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Detailed Curriculum Breakdown Part A: Patient Advocacy Success |
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Patient Advocacy is a Skill Worth Developing – Part 1 Description In order to lead a fulfilling and long-lasting career as a veterinarian and be able to enjoy the job that all vets set out to do in the first-place, effective patient advocacy is an important skill to develop. Being an effective patient advocate may be more challenging than it first appears. There are some common issues that often get in the way of vets being an effective patient advocate at every consultation or health exam they perform. For example, a consulting veterinarian may only make one or two recommendations having identified half a dozen issues that need addressing for their patient. Veterinarians frequently identify that the part of their job they least enjoy is talking to their clients about money. In this week’s module, a veterinarian’s mindset of the value placed on money is explored; specifically, how this can impact upon the effectiveness of this type of communication in three ways. Strategies for promoting a veterinarian’s sense of value for the services they provide for their patients are presented along with five practical solutionstoensurethateverypatientexamined receives the care they deserve. If a veterinarian is successful at building rapport and is able to gain their client’s trust, it will be far easier for them to guide their client to say yes to their ethical recommendations and have the client feel confident in their decision. The ability to build trust and rapport will make a veterinarian’s job easier and more fulfilling, allowing them to proceed with the patient needs as identified. Training Outcomes Develop a deep understanding of the three key reasons that a clinician may avoid making thorough ethical recommendations so that they can consciously ensure they are doing the best by their patient in every consultation. Participants will learn two strategies to allow them to confidently communicate clinical examination findings and present treatment or diagnostic plan recommendations to their client. Participants will have an awareness of how their individual values placed on money can impact upon decision-making and patient recommendations. Strategies will be learnt to ensure the client is given the opportunity to choose what they can afford or want to spend in relation to veterinary care, rather than having the veterinarian make assumptions or judgements for them. The outcome will be a greater opportunity for patient care to be in line with best practice ideals. Have a clear understanding of the importance of building a close and harmonious relationship with clients, through which the client will feel that they are heard, acknowledged, and understood. Participants will learn the four key factors that either build or erode trust and will have a thorough understanding of what is within/ outside of their control. Six specific rapport building techniques will be learnt which, upon implementation, will be highly effective at building trust with their client through developing rapport and likability.  Patient Advocacy is a Skill Worth Developing – Part 2 Building Rapport and Trust in the Consulting Room |
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Description Who You Need to Be Interpersonal skills are further developed in this module with the exploration of two important principles. Firstly; building on the earlier topic Training Outcomes Participants will have a sound awareness of the importance and impact of their communication style and will understand the five key attributes of the importance of trust, and secondly; the that will create the good impression so that |
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The Four Key Client Objections concept of non-verbal communication style. Two veterinarians might use exactly the same words when communicating with a client and yet they will experience two completely different outcomes; the only difference being the intangibles. A large part of communication is not about the words that are being said, but the way in which they are being said. Having a sound understanding of potential objections a client may have to clinical recommendations is a crucial tool for a veterinarian. If a veterinarian is able to handle their client’s concerns with ease and grace using verbal tools, they can predict that there will be a significant opportunity to proceed in guiding them to the optimal outcome for the patient. Moreover, having the ability to identify what the client’s objection relates to will enable the veterinarian to adapt their communication style to reduce the opportunity for the same objection to be raised as an ongoing pattern. As a result, the veterinarian will become more capable over time at being an effective patient advocate. It takes a high level of self-confidence for a veterinarian to ask a client for their approval and to then hold the space whilst waiting for their response. There is an elegant process to achieve this which is easy and results-driven. Attaining this approval from clients will, in turn, create a fulfilling experience for the veterinarian and make their job more enjoyable. In the long term this will motivate them and nurture a sense of purpose – something which is paramount for high engagement throughout their career. they have a high probability of their language being well received by their client. The result is that the client will be much more open to the influence of the veterinarian’s recommendations, ultimately leading to a successful outcome for the patient. Participants will have an understanding of the four key objection categories that a client may raise when a treatment or diagnostic plan is presented by a veterinarian. Further to this the participant will have a sound knowledge of how to discover which category an objection fits into and have a range of strategies to work through the client’s objection, leading to an optimized outcome for the delivery of care to their patient. A veterinarian can also utilise the concepts presented in this module to identify where they may have gone wrong during a consultation that led to a procedure being declined, so that they can modify their approach in future client interactions. As a result, a greater chance of a positive patient outcome is achieved. Relationship-centred care is built on decision- making partnerships between vet and client. In this module, participants will gain appreciation for how people make decisions, allowing them to effectively frame up their recommendations in a highly compelling way. Participants will have an understanding of how to transition the client conversation to decision-making time and present clinical recommendations in a way that is most likely to result in client approval. This is achieved by developing a sound understanding and utilising four key strategies to successfully lead someone to a desired and predetermined outcome. How to Present
