VHMA Manager to Manager

Not everyone is naturally comfortable giving honest feedback. But it is important to remember that everyone deserves to receive it, even if it isn't all positive. This is a hot topic in management right now and while the new workforce says they want feedback, what happens when it's about things that aren't going well? Today's guest is Heidi Rizkalla, a CVPM in Pennsylvania. Heidi comes to us from...

There have been times in all of our careers where we may have felt micromanaged. It is a word that is thrown around a lot, especially when team members are asked to complete a task a certain way. But there is a difference between micromanaging and prudent oversight and through setting expectations and boundaries, we can more effectively manage a practice where everyone is on the same page. Today's...

It's not news that keeping good employees takes focus and often managers are blindsided when a seemingly quiet and content employee leaves stating that they just can't take it anymore. How did we miss the signs? How could we prevent that from happening over and over again? Today's guest is Kim Hettinga who is a practice manager in the industry for over 25 years currently in the Seattle area. Kim i...

Love them or hate them, team building activities and events are really important. The key to having these be successful is to build a team through fun. Building a team that hangs tight after spending their day under pressure is hard but focusing on having fun can make a huge difference. Today's guest is Jill Brecklin who has been bringing fresh ideas to the table in a hectic veterinary practice in...

When it comes to staff meetings, we know they can be painful. Whether you are waiting for the same team member to show up on time, listening to complaints with no real solution in sight, or putting unrealistic expectations on yourself as a facilitator, we know that staff meetings don't always accomplish what they should. You may leave staff meetings and ask yourself, "What went wrong?" Today's gue...

Especially in the last couple of years with seemingly constant supply chain issues, maintaining an inventory has been a problem. Increases in the price to maintain an inventory hasn't helped the problem either and we have an ongoing issue in keeping shelves stocked without breaking the bank. Let's talk about ways we can not only maintain stocked shelves, but create systems that work for the entire...

Today's topic is all about the importance of continuous training and how we can keep it fun and fresh. When it comes to training team members, no matter what their role is, managers might be feeling the stress and the worry. Turnover rates are high in all industries right now, so how can we design training sessions and content to keep things fresh, fun, and continual? Julie Nash joins us today wit...

The last few years have made remote work a reality for many industries. But is it really possible in a veterinary practice? Today's guest says it is possible! In this episode, you'll learn how we can apply remote work to this industry and find ways to be flexible enough to keep employees while being good stewards for the practice as a whole. Today's guest is April Allen who started her career as a...

At the start of every new year, many of us are setting up plans for the coming months. With this comes a lot of solutions, but do we really know what the problem is? We seem to jump to the plan real fast, but maybe we don't determine the problem in its entirety first. Today's guest is former VHMA President, Jim Nash. Jim has 20 years experience in Veterinary medicine and has served on the VHMA boa...

'Tis the season to celebrate and there is no one better to celebrate than the clients and families who show us their appreciation. Take a moment to think about those clients. Odds are, you think of a handful of special clients that take care of you and your team just like you take care of them. So, who do we thank and how do we do it? Today's guest is Karli Carter, a hospital administrator out of...

As we begin wrapping up the year, it's time for strategic staff planning. The people who love numbers are probably very excited, but in an uncertain economy, this year's planning could look a lot different. Cris Chilelli joins the conversation today to help us wrap our heads around the challenges we're facing. Cris is the Regional Operations Manager for VCA in Arizona and with 25 years of experien...

"I love my job!" When was the last time you said that? Or thought about it? Somehow it has become unpopular to love our job. Many people immediately jump to the negative and dread the challenges because we've been taught that work isn't gratifying. But today's guest proves that this way of thinking can have detrimental effects on your work-life balance and personal wellness. Susie Crockett is the...

In the spirit of self-care, we need to take a close look at how we manage not only our teams, but how we manage ourselves. Managers may seem invincible, but mistakes are inevitable. How do you manage the mistakes you make? The goal of today's episode with Chris Cesena is that you learn from your mistakes. But more importantly for you to also see how to correct a mistake and proceed forward without...

