Congratulations on your decision to proceed with this bespoke Training Program offering that has been tailored specifically to align with the needs of VetEnt and comprises the suite of Lincoln Programs as detailed below.
Background
VetEnt is seeking a leadership training solution for its’ nineteen veterinary practices and warehouse facility team members. The objective is to create a culture where every team member can thrive and innovate in order to manage and sustain growth across VetEnt.
The Lincoln Institute teaches personal, interpersonal, and team-based leadership skills to all levels of management in the veterinary industry. Although Lincoln is now teaching in 27 countries and its’ pre-recorded training has been translated into 4 foreign languages, for the last ten years, its’ focus and in-depth understanding has been in Australia and New Zealand.
This proposal sets out a training structure that will deliver on a leadership D&A of accountability, innovation, and growth – the 3 pillars as described by VetEnt in our introductory call.
Assumptions
- Leadership training should be developed from the top down so that the most senior team members are able to lead a cultural change. This means that they should undergo training at least in conjunction with, or preferably ahead of any more junior leaders.
- The hardest level of leadership is anyone leading others for the first time. This is not because they have no prior experience, it is because for the first time, they need to set aside the notion that their ‘output’ (doing the actual work) is their most valuable contribution – instead it is the effectiveness of their team. Very few junior leaders make this transition and so end up ‘jumping back in’ when they feel their team is not up to speed.
- Every member of the team should understand a common language around leadership.
- The learning cycle comprises 10% classroom learning, 20% reflection and 70% on the application and learning (on the job learning). Most leadership training is unsuccessful in making a cultural shift because the ‘tips and tricks’ approach to learning leadership is easily forgotten and has no focus on application.
- VetEnt comprises nineteen individual practices and one warehouse facility across the North and South Islands of NZ.
- The nine senior leaders (including three Regional Managers) are responsible for developing the Branch Support Leads and the Clinic Leadership Teams (if not already, ideally).
- The Branch Support Leads and the Clinic Leadership Teams are responsible for their own team development.
Analysis
The three Regional Managers have a heavy operational load across the practices and are pivotal to consistent messaging through VetEnt across all Clinic Lead roles, as there is no direct reporting line other than through the COO (as shown on the chart). The COO is therefore the key link between any executive level decisions and operations.
Given the current shortage of vets and nurses, the People and Culture Manager will need regular access to pipeline developments at a clinical level – most likely through the Recruitment Lead role to Clinic Coordinators. The extent to which these two roles collaborate will be pivotal to the success of VetEnt’s growth.
Whilst it makes sense to create Branch Support functions (Marketing, IT, Stock, HR, Research and Innovation and the CA/LA business streams), it requires sound communication between the Branch Support Leads and Clinic Coordinators. Without this, silos develop, and trust breaks down as Branch Support functions look to centralising their efforts and individual clinics feel that the ‘service’ is not bespoke to their needs. Trust is quickly eroded, and teams begin to look for further evidence of a lack of individual clinic understanding. Training in leadership together is both bonding and provides the scope to explore any day-to-day challenges throughout the leadership training cycle (first 10%).
The Branch Support Teams and Wider Clinic Teams will look to their respective leadership and want to understand their perspective, as their skills are applied more broadly across the entire team. They also are inspired by having a sense of growth and development – however their training needs to be highly leveraged, given the numbers and potentially higher level of attrition.
Finally, training should provide for adequate discussion at each level of management. There is little to be gained from putting junior team members in with senior leaders when wanting to ‘unpack’ key issues. As such, this proposal suggests three tiers of training:
Proposed Training Summary
Tier 1 – Senior Leadership – nine delegates
Bespoke Lead to Succeed program comprising off-site training days and group coaching
Tier 2 – Branch Support Leads and Clinic Leadership Teams
- Branch Support Leads, Clinic Coordinators and Lead Nurses – Bespoke Chrysalis followed by Emerging Leaders
- Veterinarians & Veterinary Technicians – Leading Edge
Tier 3 – Branch Support Teams and Wider Clinic Teams
Emerging Leaders, post Tier 2 Chrysalis
Program Breakdown
Tier 1 – Senior Leadership
The senior leadership team will benefit from 4 x 6 monthly semesters in line with the structure of the Lead to Succeed program. Using this program as a basis for learning will remove the need for a major design fee and the structure has been changing lives in the veterinary industry for over ten years. The two-year time frame is sufficient for reflection and on-the-job upskilling across this group.