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Description Training Outcomes How to Add Value to Your It is a challenge for veterinarians to feel In this module, participants will learn six effective Treatment Plan confident discussing the financial aspects strategies to ensure their client appreciates the of care with their clients. Veterinary care is value proposition of their service offering at expensive. the cost being presented; the result being an |
Handling Client Objections to Your Recommendations Having said that, it represents incredibly good value for money considering the level of expertise and training vets must go through as well as the amount of expensive equipment and the high running costs of veterinary facilities. Historically veterinarians have found it a challenge to clearly articulate the value that their service represents to their client. As a result, vets have a reputation of being “too expensive”. This module provides training on how to articulate the level of value provided in the veterinarian’s recommendation in order for the client to see value for money at the price of the service, rather than it being perceived as just expensive. In an earlier module we identified the four key objection categories that a veterinary client is likely to articulate when a clinical recommendation is presented. That module provided a framework for how to avoid the objections altogether, via structuring their recommendations in an effective way. In this module we delve deeper, dissecting further strategies for dealing with client objection and what the objections are really about. We also learn how to move through these objections with confidence whilst conveying respect for the client and ensuring the decision-making partnership is maintained. It is often a great challenge experienced by many veterinarians to request approval from their client and then feel confident in proceeding even after the client has committed to the action-plan. When veterinarians reach the ‘commitment’ stage, it is very common for them to stop short. A veterinarian’s job is to ethically and morally lead their client to a decision that is based on what their patient needs, but also in alignment with what their client wants. The vet’s job is not complete until the client is satisfied in this regard. increased likelihood that the client will approve the recommendation, a reduced likelihood of future procedure bookings being cancelled, and an overall uplift of a positive image of the pricing of veterinarians by the general public. Participants will, as a result of this, be more confident in their ability to educate the client on the value proposition within a treatment plan presentation at the price point offered, i.e. the client will appreciate why the price is what it is. Participants will gain an understanding of how to move forward when a client raises the three key indicators of financial constraint, procrastination, and the need to defer decision- making to a third party that is not present at the consultation. By adopting the strategies in this module, it will still be highly likely that the veterinarian’s clinical recommendations will be approved without risk of eroding trust within the vet- client partnership. The successful execution of these strategies will ultimately boost resilience and be of strong motivation throughout this process. Participants will gain a sound understanding of the twelve steps of thought-processing a client will go through when asked to commit to a clinical next step. A thorough understanding of the decision- making funnel and deflating balloon concept will be understood, enabling participants to confidently lead their client to commit to their treatment recommendation. Mastery of this skill will lead to participants enjoying sustainable engagement with their work leading to a long, happy and successful career in veterinary medicine. Leading Your Client to a Decision
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Part B: Tips That Will Change Your Career
The Importance of Valuing Yourself
Description
This is the first in a three-part series of modules exploring Self Worth and its importance in achieving a long and fulfilling career.
It is a truth well-recognised that poor self-worth is a major issue in the veterinary profession.
This reality negatively impacts patient outcomes, client satisfaction, professional fulfillment for clinicians, and ultimately, the fortunes of the industry. This module focuses on how this mindset, and the risks associated, plays out in practice.
In this second module, in a three-part series on Self Worth, we explore the way a healthier mindset can play a critical role in avoiding the pitfalls we covered in The Importance of Valuing Yourself; specifically, our tendency as professionals undervalue ourselves.
Students will gain an understanding of how successful patient advocacy is a skill that can be developed and how valuing oneself as a professional actually ties strongly with this.
This final module in the three-part series on Self Worth, we explain where this self- deprecating mindset comes from and why low self-worth can afflict some veterinarians more so than others. We learn about simple strategies to overcome this mindset and explore existing evidence regarding the crux of what is important to clients. Students will also be made aware of key traps to watch out for in terms of effectively valuing oneself, and ways in which to avoid them.
