Fast Track Change with Minimal Pain: A cheat sheet for busy veterinary practice owners
Have you ever tried nailing gelatin to a tree? That’s exactly what getting your team to change can feel like. Achieving enthusiasm, buy-in, and follow-through can be a challenge, and one that becomes frustrating, stressful, and inefficient for all if you’re not prepared.
As a veterinary practice owner, you know more than anyone that change is inevitable and necessary. You also know that implementing it is tough and something you’d rather avoid. Lucky for you and just in time, I’ll show you how to do it. If you follow the advice, your next change will go so much smoother. I promise.
Why Change is Tough for Veterinary Teams
Comfort with established routines
Fear of appearing inexperienced
Concern about existing skills being less relevant
Initial increase in workload during transitions
Past negative experiences with changes
They don’t see the value or benefit of the change
The Power of Change Management
Change management is a process and skill. It’s actually a career field because doing it well matters. However, it’s not rocket science and you can do it well too.
When you do it effectively, it’s like you’re a skilled captain guiding your clinic through rough seas. And change always creates rough seas, so put on your captain’s hat and let’s go.
Change management helps:
Keep your veterinary team motivated
Minimize disruption through the change
Turn your skeptics into supporters
Reduce stress and confusion for everyone - including you - during the transition
Ensure a more successful outcome
10 Steps to Successful Change: A Veterinary Practice Owner's Cheat Sheet
Prepare: Clearly define the change and its benefits for your veterinary clinic. What is it and why are you doing it? What’s the benefit? Who and what will be impacted? Is there a financial component to consider?
Create a project plan: Develop a clear timeline and plan for implementing the change. Assign responsibilities to team members, considering their roles and strengths. Who will do what by when?
Plan for resistance: There is always a “Negative Nellie” in every group. Probably more on a veterinary team. They also likely have valid concerns, so be ready for them by being one step ahead with answers. If you were in their shoes, what will you want to know? What concerns will you have? What might go wrong?
Engage key influencers: Identify leaders and influential staff members and bring them on board early. You need them on your side. Their feedback and support will be crucial in gaining wider acceptance.
Test it out: If this is a big change or you’re not clear on what the impact or outcomes will be, run a small pilot. You’ll learn a lot from this step and can fine tune your plans. This is especially important if the change is more complex, disruptive, or you have a larger practice.
Present the change: Schedule a staff meeting to introduce the change and sell it! Be positive! Explain its purpose and how it aligns with your practice's mission. Highlight benefits for the team, patients, and clients, as well as your expectations for their commitment.
Address concerns: Seek and listen to feedback from those impacted. Address worries quickly, honestly, and empathetically. Offer training and support to ease the transition. The sooner you get concerns out in the open, the sooner you can move past them.
Execute: Put that change into action. Launch!
Follow up: Closely monitor progress and impact and be ready to adapt quickly if needed. Seek feedback along the way and make necessary changes. Don’t get so married to an idea that you’re not willing to flex when needed.
Celebrate: You did it! The change has happened, or it’s happening. Now is the time to celebrate the small wins along the way with your team, and definitely celebrate the big ones. Show them how proud you are and how the change is doing everything you said it would. They’ll think you’re a genius.
Remember, as a veterinary practice owner, you and your leadership are the secret ingredient to everything. Lead by example and show your team that change, while challenging, leads to better outcomes and a more successful practice.
It may seem like this is a lot to do, and not every change needs this level of attention, but the upfront intentional planning will save you so many headaches and frustrations later. Or even worse, a failed change.
By engaging in change management, you’ll create a more adaptable, efficient, and harmonious veterinary clinic. And the more you do it, the better you’ll become, so you can implement new veterinary technologies, improve clinical workflows, and meet evolving client needs – all while keeping your veterinary team engaged and your practice thriving.
Embrace change in your veterinary practice, and watch your business grow!
And always remember: You’ve got this. You’re learning. You’re awesome. Now go show them how it’s done!
Navigating change with your veterinary hospital can be a daunting and complex process, especially when you’re already busy with the day-to-day challenges of veterinary ownership. This is our specialty and we’re here to help. Schedule a Discovery Meeting with me to learn how we can help you lead and navigate change.
Download the free digital workbook below. It will help you prepare for all types of change in your business.
