Reclaiming Work-Life Balance: Strategic Communication and Efficiency for Veterinary Professionals

Julie South [00:00:03]:
You're listening to the Vetstaff podcast, the place where you, the veterinary professional, can go to get your head screwed on straight so you can get excited about going to work on Monday mornings and be the most fantabulous, resilient version of you you can be. I'm your show host, Julie south, and this is episode one seven two. Today we are in the second of four episodes, 100% dedicated to helping veterinary professionals take proactive steps that shoe, hopefully towards attaining the work life harmony that you desire. What we're going to look at today is helping you manage your expectations and negotiating deadlines. So stay tuned because I'm going to share one very powerful word you can start using to help manage expectations. I'm going to take you through the framework of how to set yourself up for success ahead of negotiating for what you want. And I'm going to suggest that your clinic makes one very controversial, yet extremely powerful change. This change will help set everyone up for success, will lower stress levels, and if done correctly, will allow everyone to leave on time and get their breaks.

Julie South [00:01:37]:
You can have your break and you can leave on time. If you're a people pleaser, this episode is for you too. If you are feeling a bit frazzled around the edges, this episode is for you as well. And if you're contemplating quitting the veterinary sector altogether, then this is definitely for you. Let's look at managing expectations around workloads. It may be the first thing that came to your mind when I said that was that you went to the 15 minutes consults that you do and thought that if they were 20 minutes, everything would be okay. Or if you do ten minutes, then 15 would be the magical time for you. Or if you already have 20, then maybe 25 or 30.

Julie South [00:02:33]:
I'm sure you get what I'm saying here. None of these is going to work if you don't manage the expectations of the clients first, because whatever time you have, the consults won't work because stuff always manages to fill the gap. So let's look at client expectations. How do you manage these? When the client first walks through your consult room door, you need to find out exactly why they are there. Do they have a long shopping list? You won't know if you don't ask when they've given you, so the first thing to do is ask why they are there. Don't make assumptions because you see that the dog or the cat perhaps is walking a bit funny, or their eye is bunged up, whatever. Don't make assumptions because the client might have a ten point list of concerns for you. And as the veterinary professional.

Julie South [00:03:35]:
You need to set their expectations. Around the time that you have available. And the priority of everything on their list. Let them know that the time that they've booked in for you today. Means that you can focus only on what you can focus on. And then list those. Is it a and b and c? Or maybe just a? Or is it d and b? Whatever. You're the professional.

Julie South [00:04:00]:
You know what the priority is from what they've brought into you. And then you will need to let them know that they need to make another appointment. Sometimes it might even need to be a double or a triple appointment. When they book in. And you will help them do that. Let them know that you will help them book in another appointment when they leave. So that you can look at the other things on their list. This means that right from the get go.

Julie South [00:04:27]:
You're taking control. And you are setting the client's expectations for that day. At the same time, you need to make sure that you're both on the same page and in agreement. For example, you've just said that you want me to look at ABCD. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. All the way through to z. But because this is a single appointment. We only have time for a, b, and maybe c.

Julie South [00:04:52]:
We can look at D through z in the next appointment. Which we can book before you leave. How does that sound? Make sure you get their agreement. If they say, yes, but, yes, but what about D? Yes, but what about z? Then you reply with something like, in my professional opinion, whatever it is, ABCD, Z, Y, whatever can wait. But whatever it is that you've identified cannot. So what we're going to do is we're going to look at whatever it is today. And we can look at the other next week. Or on the next appointment.

Julie South [00:05:31]:
The other alternative. You're giving them a choice here. The other alternative is for you to leave fluffy here with me. And you can pick him up at the end of the day. How does that sound? You want agreement. You're giving them a choice. And sometimes when you give people a choice. It lets them feel like they're still in control.

Julie South [00:05:53]:
While in actual fact, you're managing expectations in the way that will work. Most people are okay with having variances. Provided they understand why. And there's one magic word that one magic word you can use is because I'm sure you've heard of the photocopy machine study. Back in 1978, researchers at Harvard University. Set up a really simple experiment. To see if people waiting in line to use a photocopy machine would allow strangers to jump in ahead of them after making a request. They made three versions of the request.

