Veterinary Management in Transition: Preparing for the 21st Century

Preface ix

Introduction

Are You an Effective Veterinary Administrator? Xvii

The Veterinary Healthcare Team xvii

The New Ear xx

The Prime Thrust: Effective Administration xxi

Signs of Administrative Success and Failure xxii

Earmarks of the Download Spiral xxii

Signs of a Winter xxiii

Applying Effectiveness Concepts xxv

Self-Evaluation xxv

Appreciating Human Resources xxvi

The Future xxvii

The Role of Hospital Managers in Veterinary Medicine xxvii

Revolutionary Change xxvii

Dealing with Management Costs xxviii

Impediments to Success xxviii

The Hospital Manager’s Future Quiz xxx

Chapter One

Are you Ready to Change? 3

It is Not, Nor Will it Ever Be Again, “Business as Usual” 3

Five Success Measures 6

The Business of Veterinary Program Planning 9

The Dynamic Budget Planning Process 9

Implementation of Program-based Planning 12

Veterinary Practice Checklist for Self-assessment 14

Chapter Two

Governance 21

The Functions of Governance 23

The New Era for Veterinary Medicine 27

Barriers to Effective Governance: The Seven Deadly Sins 29

1 Representational Governance 29

2 Lack of Mission Focus 30

3 Resistance to Change 31

4 Bad Governance Information 33

5 Failure to Dump Deadwood 34

6 Holding on the the Past 35

7 Lack of Job Descriptions 36

Controlling the Chaos of Change 37

Governance for Twenty-first Century 38

Engineering Veterinary Boards for a New Era 38

Making it Happen for You 44

Setting the Agenda 45

Providing Relevant Information 47

Choosing a Daily Operational Structure 48

Minimizing Friction 49

Administrator Skills and Performance Factors 52

Survey-When Is it time for Governance? 55

Chapter Three

Expansion in the New Millennium-Representing the Group 59

The Return to Core Values 59

Managing Multiple Practices 61

Leadership Essentials 62

The Premise 62

Training Requirements 64

Performance Measurements 64

Accountability 65

Reporting 66

Performance Evaluation 66

Comparisons 66

Analysis 67

Internal Controls 68

A Dozen Signal Flares 68

Trust Everybody, but Cut the Cards 70

Planning 71

Putting It Together 71

“Management du Jour” and Current Literature 72

The Future Tense: The Stress of Change 73

Ethics: Doing the Right Things 75

Checklist for Multiple Boss Readiness 80

Chapter Four

Hiring a Group Administrator 83

A Historical Perspective 83

The Era of Paper 83

The New Visual Media 84

The Feeling Years 85

Integration 86

Social Trends: The Impact of Addictions 87

Food 88

Work 88

Sex 89

Money 89

Gambling 90

Drugs 91

Plan of Action 92

Steps to Clarity 92

Steps to Resolution 92

Postscript 93

Establishing Personal Practice Priorities 94

Tasked Priorities 95

Triage Requirements 96

Building for a Better Tomorrow 97

Compensation for Practice Managers 98

Methods for Computing Compensation 99

What Managers Are Really Paid 101

Non-Monetary Factors 102

Aids for the New Administrator 103

Common Sense 103

Delegating Decisions 105

Service Skills 107

How to Train a Hospital Manager 108

Management Effectiveness Questionnaire 112

Chapter Five

The Rest of the Story 119

Changing Attitudes 119

Focus on the Short Term 119

Redefining Success 120

Making Changes 122

Need for Leadership 122

Resistance to Change 122

Are you Ready for Change? 125

Critical Practice Tools 126

Performance Planning 126

Forming Alliances 127

Building Pride 128

The Present Is Rooted in the Past 130

Expectations 131

Patient Advocacy 132

Average is not Enough 133

Organize to Capitalize 134

Caring Leadership: Individuals Count 135

Creating and Controlling the Chaos of Change 137

Quantum Physics Replaces Mechanistic Process 137

The Renaissance Prescription 139

Entering the New Playing Field 140

Ready for Change Assessment 143

Appendix A Nurturing Your Leadership Competencies 159

Appendix B Ten Areas of Group Administrator Expertise 167

Appendix C The Annual Business of Business 177

Appendix D Understanding Behavioral Patterns 181

Appendix E Staff Development Assessment 197

Appendix F Administrative Action Plans 215