Stability Amongst the Chaos: 5 Recommendations

How to help lessen the turmoil your team – and customers – are experiencing.

We’re living in unusual and turbulent times. With the pandemic shutdowns, then re-openings, and the social unrest, people are navigating uncertainty and stress that can be quite devastating. It can exact a toll on individuals and as a result, on businesses.

Though some react to chaos by creating more chaos, most people either knowingly or unknowingly seek stability in turbulent times. Strong leadership is a form of stability that can be provided that will be attractive to team members, clients, and other stakeholders. There are other offerings that you can provide or help your clients provide that
will help bring stability and lessen the turmoil that people are experiencing.

Below are five recommendations regarding how you can be a source of stability for your team and customers in these chaotic times.

1. Be a source of strong leadership, or if appropriate, offer access to leadership training to your customers that will help them put into perspective what we’re going through and how they can thrive in the process. This chaotic time is an opportunity to identify leaders and to improve your team. This is also the case for veterinary practices. The strongest veterinary practices are those with great leadership and culture. They care for their people and their customers/patients with the utmost of personal interaction, communication, support, understanding, and empathy. Clients appreciate strong leadership as well, as they prefer a predictably pleasing experience with few surprises. In these current times, clients have a great appreciation for the commitment of veterinarians, nurses, and support staff, who are there for them at their time of need in these challenging times. We can and should be an impactful source of stability in our communities.
2. Deliver very personalized care to your team and your customers. Most people desire certainty over uncertainty. Current events have created much uncertainty, which is stressful for most people. Your team members desire certainty in the form of knowing that they will have employment, health care, safety at their workplace, and the continued opportunity to make a difference. Communicate (speak and listen) to each team member often to keep communications open and to ensure that if issues arise, they know they can come to you for help, or at least to be guided to the appropriate care. Veterinary practice customers want to know how much you care. Every conversation impacts their perception of you. When you do things for them without them even asking you to do so, they perceive that you care beyond the norm. This provides stability that will be repaid most often by exemplary care and loyalty in the future.
3. Provide access to counseling services to your teams. During times of stress, having someone you trust whom you can confide in can be life-saving and dramatically impactful for team members. Encourage conversations to address any challenges and take them on as a team to build camaraderie and support.
4. Help your customers 24/7. In times of uncertainty and turmoil, few things send a signal of stability like being there for your customers at their time of need, regardless of when that time occurs.
5. Profitability is stability. Help practices be profitable. A profitable practice can hire better people, purchase better equipment, and build better facilities. Be a partner to the practices you serve and help them be profitable. Unfortunately, few veterinary practice owners understand this concept, but for those who do, it is life-changing for them to learn how to be profitable. It isn’t complicated or difficult. It is intimidating for most veterinarians to talk about business and money. It doesn’t have to be intimidating or difficult. In fact, it can be fun and invigorating, and the results will be life-changing.

The challenging times will pass, and we will overcome them. You will be remembered for being a source of stability and comfort by those to whom you provide it. Offer stability amongst the chaos!

Edward L. Blach, DVM, MS, MBA

Dr. Ed Blach works as a business and market specialist in veterinary medicine. He has a unique background that combines veterinary medicine, market research, business development, and management. Dr. Blach is also an inventor whose professional passion is innovation and improvement. He is co-founder of two current startups: Ask.Vet and IsMyPracticeHealthy.com.

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