In this module we delve deeper into understanding what a client really wants and explore the fact that perception of value is far more important than the cost of the service provided.
Students will gain a clearer understanding of how clients quantify the quality of their veterinary service. We also explore how communication in the consulting room places heavy value perception as well as simple strategies to leverage this.
Training Outcomes
The student will have strong awareness of where low self-worth impacts their results professionally, as well as a clear understanding of further potential adverse impacts of this mindset and its manifestations.
Students will become more self-aware of their own mindset towards their professional work and how this is playing into their results. A vision of this better way of practicing and avoiding risks will motivate them to provide the best value for veterinary service.
Participants will understand exactly how a clinician can leverage high self-worth and a deeper sense of purpose to produce better results for themselves professionally, as well as for their patients and clients.
By way of a simple shift in mindset, student’s motivation in practice will lift significantly and their professional competence as a patient advocate will improve. Students will achieve an increase in communication competency with clients around financial aspects of care.
Students will gain greater clarity about how a strong connection to a deeper sense of purpose is key in developing the skill of successful patient advocacy.
Students will learn a simple process which can be implemented as a tool to re-evaluate their own self-worth, subsequently rendering them less susceptible to future mindset traps. A stronger connection with their “why” will improve energy, enthusiasm and passion for their work.
Students will gain a clear understanding of the key areas of importance to clients when it comes to perception of value.
Students will learn broad strategies to apply to more effectively meet their clients’ needs, improving compliance by shifting the focus onto the value of the service which the veterinarianprovides/recommends.
Understanding what clients really want will result in increased self-confidence and intrinsic motivation.
The Power of Your ‘Why’
Staying on Track with Your Self-worth
Perception of Value is Everything
How to Add Value in the Consulting Room Description This module teaches strategies to create a high value experience for clients during the course of a consultation. Training Outcomes The principles explained in this module, when applied in practice will lead to higher levels of client satisfaction, more success in compliance to treatment recommendations and rapid |
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How to Add Value in the Hospital Free Yourself with Great Estimates We will explore a value perception concept called the ‘Three Minute Rule’ and look at some simple strategies beyond those broad client communication tips we’ve already covered that have been proven to easily and quickly add to pet owners’ value perception in a consultation with veterinarians. In this Leading Edge module, we look at how to add to client’s perception of value when providing care. We explore the broader concept of ‘making the invisible, visible’ as well as some specific strategies to add to the perceived value of the medical care veterinarians provide to patients admitted to their practice for medical treatment, investigations, and surgery. In this module we explore the fundamental reason veterinarians can so easily get the process of estimating wrong and we will look at main ways in which poor estimating technique can adversely affect patients, clients and the clinicians themselves. We will share a smarter, ‘tried and tested’ approach to estimating, that can fundamentally change students’ experience in providing medical treatment, surgery and investigations for their patients. We also teach a great way to minimise difficult interactions associated with cost blowouts. In this module, we will explore the concept of social styles in the context of a veterinarian’s interactions with their team; specifically, the fact that one can have a natural affinity with and heightened influence over certain personalities in their team, and with others, quite the opposite. We delve into the incredibly powerful way students can use their understanding of social styles to get more from the veterinary team they work alongside via increased effective communication and feedback as well as more effectively motivating and delegating tasks to them. establishment of trust and rapport. Clinicians will typically experience more professional fulfillment with a focus on communications on quality of care and strong rapport rather than on expense. Implementation of these strategies will ensure clients truly appreciate the full value of the work behind treating the patients. It will result in satisfied clients, an increase in compliance, and less complaints about the cost of medical care. These strategies are the key to an increase in student’s own professional success and confidence. Communication around finances becomes easier with a focus on value. Students will gain competence in several applicable steps which ensure estimates are realistic, flexible and inclusive. They will also learn communication strategies that will ensure the financial aspect of case management is more seamless and less stressful. Mastering better estimates will lead to less compromising of care with in-patients and happier clients; minimising stress whilst maximising professional satisfaction for the clinician. Students will experience more confidence in discussing finances with clients. Participants will improve professional interactions, teamwork and collaboration by learning the ability to adapt their own natural social style to get the most out of relationships withtheircolleagues. They will also learn to build resilience and self-regulation in challenging interactions with teammates by understanding how social styles drive certain behaviours. Better delegation and motivation of the support team around veterinarians reduce stress and permit flexibility within a typically unpredictable and demanding workload. Social Styles and Your Team
