Practice Tip 21 – Staff Motivation

STAFF MOTIVATION AND THE ART OF LEADERSHIP …

Motivating staff is a discussion I have with many private practice veterinarians and managers. Here are some of the questions you may find sound familiar:
“How do I get my staff to do the things I need them to do?"
"How do I change them from good to great and beyond to excellence?"
"How do I get staff to take the helm and run the practice for me, allowing me to focus in on what I do best – practice veterinary medicine and surgery?”

Well, the answer to these lie in an artistic mix of
1) finding the correct type of staff member,
2) a good training program and
3) and an ongoing positive leadership style.
Let’s have a look at these elements.

THE RIGHT STAFF MEMBER:
Many veterinarians have no idea of who or what to look for as the basic building block of a good staff member
Fact: You need to stack your deck of staff with the correct type of staff member that, regardless of their actual training, will be self motivated to win. What’s the key factor? They basically care about what they do.

THE CORRECT TRAINING:
Many veterinarians do not train staff well enough to put them in a position to take the reins and really win.
Fact: “On the job” training of people produces poor results. You need to invest in and develop (like every other successful company out there) a professional training program for your practice

THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP:
Many veterinarians end up micro-managing staff and complain about lack of staff motivation
Fact: With the right caring staff and a good training program, staff that will be self-motivated and will run the practice for you. You don’t need to micromanage them! Lead with a lot of positive reinforcement and you’ll all win.


So try these steps the next time you need to motivate your team:
1. Start with good, caring people…
2. Train them well and then…
3. Lead them with positive reinforcement to greatness and you and your clients will love them.

Sounds simple? It is. Try it out and watch what happens.

Questions? Give me a call.

Attend the “Building a Self-motivated Team” Webinar