Julie South [00:06:44]:
The first version, version one, had no reason whatsoever. It just said, excuse me, I have five pages, may I go ahead of you? To use the machine, versions two and three had reasons, but one is a little bit compelling and the other not so much. Version two gave a reason, and it was somewhat compelling. I have five pages, may I go ahead? Because I'm in a rush. And then the third version, this reason was wishywashy. I have five pages, may I go ahead of you? Because I need to make copies. Remember, what we're looking for here is what happens when you use the word because, or what the researchers were looking for was around the word because somehow, crazily, the meaningless reason in version three, I need to make copies, still worked almost as well as a reason that made sense. There's almost no difference in the results from the meaningless reason to the reasonably compelling reason when people use the word because, whereas without the word because the results are very different.

Julie South [00:08:10]:
Here are the results. Version one, that was no reason at all. 60% of the people said yes. Version two, that was the compelling reason. I'm in a rush. 94% said yes. Version three, a bit wishy washy, because I need to make copies. Of course they do.

Julie South [00:08:29]:
Everybody needs to make copies. That's why they're in the line in the first place. Because I need to make copies. 93% said yes. These results show that the word because is one of the most powerful words for influencing behavior. Robert Cialdini, the author and psychologist, says that people simply like to have reasons for what they do. So, because we have limited time here on this podcast, I'm going to suggest that you help manage people's expectations by helping them understand what you're asking of them and why you're making the statements that you're making the requests that you're making, and explaining it with the word because. Now, let's look at negotiating.

Julie South [00:09:25]:
Last week, we looked at the web formula for how to start boundary conversations to refresh your memory. Web, we b stands for want and what, plus empathy, plus the boundary statement. Go back and listen to episode one seven one to refresh yourself. Unfortunately, today, I can't guarantee that every single negotiation conversation you ever have will result in you getting exactly what you want without compromise. The only way that's going to happen is through manipulation, and that's not what we're about here. For a more in depth look at negotiation though, check out episode 22, which I recorded back in April 2021, in that I break down some of what former FBI head negotiator Chris Voss's how to's from his book never split the difference how to negotiate as if your life depended on it. If you're into reading, then I really recommend that. It's a great book.

Julie South [00:10:33]:
I'll put the link in the show notes. So even though no negotiation is guaranteed to get you exactly what you want, there are things you can do to improve your odds. The first one is preparation. In any negotiation, regardless of what it is, you have to do your research. If you don't do this, you're starting out on the back foot straight away, and you're almost guaranteeing your own failure, which is not what we want when it comes to negotiating. Better work life balance for you. Start by collecting the data. You're a veterinary professional.

Julie South [00:11:10]:
You work in the realm of science, facts, and numbers. Negotiating is no different. So take a snapshot of what your schedule has been like over the last however many weeks back or days, whatever it is, whatever time frame you're working in, and then what the next couple of weeks or days is already starting to look like for you. For example, if you missed lunches, how many did you miss? The same goes for breaks. How many breaks did you miss? Now here's a crunch question around missing breaks. Why? Was it because it's obvious to see from your schedule that no gap was allowed? Do you always run late with your consults? If so, why is that? Do you need to cut back on what you're talking about in your consult? For example, just what I just talked about in managing expectations. If your clients come in with that shopping list of ailments, you need to show them how you are going to prioritize this to the most urgent, and you may need to rebook them in for another appointment. You will know where your Ikelli's heel is.

Julie South [00:12:25]:
If it is you that is always meaning that you'll miss your breaks or that you're always running late. Once had a conversation with an employment lawyer around somebody who didn't take their breaks. The lawyer said it was not the employer's fault that that person didn't take breaks because the law is on their side. So just because you're not taking your breaks doesn't mean to say that the employer is at fault. You need to manage your time better, and you need to take a stand. Now, maybe in saying that maybe, just maybe, there's a cultural attitude at your clinic that breaks our facilities. If that's so, you're going to be swimming against the tide for a bit if you want to bring about change, if it's even possible. So you need to ask yourself at this point whether you've got the mental energy and the stamina to do that.