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Description Manage Your Time – This module is all about the techniques that Training Outcomes The outcome for students will be heightened ability to get more of their daily tasks and goals achieved in a given timeframe. Everyone Wins veterinarians implement to improve their efficiency and productivity. |
Standards of Care and What You Really Need to Know In this module, we will explore specifically how improved efficiency can result in benefits such as better patient outcomes, happier clients, increased team cohesion, and better work-life balance. We will then explore why time-management is a typical challenge for the veterinarian and explain some specific tips and strategies that clinicians can quickly and easily apply to fundamentally impact the achievement of their goals in practice, as well as career satisfaction and longevity. A standardised approach to patient care is the benchmark of any veterinary practice passionate about excellence in patient care. In this module we’ll learn that Standards of Care done well are typically a thought through, team-based approach to handling preventative medicine and disease. We cover the extensive benefits they bring beyond improve clinical outcomes and limiting errors and explain a collaborative approach to creating standards of care that truly have a positive impact. In this module we delve into this often ignored butcriticallyimportantethicalresponsibilityfor veterinary surgeons, called Self-care. Students will gain a better understanding of the difference between burnout, compassion fatigue and depression and how these may look and feel, should such experiences start to develop in the course of their career. We will examine ways to manage burnout and spend time exploring a range of strategies that can be used to help prevent and even treat compassion fatigue. This will result in more satisfied clients, better patient outcomes and more collaborative and supportive relationships with team mates. It will also reduce the clinician’s stress, improve job satisfaction and promote wellbeing by freeing much needed time for things like following-up cases and patient histories, completing additional tasks, and even taking a well-earned lunch break – not to mention improving the likelihood of getting away on time at the end of the day. Students will achieve a sense of control and adaptability in a typically turbulent environment. The ability to create and implement a standard of care system will lead to a consistent client message, better patient outcomes and a happy and happier more cohesive team. For the clinician it will serve as an excellent guide for problem solving and decision-making, providing confidence in more effectively articulating treatment plans with clients. Students will be confident in producing a Standards of Care in a way where the whole team are motivated to remain aligned to them. Participants will gain more self-awareness of what kinds of stressors exist in their professional environment which can contribute to compassion fatigue and burnout, as well as what the syndromes may look and feel like. Students that implement the management strategies detailed will be better positioned to maintain sustainable levels of energy, motivation and commitment in their careers. They will become more self-aware of their own emotional responses and better equipped to deal with pressure and challenges faced. Self – care and a Long Happy Career
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Part C: How to Master Your Clients
Don’t Meet Your Client’s Expectations – Exceed Them
It’s Not Just the Words You Speak…
Description
In this module we look at how delivering the unexpected is the key to making a positive impression in customer service.
We will look at what this means for a veterinary professional, including benefits it can bring when it comes to achieving their purpose and that of the team around them.
Students will learn tried-and-tested strategies to exceed expectations that will assist in client retention.
Over 93% of communication comes from things other than the words we say.
This module teaches the fundamentals of how to understand body language and how to use it to create more effective interactions with clients and colleagues.
Students will learn the fundamental ways in which non-verbal communication can be used to positively influence those the clinician communicates with, and how to better deliver a message by ensuring verbal communication and non-verbal cues are congruent.
Whether a student has a way with words already or it’s an area they know they need to develop, through this module, participants will understand the full benefits of masterful verbal communication as a veterinarian.
Students will learn a series of techniques and strategies that the veterinarian can implement easily to give their words a whole new level of impact, particularly when it comes to building trust and rapport, history taking and making treatment recommendations more effectively.
Training Outcomes
This module will provide a framework to ensure every client experience is highly satisfying in relation to service delivery.
Clinicians will directly experience greater compliance in future interactions through the skills they learn.
They will develop the confidence to differentiate themselves on service delivery as opposed to winning clients over by focusing on providing the cheapest care.
Students will learn skills in this module, allowing them to read body language and assist with active listening in client/colleague interactions.
In consultations they use their own body language to be more effective in building rapport and trust, adapting their approach to suit a client’s personality or emotional state.