The leadership skills and discussion for this group will be significantly different to that of the rest of VetEnt and so should not be combined with the training conducted for more junior leaders.
Program Outcomes:
- Gaining insight into one’s own level of emotional intelligence and how developing this will improve self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, and resilience.
- Learning how to successfully leverage one-on-one and team interactions through enhanced communication and negotiation skills.
- Improved delegation skills and being able to hold people accountable.
- More effective decision-making including a decision-making process.
- The skill to take a team from its’ beginnings to one that is high performing.
- Building leadership redundancy, enabling greater flexibility and pipeline control.
- Improved capacity to recruit well and to identify talent within existing teams.
- Improved capacity to plan and lead change.
- Highly targeted ongoing coaching provides support through the application of the training.
Program Structure: Each semester commences with a two day off-site training where delegates are upskilled in leadership within a facilitated environment, drawing on VetEnt case studies and circumstances that resonate with the delegates.
This proposal recommends that the senior leadership team be split into two separate groups for coaching and these sessions last for 60-90 minutes per month, in the months when there is no off-site training event.
There will be the option to extend into a third year (not included in this submission) focussing on business growth and profitability. This can be discussed at a later date.
Workload: Two days off-site (every six months) and 10 x 60-90 minutes monthly coaching sessions throughout the year
Investment: The senior leadership group is $2,100 per month for 24 months. This equates to $233 per month per delegate.
Tier 2 (a) – Branch Support Leads, Clinic Coordinators and Lead Nurses
It is proposed to fast track this leadership team through Lincoln’s Chrysalis program. Chrysalis is a 3.5-day immersive residential program designed to ‘shift’ the culture quickly by upskilling them with the primary (22) leadership principles that will enable them to effectively lead their frontline teams.
Chrysalis particularly focusses on the complexity of leading ‘for the first time’ and is ideally suited to more junior leaders and high potential talent.
Program Outcomes:
- Gaining insight into one’s own level of emotional intelligence and how developing this will improve self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, and resilience.
- Learning how to develop one-on-one and team interactions through enhanced communication including how to ‘lead’ team members who are ‘almost’ piers.
- What it means to be personally accountable and how to hold other people accountable.
- How to delegate in a busy environment.
- More effective decision-making, including a decision-making process.
- The necessary contribution of a junior leader to a high performing team.
- Improved capacity to recruit well and to identify talent within existing teams.
- Improved capacity to plan and lead change.
- Highly targeted ongoing coaching provides support through the application of newly acquired skills and the Emerging Leaders program*.
*It is proposed that this group would then roll into Emerging Leaders – a twenty four month in-clinic development program comprising a series of short videos and exercises each month, designed to be watched together as a team (1 hour per month).
Workload: 3.5 day residential (allow 4 days) followed by 3x monthly group coaching sessions (60 minutes) to follow-up on skills application and support the rollout of Emerging Leaders.
Investment: The Chrysalis course is offered at a reduced pricing of $669 per delegate (based on 56 delegates taking part) which includes 4 days and 3 nights training along with 3 months of group coaching. *This compares to Lincoln’s standard pricing of $4095 per person, $2495 for 2 and $2095 for 3+ delegates*
- Noting that this is a residential course, VetEnt would be required to cover travel, accommodation and breakfast for the delegates.
Tier 2 (b) – Lead Vets & Techs
It is proposed that this cohort commences Leading Edge. This program is a subscription program, meaning that delegates accumulate a library of content that remains accessible whilst ever their subscription is active.
