee maintenance.

Photo courtesy: Marvel

Manage the money with great honor and conscience like Captain America. Practice owners should never delegate all financial knowledge and management to a manager without oversight, but once you've found someone as trustworthy with the purse strings as the Cap-and run him or her through a veritable boot camp of financial education-he or she can analyze financial reports, maintain financial accounts, oversee banking procedures, establish client credit policies and conduct fee analysis.

Photo courtesy: Marvel

The most successful veterinary practice owners appreciate the skills and training that hospital administrators, practice managers and high-performing team members can contribute to practice management. Batman is better with Robin, and the Avengers fight foes far greater than them because they trust and delegate.

What are you waiting for? Veterinary practitioners, assemble!

Christine Shupe is executive director of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. The association is dedicated to serving professionals in veterinary management through education, certification and networking.