Growth and Career Mapping for Your Team with Molly Lautzenheiser With hiring and retaining quality team members becoming ever more challenging, we have to consider career satisfaction more than ever. One of the ways we can ensure employee career satisfaction is by cultivating a culture of growth through career mapping. This process gives employees learning opportunities that not only fit a need wi...

It seems like this year's caseload has been very overwhelming! And no matter how many people are on the team, it makes things feel like we're understaffed. We are always looking for great ideas to keep the team feeling empowered but also ensuring that clients are taken care of quickly and efficiently. That's why Karen Hart joins the podcast today with a program her practice developed called the Te...

In a post-Covid world, it seems that there has been an uptick in aggressive client demands. We know that things aren't always easy, but what can we do to ease the stress of not only our clients, but our staff members too? Remember that it is a symbiotic relationship with clients and it's absolutely necessary to maintain to continue serving the community. Today's guest is Erin Kilbane from Avon Lak...

When you find yourself in the management role, no one tells you that a large part of it is helping our teams manage their stress. Yes, this means the stress they feel while at work, but stress is not easily compartmentalized and our teams are bringing stress from home into the workplace. What can we do as managers to help the team deal with stress, ensure their wellbeing, and cultivate a positive...

Do you find that all the details and policies in your practice are laid out but somehow people don't know them? Are we laying them out clearly? This is a common issue among many practices and we aren't holding everyone to the expectations we have of them.  Today's guest is Heidi Rizkalla and she joins the conversation this month to help us work on better communicating expectations. After setting t...

Two years ago, everything changed with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and truly, the world will never be the same. Now, two years later from those massive adjustments, morale could still be an issue. How can we as managers help boost morale and support the team during trying times? Today's guest is Linda McCarthy, one of 2022 VHMA Emerging Leaders. She started as an assistant in 2003 and has w...

Everything's better with a plan, right? And while it doesn't seem like the typical time of year to talk about budgeting, today's guest enlightens us that it is always the right time to budget. Lisa Yackel joins the VHMA Podcast today to show us why and how to implement a budget. Lisa has over 45 years experience in the field and has gone through many changes in budgeting over those years. As thing...

When it comes to the working relationship between a practice owner and the manager, things can go smoothly or can be very rocky. This relationship is crucial for a successful practice, so how can we implement systems and improve our communication to strengthen this partnership? Today's guests are Brent Bilhartz and Becca Bucker from LazyPaw Animal Hospital in Frisco, Texas. Brent, the owner, relie...

In this post-pandemic climate, we have discovered that discipline for not following protocol has changed. Managers are feeling the pressure to maintain these protocols and keep turnover rates as low as possible by keeping a happy and efficient team. It is certainly more complicated than it was pre-Covid and today's guest helps us with her tips and passion for team dynamics. Jessie Merritt joins us...

As we start thinking about wrapping up another year, we need to plan for 2022. Strategic planning seems intimidating, but with our guest's help today, it doesn't have to be. Tiffany Consalvo joins me today as we talk about taking the scary out of strategic planning. Tiffany is a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM). She began her career in the veterinary profession in 2000 at a small compa...

Things are very overwhelming right now, and emergencies seem to be coming in constantly. When emergency facilities are full, what is the solution? Today's guest is Brandon Zweerman from Ottawa Animal Emergency and Specialty Hospital, and he has worked in several different roles in his career. He is a strong believer that happier employers can build a better practice.   Today, Brandon and I discuss...

Mental health is a very hot topic these days, especially in the veterinary clinic world. So on the VHMA Manager to Manager Podcast, we're talking about all things mental health: the concerns, the stressors, and more importantly the key components in how to help deal with overload.   Today's guest is Katie Hill, hailing from Gainesville, Florida. Katie is a CVT, CVPM, and a Certified Compassion Fat...