The program is directly aimed at clinical roles where delegates benefit from the non-technical competencies that underpin commercial productivity and professional fulfilment/longevity. All concepts are presented within a clinical context aligned with Lincoln’s leadership framework. For example, the psychometric profiling looks not only at relationships within the team but also in the consult room with clients. This program is delivered online, weekly and can be done entirely independently or watched independently or together and then centrally debriefed to share key learnings.
Workload: 20 minutes per week to watch the video and then any further debriefing time that can be determined by the VetEnt.
Investment: The Leading Edge program is $249 per month for 5 licences. Rather than being constrained by a number of fixed licences, the investment is $49 per month per delegate.
Tier 3 – Branch Support Teams and Wider Clinic Teams
On completion of the Chrysalis program, Tier 2 (a) leaders would lead the Emerging Leaders program across VetEnt.
This program is a subscription program meaning that delegates accumulate a library of content that remains accessible whilst ever the delegates subscription is active. Emerging Leaders comprises twenty four leadership topics over two years (one per month) and provides every team member with a common language and skill set to help them navigate their own personal concerns (resilience, motivation, self- regulation etc), how they relate to others (building trust, communication etc) and team-based skills.
Each month, delegates will receive a link to a series of 4 x 5-minute ‘challenge videos’ followed by 10 to 15-minutes of discussion points that encourage the team (practice level) to think about the content just presented in the video and talk about its specific application to their practice context.
Workload: Sixty minutes per month (the videos have been designed to provide maximum flexibility and so the team could focus on only 1 video for the month – so 20 minute commitment.)
Investment: The Emerging Leaders program is $497 per month for 30 licences. Rather than being constrained by a number of fixed licences, the investment is $17 per month per delegate.
Online Support
GROW
Lincoln’s HR support centre is located within Lincoln’s Education Hub. You receive free access to this powerful resource centre which includes amongst other things, templated manuals and procedures from 3 of Australia’s most successful veterinary practices. GROW was developed to support veterinary practices that don’t necessarily have access to the latest in best practice HR support.
Lincoln HUB
Lincoln’s online portal comprises GROW as well as access to all of the resources described in this proposal. This includes:
Ongoing access to the Leading Edge video suite (104) throughout the training and then whilst ever you maintain your monthly subscription.
Ongoing access to Emerging Leaders (throughout the training and then whilst ever you maintain your monthly subscription)
Terms and Conditions
This proposal is for all training to commence in month 1 with the exception of Tier 3, which is proposed to start in month 2, following Chyrsalis.
For ease in billing and to provide for cashflow, the programs are ammortised over 2 x 12 month payment cycles (as set out in the attachment).
Payment Terms
Payment is via Direct Debit from a nominated credit card. For tiers 1, 2 and 3 invoices will be issued on the 1st of each month, for payment due and processed on the 14th of that month. For tier 2b, the payment cycle will commence once all student details are received and enrolled into the Leading Edge Program. Please note a 3.025% surcharge applies for AMEX transactions. This is a direct pass-through of costs from the credit card company. Visa and MasterCard will not incur any surcharge.
Cancellation Terms
Tier 1
Despite the heavy ‘upfront’ component of the Tier 1 training (2 day workshop), Lincoln Institute amortises the Tier 1 cost of each semester over 6 equal monthly instalments.
If VetEnt should wish to exit the Tier 1 mid semester after the live 2-day training event has been delivered, the remaining monthly component of the current Semester Program will need to be paid in full.
Tier 2a
The Chrysalis program is amortised over 12 equal monthly instalments. If VetEnt should wish to exit this Agreement within this 12 mth period, any outstanding payments for Chrysalis would need to be paid in full.
Tier 2b and Tier 3
These are monthly subscription payments that can be cancelled without penalty, however we do require a notice period of two weeks prior to your next billing date before the cancellation will be actioned. *Please note that access to the accrued library of content and modules will cease upon cancellation*
Click here for Annexure 1: Summary of Investment Breakdown Year 1 and Year 2 of the Program
Please click here to agree to the terms and conditions and finalise registration