When I first started in my position as Hospital Administrator for Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic 14+ years ago, I was struck by how much larger and more complex this hospital seemed than the practice I had previously been managing for 6+ years. On my first day I optimistically made the statement “I’m looking forward to honing and expanding my skills in an environment with more doctors, staff and processes.” It’s always in hindsight that we can say to ourselves, “Be careful what you ask for.”
Leadership is leadership and management is management, right? WRONG! Over the past two decades, I have found significant distinctions between managing an average-sized hospital and a very large veterinary practice. My first management position was in a general practice with three doctors and 20 support staff. The practice I currently manage has 30 doctors and 140 support staff.
In the mid-1990s, as a neophyte to the field of veterinary medicine, I tried to apply my idealistic views of management in the practice. Some met with great success and others fell flat on the treatment table. Nevertheless, I seemingly had one gear – slow and methodical. I would routinely meet with staff members for long periods of time, trying to understand every aspect of their job-related issues and brainstorm potential solutions. We were a close staff and often the conversation would turn to non-work topics, in which I would also try to provide advice and moral support. Likewise, if a vendor asked me to lunch or for a cup of coffee, I would usually agree. Hearing about their company initiatives fascinated me. Unfortunately, while I was holed up in an office or at a restaurant, I wasn’t available to our clients or to our doctors, technicians, assistants and client service staff. My process of planning was also slow and tedious. Budgeting was painful because I aimed to bring near perfection to the process. We practiced sound veterinary medicine and made only incremental changes; unfortunately our revenue growth showed it.
During those early days, I learned a lot that would help propel me to the next stage. That’s where faster-decision making became essential. No longer did I have the luxury of looking at a situation from every possible angle before making a decision because there were more decisions stacking up behind it. I quickly realized that I had to shift gears. Over time, I’ve learned to rely less on data, and more on experience and intuition. I’ve also learned to relinquish decision making to other capable team leaders who have also developed effectiveness in this area. When interviewing candidates for our client services department, for example, I’ve honed my ability to ask certain questions that I believe helps me understand the person’s motivations, availability and true interest in the position. Sometimes, self-confidence in these situations allows me to probe into background areas that others on our team haven’t yet discovered. When it comes to planning and, more specifically budgeting, we view it as a goal-setting tool, a base for determining practice performance. Now when I get a hunch, I seek out data to confirm or reject that notion. This is in contrast with earlier times when I would gravitate to the data as opposed to independent thought first. In general, more and more people rely upon me, as well as upon other hospital team leaders, to make good decisions and to make them quickly.
As I look into the mirror each day, and see the widening sea of grey hair staring back, I am reminded that there is no substitute for experience. I have also learned that experience doesn’t have to take years to accumulate. I find that learning about the experiences from colleagues in the VHMA helps me be a more prepared and well-rounded manager. I’ve also learned that sometimes you just need to take a few risks to try something new. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Sit down with others on your team, tune up your plan and try again. It's never too late to shift gears.
Jon Cunnington, MBA, CVPM
VHMA President