Resources
Professional DevelopmentStaff Meeting in a Box
Need staff meeting ideas? Welcome to our Staff Meeting in a Box! Each month, we provide a full staff meeting worth of materials on a particular topic, taking all of the planning off of your shoulders!
This month’s topic is Growth Opportunities for the Team. By clicking on the link below, you will be directed to our online platform, where you will have access to a 22 minute video, created by Carol Hurst, as well as several downloadable resources and activities for your staff!
Wellness Tip of the Month
Increasing your team’s veterinary knowledge can be as easy as incorporating learning topics into your team meetings. Changing the structure a little will allow you to accomplish any communication goals while keeping them engaged on a medical topics. Here is an example of a good structure for a one-hour meeting:
- 5-10 minutes: give one best personal and one best professional news (go around the room and have everyone participate)
- 20 minutes: communicate any “house-keeping” including policy updates, reminders, etc
- 30 minutes: Education! Lean on your incredibly knowledgeable veterinarian team here, topics can be relevant to cases or just expanding on one concept. Examples include: What does the kidney disease dog come into the clinic for? How is Parvovirus transmitted? What are home care instructions for a pet diagnosed with diabetes?
Employee Handbook Tip of the Month
In order to set the stage for a successful staff growth and development program, you should include details in the employee handbook regarding annual learning/continuing education expectations along with an annual budget for each role within your practice. Be sure to be specific about the types of continuing education you’d like your staff to utilize, and consider scheduling time throughout the year to sit down and do one-to-one planning with each employee to assure their interests align with the practice’s strategic goals.
Online Course Recommendation for Professional Development
The Role of a Supervisor in a Veterinary Hospital
So, you have recently been promoted to a new position-a supervisor. You are now one of “them”, the management team. Your emotions are all over the place: scared, excited, nervous, overwhelmed, intrigued. This course will help you make that transition a smoother one and, hopefully allow you to enjoy your new title.
Once you complete this course, practice the techniques and continue to improve!
Tips for Looking Professional in a Veterinary Hospital
In my opinion, Emotional Intelligence is the most valuable soft skill any successful professional needs to have. Under this commonly used term is a slew of other soft skills: communication, empathy, self awareness, trust, flexibility and so on. This book, however, breaks down the assessment of one’s Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) into: self awareness, self management, environmental awareness and relationship management. The book provides a valuable tool that will allow you to measure each of these areas, assess room for improvement, and then remeasure at a later time.
Did you know?: Those who score higher on EI earn an average of $29,000 more year than those with low scores?
Why do you think that is? It’s because those who have stronger soft skills are more likely to get promoted in organizations. When looking to promote someone I would want them to have strong skills in communication, self awareness and self management.
Want to learn more, or work on improving yourself? This is the book for you. Singlehandedly the easiest, and best self-development book I have read recently.
– Brandon Hess CVPM, CCFP
Podcast Recommendation
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup
This is a great recipe that can be modified for stove-top easy enough. However, if you have a pressure-cooker, they come out creamy, spiced and delicious. When made on a Sunday, they are a perfect base for meal-prepping:
- 8 oz dry black beans
- vegetable stock (2 pints)
- 1 small diced red onion
- 2 jalapenos (or adjusted for preferred spice level) – diced
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 2 diced green onions for garnish
- 1 tsp cayenne (or to taste, if you like extra spice or if the jalapenos don’t do their job)
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper
Soak black beans either overnight or a minimum of 4 hours. Salt well. The extra salt is what helps the black beans come out creamy. Drain and rinse. Place in pressure cooker with salt and pepper. Use settings for beans (will end up with a cook time of about 20 minutes). You want them to be almost done at the end of 20 minutes. Add vegetables except cilantro and spices. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes depending on softness after initial cooking. Add cilantro at the end to warm beans and stir in well.
Garnish with green onion or your favorite toppings!