This month's feature article presents the results of our Giants and Gnomes Pulse Survey. The survey looks at whether practice size affects the issues managers struggle with. Survey results reveal that it is the intensity of the issues, not the issues themselves that vary by size of the veterinary practice. I found it interesting that large practices found staff turnover more problematic. As a hospital administrator of a large blended practice, I am sometimes caught off guard when a staff member tenders their resignation in favor of greener pastures. I quickly find myself summing up the positives for them staying, which, of course, are colored by my own perceptions and experience. Sometimes, staff leaves for better or, at a minimum, different opportunities; sometimes they leave for more money. The financial analyst in me wants to explain seven ways to Sunday what are the acceptable norms for support staff compensation and how the practice they're moving to may not be able to support them in the long-run, even if they are seemingly taking drastic measures to attract the person today. The coach within me wants to implore them to remain, knowing so many have tested the proverbial greener grass only to return with an unsatisfied stomach. Fortunately, the human capital development part of me realizes that reasons people leave are many. Often times, people leave because they don't feel “important” to the practice. They feel like their contributions haven't been fully recognized or appreciated and perceive there is a better future out there - just not with us. It is at these times that I am rudely awakened from my status quo and have come to realize that perhaps more important than any one specific task or desired outcome is the ongoing relationship I have with doctors and staff. This came to light recently when I ran into a former staff member who was at the practice doing some relief work. She commented about some of the changes that she had observed and I asked if she had yet seen our newly constructed surgery center. She said she had not, so I asked her if she would like to see it. Her face beamed as she accepted the offer. Later, I was told by one of our supervisors that this staff member told her how much she appreciated the opportunity for a personal tour. The supervisor encouraged me to find more similar opportunities to connect one-on-one with staff, with whom I don’t get to work directly. This simple event has served as a strong reminder that people connect to an organization when the people in that organization connect to them. It is truly a two-way street. It makes me want to try harder to know everyone in our hospital, not just their name but something about each and every one of them. That becomes increasingly difficult, as the feature article suggests when hospital staff size becomes increasingly large. But, it is an important goal – one that I will continue to work toward even today as we welcome four new interns to our hospital.
Jon Cunnington, MBA, CVPM
President