Don't Delay, Speak Today!

I talk to veterinary practice managers and owners daily who have difficult conversations that need to take place, but don't. Why? Because conflict is hard and uncomfortable. We are an industry of caring people and we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings; we also don't want them to quit because hiring qualified candidates feels impossible sometimes!

Here's the thing, delaying only makes things worse! It's unfair to the person with whom you need to speak because they deserve to know that they are not meeting expectations and, with some exceptions, deserve the opportunity to correct what needs fixing. It also stinks for other employees who are forced to tolerate and compensate for an under-performing or toxic employee.

Have the talk today and remember these three things:

1.) Only talk about the person's behavior (not their personality).

2.) Use "I" statements ("I think", "I feel", "I've seen").

3.) Perception is reality. So if five out of five people think you are a poor communicator and difficult to approach, then it is so. Help the person you are providing feedback to understand that regardless of how they intend to come across, or behave, if the team is seeing and experiencing something different, change needs to take place.

You will feel a sense of relief once the conversation has taken place and your team will thank you!