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The attendees were predominantly
practice managers, but the session was aimed at fostering communication among the whole team. The 60 or so attendees were tasked
with figuring out how communication in the clinic could be improved. Different tables offered ideas in terms of four types of communication: downward commu- nication (owner/manager communicat- ing with staff); upward communication (what staff could say to their superiors); intra-area communication between those at the same level; and interdepartmental communication between departments. Some tables suggested an open-door
type of policy, allowing anyone to say anything that concerns them. “You’ve got to surround yourself with
people who will tell you the truth,” said Craig Lambert, co-owner of Creature Comforts Veterinary Resort & Suites in South Carolina. “I just encourage every- body—they should have total freedom
to speak. We should challenge ourselves to be more open to receiving construc- tive criticism.” Most agreed that staff meetings were also a must for better communication. “We have department meetings once
a month, and each month the facilitator comes from different departments, so leadership isn’t so one-sided,” said one attendee. “There’s a lot of communica- tion crossover from back to front, and it brings down barriers.” Giving the whole staff a voice
was another common thread with the attendees. “It’s important to have whole-practice
meetings,” said Bonnie Markoff, DVM, owner of Animal Care Clinic in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “The whole idea of grum- bling—if you have the right culture, you should be encouraging feedback. If everyone feels heard, usually the grum- bling goes away.” Markoff also suggested reading team
member accolades aloud and drawing rewards from a hat once a month for Starbucks cards or other prizes. Shadle and Meyer stressed that a
clinic’s culture is based on and can be changed through communication. They gave examples of “active listen-
ing,” in which listeners repeat what they think the other person says. This gives the impression that the person is really listening. Often, the presenters said, if given an opportunity, staff members with a complaint will be able to solve the problem on their own just by talking to someone they believe is listening. “The person with the problem has
the solution,” Shadle said. “Heard and empowered, he can come up with the solution.” While the Hohokam did not have the
benefits of advanced communication techniques to help them survive (one assumes so, anyway), your practice does. The session made it clear that modern
AAHA Executive Director Mike Cavanaugh, DVM,
DABVP, takes center stage at the Opening Session
AAHA debuted live streaming surgeries in Phoenix Trends magazine, May 2013
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