Tips to Beat the Recession 2 – Show a Little Love

Moral and motivation go hand in hand. When the chips are down in the wider economy a strong sense of purpose, togetherness and motivation will work wonders in keeping your business afloat. So how do you set about boosting moral when all you’re worried about is keeping the business alive?


Don’t cut, cut, cut…train, train, train


If your turnover is flagging then it is tempting to reach for the knife and slash costs from your business. This may help the short term P/L account but if you lose staff you will also lose abilities and skills required to deliver your service.
Another option if things have slowed a little is to take the opportunity to implement a training program. Was there a customer service issue causing problems? Are staff making the most of the sales opportunities coming through the door? Do you even know the answers to these questions? If not then you have vital work you have to start doing today.

Say thanks

I’ve lost count of the number of staff satisfaction surveys I’ve read where staff don’t feel valued because the boss never says thanks. The value your staff place on their job is every bit as much about recognition of a job well done, development and thanks as it is about actual money. A big, well meant ‘thank you – you were terrific today’ costs nothing. Even better, it will make you feel good as well.

Blame culture

The blame game is one of the most damaging (and sadly most prevalent) aspects of veterinary culture. Whether it’s one vet bemoaning another’s work or someone going off like a rocket because "someone" didn’t recharge the otoscope batteries. It really doesn’t matter. If your practice team like to play the blame game then chances are the tension in your prep room is grinding the team down.
Instead of looking to blame others for prep room troubles, everyone (most importantly the boss) should first look inwardly at what we could have done differently to help.

Get the right bums onboard your bus

Recruitment is vital. Get the right people for your business. If you need a high flying academic type then the fast-talking, charismatic vet won’t do. If your business needs a schmoozy, customer focussed people person then the introverted certificate holder won’t do. Identify what your business needs and don’t fall short of what you were looking for.

Make sure they’re all sitting in the right seats

If things aren’t working then don’t be afraid to shake the team up. Your plans won’t always work out and if things are going awry then you have to take action. I have a client with a good vet who is definitely in the wrong seat on the bus. This is bad news for everyone. The vet is miserable and the business is struggling as a result of lack of commitment. It isn’t that the vet (who started out fine) has suddenly become a bad vet, they’re just in the wrong seat. Talk to your team, find out that they want/are best at, and then see what you can do to accommodate them as best fits your business plan.

If you deal proactively with these problems you’ll be amazed at the results.

The decisions you take as a leader and manager affect all those around you. Cutting costs leads to a vicious circle of increased demands on decreasing resources. A high stress situation likely to lead to staff churn and decreased valuation of your business. (People like to see familiar faces and high churn rates sabotage your efforts to create a high performing team.) There is another way, nurture your team through these tougher times and the result will be a fitter, better placed organisation ready to take full advantage of the upturn when it duly arrives.