Julie South [00:13:23]:
If you don't, and it's fine if you don't. If you don't, it's time for you to look for another job. Let's have a chat. If that's how it is for you. If everyone else, though, seems to manage to keep on time, then I'd like to respectfully suggest that you need to change what you're doing. Otherwise you're always going to be stressed. It's a stress of your own making, because the fit of you and the clinic isn't a good fit, or you are setting expectations on yourself that are far too high. It's not the clinic, it's you.

Julie South [00:14:03]:
So you need to look at what you're doing. Yes, I know you want to provide gold standard service, you want to do the best for all your patients. But if you're in a clinic that prides itself on being affordable, then gold standard and affordable don't go together. There has to be a compromise somewhere in that mix. So what is it for you? Only you will know that. Now, let's look at your schedule so that you can do your research. What does it look like? What can you change? Identify what's in your power to change? What needs to be elevated up the rank to that of your head nurse, or your lead vet, or your practice manager to change? Or can you make some changes yourself? You'll know. At the same time, you're going to need to consider any pushback that you might get, especially in relation to staffing workloads and the commercial needs of the clinic.

Julie South [00:15:01]:
So go back and listen to last week's episode on how to frame those types of conversations. The other thing that you need to do in your research is be solutions focused. You'll be more successful if you present solutions to your problem, rather than leave it to someone who's probably already busy themselves to solve for you, because they'll be more than likely to opt for the easy way out, which may not be the way that you want. So go armed with possible solutions. You need to look at every solution, not just the ones that you want, but the ones that your manager might present to you as well. You need to know how you might be able to work with that solution. What would that look like for you? What's your solution to any problem that that might create. Negotiating is a bit like playing chess.

Julie South [00:15:58]:
You need to play a few moves ahead and then plan for those. When you have a solutions based approach, it will help show your manager or your head vet or your lead nurse, whoever it is, that you're flexible. Because everyone loves flexibility when it comes to change. Change is about being flexible. Next, you need to identify your shared goals and that helps demonstrate your empathy. It helps create common ground. So what are your shared goals? Patient care probably hopefully will be the first goal that you share. Clinic viability and sustainability hopefully will be the next.

Julie South [00:16:40]:
So look for shared goals. Make sure that you have next step, that you have your active listening skills. Very sharp and turned on and working. Spend time practicing if active listening isn't something that you do now, by default, with active listening, it means that you're summarizing what other people are saying to you so that you can understand and that they get that you've heard them. Voss in his book suggests that repeating the last three words or so of what the other person has said works. You can also preface active listening with something like, just so I understand what you've said. Are you saying whatever, just so we're both on the sage? What? The sage? That's a combination of same page, same page sage. Start again.

Julie South [00:17:35]:
Just so we're both on the same page. What you're saying is practice it, please, so that it becomes second nature for you. It'll feel a bit strange and a bit stilted and a bit contrived at first, but if you continue doing it, it'll become a natural way for you to actually listen. It works. This stuff works. Your research also needs to include knowing what you're prepared to trade off in any concessions that you're willing to offer up. At the same time, look at it from their perspective. What do you think they might be prepared to concede on the meet you at halfway is a common negotiating tactic, but you don't always have to meet somebody halfway.

Julie South [00:18:25]:
Sometimes there's not even a halfway. Sometimes you just need to look at something a different way, change things around and see what happens. Maybe nobody needs to concede anything. Look at things through their eyes as well as your own. Like I said last week as well. You need to pick your timing for you and for them. If you go into a meeting when you're tired and or stressed beyond reason, you're setting yourself up for failure and angst. Plan.

Julie South [00:18:58]:
When do you think will be the best time? Because there's likely to be no right time. So let's just recap. What you're doing with your research is you're doing the research. You are looking for solutions, focused outcomes. You're looking for common ground and shared goals between the two parties. You are going to strengthen your active listening skills, aren't you? Yes, Julie, I am. Perfect answer. Thank you.

Julie South [00:19:27]:
Consider mutually beneficial concessions or trade offs that you and or they might make. And you're going to pick the best time. And then make sure that you thank the other person for their time. Like you, they are busy. Recognizing and thanking them for their time and for fitting you in will go a long way. Trust me on this. Now let's look at what it's possible to change. I promised you something controversial.