This will lead to more fulfilling professional interactions, higher levels of compliance to treatment recommendations and ultimately more professional satisfaction.
This training will enable the clinician to rapidly build trust and likeability in face to face client interactions as well as telephone communications.
These skills will improve professional fulfillment by ensuring veterinarians experience more success in compliance with their treatment recommendations for patients.
More effective communication will also support the clinician’s ability to develop fulfilling professional relationships where the client feels more of a valued partner in the decision- making process.
A More Powerful Way, With Words
Social Styles and Your Clients Description Training Outcomes We reflect on the concept of Social Styles in Students gain a leading edge when it comes this module as well, but this time specifically to understanding, communicating with, and how it applies to a clinician’s interactions with positively influencing clients through social clients. styles. |
The Power of Building A Fan Base Master Your Time and Your Client’s Experience Participants will learn how to make a quick, and reasonably accurate determination as to what a client’s social style might be and then how to adapt their communication in order have their message received more effectively. Participants will learn how to adjust it in a way which helps build trust and likeability rapidly; one of the secret weapons of achieving better patient outcomes. In this module we delve into the reasons why a building solid fan base can make their career more enjoyable and professionally satisfying and how it leads to better outcomes for the patients a clinician is caring for. As we explore what drives client retention, we’ll give students some simple steps and techniques that they can deploy to rapidly build and maintain a solid following of fans, i.e. trusting repeat clients. In this module we explore the critical relationship between a veterinarian’s time management and a client’s experience with them. In particular, Students will discover what a client’s patience threshold is, and how an excessive wait can adversely impact them; the support team; and the practice. We provide strategies for taking control of time during consultancy and share three top tips for handling one of the most important balancing acts: staying on time in consults while still making a client feel important and ensuring all of their concerns are being met. They will experience more enjoyable and beneficial professional interactions with clients by tailoring their communication to best suit them. The skill of assessing social styles quickly and adapting communication will also be beneficial in their personal interactions outside of work. A better understanding will also help support the veterinarian’s self-confidence and resilience when a client’s behaviour is challenging. Students will learn some key tips and tricks for developing a raving fan base and will gain a clear understanding of the benefits that can flow from this. Through implementation of this simple approach, clinicians will experience more professional fulfillment by nurturing relationship-based veterinary care in which the high levels of trust overcome many reservations about the expense of recommended care. Participants in this training module will gain clarity on key action steps to take control of their time when it comes to interactions that involve clients. They will experience more of a sense of control and less anxiety through effectively performing their responsibilities in a given time frame. Additionally, client relationships and patient outcomes will improve when excessive waiting time is avoided. Clinician’s will master the art of staying flexible in time-sensitive scenarios, while ensuring an excellent client experience is preserved. |
Handling Emotional and Angry Clients Description Training Outcomes Handling emotional and angry clients well is The outcome will be a clinician that is confident not something that comes naturally to most in defusing highly charged and emotional veterinarians but is nonetheless something situations more easily and with more resilience they are faced with managing on an almost to the impacts from the emotional state of the |
Steps to Better Phone Technique daily basis. In this module we will give students a clearer understanding of why learning to master this area can be not only beneficial to the clinician, but also their clients and the practice they work in. We share a step by step process that will significantly improve not only resilience when it comes to dealing with angry clients but also clinicians’ ability to defuse their anger quickly and effectively and potentially to build their trust again. A surprising proportion of client interactions for veterinarians occur over the telephone. While considerable communication training on face to face conversations exists, phone technique is so often neglected. This is despite effective telephone communication being essential to veterinarians for providing patient updates, requesting decisions and handling general phone enquiries. In this module we will teach students key strategies, uniquely tailored to mastering telephone communications. client. These skills will apply to situations where the client’s expectations in patient care or customer service have not been met or situations where finances have become an emotional trigger. These skills will support resilience and reduce compassion fatigue as well as the likelihood of a complaint or concern being escalated. The chances of producing a desired outcome for the patient will also improve for the clinician. Vets will have the skills and knowledge to carry out interactions via the telephone much more effectively which will result in better patient outcomes, less errors and a superior client experience. They will become proficient at building rapport without the benefit of nonverbal cues and will have more confidence in delivering bad news and discussing the financial aspects of patient care. They will also manage their time more efficiently by more easily identifying opportunities to leverage telephone communication. |
Part D: Communication
Want the Right Answer? Ask the Right Questions.
