Stop Guessing, Start Assessing: Level up your Team’s Performance
Does this sound familiar? Your head tech is brilliant but really unmotivated. Your new receptionist is eager but keeps making scheduling mistakes. And your new VA started off strong, but is lacking many skills and is defensive when you try to correct him.
As a new owner (and a perfectionist), I remember often being frustrated with poor performers. Why couldn’t everyone just do their job without constant oversight and direction? I thought everybody should be a high performer, like I was. (Of course, I was the owner and had everything on the line. For them, it was just a job).
That variability impacted not only my sanity, but the practice's efficiency, patient care, and team engagement. It felt like whack-a-mole every day. One day, everything ran smoothly; and the next, chaos.
After running everybody off because they weren’t performing at top levels, I realized my expectations weren’t realistic, and I had to acknowledge my team’s capability and work with what I had. I had to take a step back and make sense of the chaos.
It turns out there is a simple tool to assess and leverage your team member's strengths while addressing their weaknesses. It’s based off of the Situational Leadership model by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard.
To explain it, we're going to take a trip to everyone's favorite dysfunctional paper company, Dunder Mifflin. That's right—"The Office" is about to teach us a thing or two about veterinary practice management.
Enter the Skill-Will Matrix
So, what's this tool? It's called the Skill-Will Matrix. And no, it's not a new sci-fi movie but a powerful way to understand your team's performance and potential.
Think of it as a map that shows where each of your employees stands in terms of their skills (what they can do) and their will (how motivated they are to do it). And you can do this today. It’s so simple, you’ll quickly identify your team and can make a plan immediately.
Here's how it breaks down (see chart below):
High Skill, High Will: Your star players. These are your Dwight Schrutes - skilled, motivated, and ready to tackle any challenge, from complex surgeries to difficult client interactions. They're the ones you can always count, on but maybe also watch out for their competitive streak.
High Skill, Low Will: The Stanley Hudsons of your practice. The capable. Employees who can do the job with their eyes closed but need some extra motivation to go above and beyond. They're reliable, but not exactly enthusiastic about overtime, extra responsibilities, or change of any kind.
Low Skill, High Will: Your Erin Hannons. These might be your new and highly engaged veterinary assistants or receptionists. They’re eager to please and love animals, but are still learning the ropes. They're full of energy and potential but need direction and guidance to channel that enthusiasm effectively.
Low Skill, Low Will: The Kevin Malones. They might be lovely people who get along well with the team, but they're struggling both with their skills and their motivation. Maybe it's a receptionist who can't quite master the scheduling expectations or a doctor who's lost their passion for the work.
The Skill-Will Matrix
Now, you might be wondering, "Where does Michael Scott fit into all this?" Well, our favorite manager is a wild card in the Skill-Will Matrix. Michael often bounces between quadrants, sometimes showing surprising skill and other times, not so much. His will is usually high, but it's not always directed at the right things. In your veterinary practice, you might have a Michael – someone with potential but inconsistent performance.
Why Should You Care?
Now, you might be thinking, "Great, another management tool. I barely have time to eat lunch between appointments, let alone analyze my team!" But hear me out. This doesn’t take long and understanding where your team members fall on this matrix can be a game-changer. It helps you:
Tailor your management style to each employee's needs
Identify who needs more training and who needs more motivation
Make smarter decisions about task allocation
Boost overall team performance and satisfaction
Plus, it's much more fun than a client callback for chronically elevated liver enzymes. Trust me.
What You Need to Get Started. A Free Tool.
To help you get started, we've created a free Skill-Will Matrix worksheet for you to download. It's a simple, user-friendly tool where you can plot each of your team members and start visualizing your practice's skill and will landscape. Think of it as your very own Dunder Mifflin organizational chart, but way more useful.
Take some time to think about where each team member falls. Don't worry, it's not set in stone - people can and do move between quadrants. Which brings us to our next point...
Here's the thing about the Skill-Will Matrix - it's not static. People can and do move between quadrants. Maybe the low skill veterinary assistant one day becomes your next superstar vet tech with the right training. Perhaps that disengaged doctor rediscovers his passion for veterinary medicine with a new challenge. Your job as a leader is to help facilitate these positive moves and address any negative shifts.
Wrapping It Up
It took me too long to realize that my team would never perform to my standards. When I learned to embrace it and make the most of each person’s ability and motivation, the practice moved from high turnover to high retention and one that thrived.
Understanding the Skill-Will Matrix is a leadership superpower in your veterinary practice. It helps you see beyond just whether someone is "good" or "bad" at their job, and instead understand the nuances of their performance and potential.
Remember, every team has a diverse cast of characters, each bringing something unique to the table. Your practice is no different. By using the Skill-Will Matrix, you can help each team member shine in their own way, creating a workplace that's not just efficient, but also engaging and fulfilling.
Ready to transform your practice into a smooth-running, high-performing clinic? Here's what you can do:
Download our free Skill-Will Matrix worksheet [insert link] and start mapping out your team.
We know implementing new management techniques can be challenging, especially when you're already juggling a million tasks. That's where we come in. Our coaching and consulting services are designed to help veterinary practice owners and managers like you navigate the complexities of team management. You can schedule a free 45-minute consultation call with us and we’ll review your matrix together and provide initial insights to get you started.
Don't let team management challenges hold your practice back. Take the first step towards a more harmonious, productive workplace today. After all, you became a vet to care for animals, not to star in your own workplace sitcom. Let's work together to write a success story for your practice.
Schedule a Discovery Call with us today to learn more. Your future self (and your team) will thank you!
References:
Daniels, G. (Executive Producer). (2005-2013). The Office [TV series]. NBC.
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources. Prentice Hall.