Julie South [00:20:06]:
Yes, here's probably the most likely thing that the majority of clinics can change to make a serious difference. Yes, the chances are that you or your manager will balk at this. It's radical, but trust me, it will make such a difference at your clinic. Doing this one thing will allow everyone to leave on time and to take their breaks if done correctly. If implemented correctly. What am I on about? I'm going to suggest that you hire a dedicated, non nurse qualified receptionist. If you already have one of those, I'm going to suggest that you hire somebody to support that person. And I don't want to hear any yes buts.

Julie South [00:20:58]:
Yes, Julie, that's a great idea, but it won't work for our clinic. It actually will if you let it. If you already have a dedicated receptionist and they are run off their feet, then maybe it's time to hire another one. Are your nurses being used to the best their professionals skill set allows, or are the vets wasting time doing stuff that nurses are trained to do? Let's say, for example, that your nurses cover as receptionists, which for the record, I think is a total waster of your nurses skills and time. In case you hadn't realized, I believe that every clinic should have a dedicated receptionist. And here are some numbers for you to consider. Consider it part of your research when you go to your manager. Let's say that a vet or a nurse duo, so a pair has an average bill of $300.

Julie South [00:21:59]:
If a dedicated non nursing receptionist was hired, that would obviously free up the nurse to do more nursing work, work that he or she is trained to do. At the same time, because the vet is trusting the nurse to do more of what they are trained to do, that frees up the vet's time to do more of what only a vet can do. A full time dedicated non nursing receptionist would pay for themselves well into their first year of employment. Here's how. Let's say we have an average bill, like I said before, of $300 for a vet nurse duo, the clinic would have reached a breakeven point in the additional receptionist hire at about week 49. Now that's just for one vet nurse duo. All you need is just one extra average 300 bills a day to pay for that receptionist. Now, because of increased efficiencies, if that bill could be increased just by 10%.

Julie South [00:23:11]:
So we're talking $330 for the bill, just one more 10% increased bill. The breakeven point would happen at about week 44. For one single vet nurse duo with a 15% increase, it had happened at about week 42. That's just like I said for one vet nurse pair. That time would obviously shorten the more vets you had on staff. This is just a rough back of the napkin set of calculations. Do them, please, for your clinic. Know what your numbers are, as crazy as it is, unfortunately.

Julie South [00:23:55]:
No disrespect to nurses here, or no disrespect for receptionists to receptionists either at the moment. And nurses rates are increasing, not where they need to be to reflect their skills and workloads, but numbers at the moment. You need to work on around $35 upwards for a receptionist. If you think that having a dedicated receptionist at your clinic will help alleviate some of the pinch points, the stress points, then start doing your research for this business case. I believe it will. I believe this is one way that you can make a difference to manage expectations and do your research. I hope that you found this second segment on work life harmony helpful as a way to keep or get your head screwed on straight. Strengthen your resilience and be excited about going to work on Monday mornings again.

Julie South [00:24:56]:
If you like the Vetstaff podcast and find it helpful, can I ask you to do me a favor? Please? Please help me spread the Vetstaff podcast word by telling three of your friends and colleagues about how this show helps veterinary professionals like them get their heads screwed on straight and build their resilience so you can all get excited about going to work on Monday mornings. Thank you. If you enjoyed today's episode, then please hit that follow button wherever you're listening to this right now, because it means that you'll automatically receive next week's episode direct to your audio feed and you won't miss out. You can go to vetstaffpodcast.com to find that that's the fastest way of doing it. I look forward to spending time with you again next week where we'll continue this work life Harmony series and we're going to be looking at creating a sustainable schedule. So remember to hit that follow button and help make your 2024 your year for having work life harmony by managing expectations and negotiating deadlines and duties. Until then, this is Julie south signing off and inviting you to go out there and be the most fantabulous and resilient version of you you can be by screwing your head on straight and getting excited about going to work on Monday mornings. The Vetstaff podcast is proudly powered by vetclinicjobs.com, the new and innovative global job board reimagining veterinary recruitment connecting veterinary professionals with clinics that shine online Vetclinicjobs.com is your goto resource for finding the perfect career opportunities and helping vet clinics power up their employer branding game.

Julie South [00:26:52]:
Visit vetclinicjobs.com today to find vet clinics that shine online so veterinary professionals can find them. Vetclinicjobs.com you I don't get.