'Seek first to understand' in the veterinary clinic

Ever have a day that goes completely off the rails and then, as a manager, you're left to pick up the pieces? Come to think of it, that sounds like a lot of days, right? Fetch dvm360 conference speaker Dave Nicol, BVMS, MRCVS, suggests you take a cue from Dr. Stephen Covey. That author's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People advises readers to "seek first to understand, then to be understood."

"It's one of the most fundamentally important things as leaders we have to get worked into our day," Dr. Nicol says.

He goes on: When things don't according to plan, you may react in a angry or worried fashion. That's not exactly productive or conducive to getting your day back on track.

More management mastery from Dr. Dave

Vets Ask Dr. Dave: Help! I'm being buried by paperwork.

The magic management formula for getting stuff done at your veterinary clinic.

Drs. Andy Roark and Dave Nicol hate your website.

On the other hand, when you seek to understand, you are coming from a position of curiosity-of wanting to get to understand things.

"Often we see one little snippet of information and we base our whole next series of actions on that," Dr. Nicol says. "You wouldn't do it in medicine, so we shouldn't do it when we're managing people either."

So when you start asking people open questions to find out what they were thinking in the first place, the next steps usually present themselves. And isn't that better than making the wrong call out of frustration?

Watch the video for more from Dr. Nicol.

You. Can. Do. This!

At Fetch dvm360 conference, we're the support system you need. With every conference this year, we intend to nurture your mind (meaning quality CE for days) while also encouraging you to take stock of your physical and emotional health. Register now.