You might recall a blog I wrote a few months ago encouraging you not to become a buggy whip. One of the points I was trying to make deal with how technology was changing the ‘way we work and the adverse effects of doing things “the way we have always done them”. In continuing with the “buggy whip” theme, this time I want to focus on the power of the team.
The power of team I’m referring to involves building a team of employees. I know, you have an employee or several employees each hired to perform their given tasks. But, is your company’s management style and the environment conducive to bringing out the best in your team? Do you have the right people doing the right job?
Historically veterinarians, as with most service business owners, typically maintained monolithic attitudes of how things were to be done and what each employee’s supporting role was in that process. The result, monolithic organizations. While monolithic organizations may have worked okay in the past that is no longer the case. In fact, inflexible, rigid, and unchanging businesses are severely challenged to stay viable.
What would you think if I told you that your real competition actually looks much different than you think? I would argue that your real competition operates and is managed much differently than many “traditional” clinics or hospitals. Today’s most successful and growing companies are tapping into the skills, strengths, and desires of their employees. Inflexible and rigid have been replaced with flexibility and programs that foster creativity and incubation of ideas from everyone. Additionally, they understand and accommodate the differences between varying generations currently in the workforce.
Clinics of today should be exciting places to work and full of life. Encouraging diversity and differing opinions leads to ideas, processes, and results that would never have been discovered in a monolithic organization. When was the last time you looked into a mirror? Empower yourself with the right tools and right people and increases your chances to succeed.
Don’t become a buggy whip!