Description
The quality of our connection with our team and our ability to do the job well is often distilled down to the quality of the questions that we ask.
This module explores the expansive range of benefits to veterinarians that lie in better questioning skills.
We teach the different types of questions that we can apply to different circumstances, how to ask these questions with greater impact and how to use questioning for both rapport building and consult room mastery.
This module is about developing effective listening skills.
One of the biggest challenges to listening is that people think up to 4 times faster than they speak. This means that whilst someone is talking, it’s easy for the mind to stray and start thinking about something else.
In leadership, one of the many benefits of listening is evoking in the person talking, a sense of self-worth and a feeling that what they have to say is actually ‘worth’ listening to.
An environment where people take the time to listen to others is a more trusting and engaging one as it encourages openness with others.
This module is about the communication of expectations.
The reality is that people often don’t meet workplace expectations because they were not set clearly enough in the first place. Setting clear expectations well, whilst being respectful, is an important skill and a challenge to get right, without risk of micromanagement or leaving team members without the feeling of being patronised.
This module provides a framework to set expectations in a way that will be motivational, can provide for recognition and will increase accountability across the team.
The module content focuses not only on technical outputs but also on setting behavioural expectations for the team.
Training Outcomes
Students understand the power of great questions and how to ask them to achieve better results in a practice setting.
Efficacy as a veterinarian will improve through a more efficient consultation process with clients as well an increased likelihood of owner compliance to treatment recommendations.
Clinicians will achieve more effective and rewarding relationships with clients, the team they work with and in their personal lives.
Participants will gain a deep understanding of why the majority of people never really master the art of listening effectively.
In addition to learning the five major benefits of effective listening, participants will learn how to utilise a listening skill framework strategy that is simple and enjoyable to implement.
When utilised, effective listening will be beneficial not only in their career as a veterinarian, but also in their personal life too. The outcome will be improved self-confidence, for both the listener and those being effectively listened to.
Participants will learn how to set expectations in various circumstances utilizing a range of practical expectation setting tips.
They will have an understanding of the importance of clear expectation setting in building strong relationships and getting things done with work colleagues to achieve optimal results for each other, patients and clients.
Participants will also gain an awareness and understanding of seven key resources that will aid them in gaining a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
Shut Up and Listen!
Telling Them What You Need, Without the Stress
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Description From Little Things Big In this module we look at just why providing Training Outcomes Students learn the power of this as a tool for rapport building and driving a general sense of positivity throughout the practice. Things Grow recognition to the team students work with is so important in their work as a veterinarian. |
Tell Them What You Really Think! We explain the importance of creating subtle moments that matter to building high levels of trust, as well as the importance of recognising students’ work colleagues’ strengths. Students will gain an understanding of the two levels of recognition that can be provided and the specific effect it can have, and we provide strategies on exactly how to provide recognition in a way that results in optimal impact. Providing effective feedback to others is an essential skill to promote trust and cohesion in veterinary teams. We will explore why providing negative feedback to colleagues is often avoided or poorly-executed. Students will also be shown why providing more effective feedback, even when conversations are difficult, can contribute to a more enjoyable and high-performing workplace. We provide a feedback framework to make sure these conversations are easy and effective. This module is all about influential communicationthatproducesdesiredactionin clients and colleagues while ensuring a positive experience is positive for all, maintaining a high level of engagement and accountability in the process. We talk about four different styles of communication in this module and why not every situation where a veterinarian is communicating a need with someone is a case for Coaching. Students will learn to modify their communication style, depending on key criteria, so that the recipient is held in high regard as well as ensuring results from them. Implementation of these strategies will lead to more enjoyable professional relationships and career satisfaction. Importantly, providing more effective recognition will help raise trust levels between the clinician and their support staff and veterinary colleagues which is essential to better collaboration and teamwork. Mastering recognition will also help intrinsically motivate individuals this tool is provided to. This module is empowering for veterinarians, whose success relies heavily on strong relationships with the team around them. Students will be able to break-down a feedback conversation with a team member so that it is delivered and received with ease. Improving trust and cohesion with colleagues and promoting a culture of openness in the workplace will produce more professional satisfaction and less stress for the practicing clinician. Students will understand the power of effective communication and which style to adopt depending on the capability level of the other person. Throughout the course of their career, students will experience increased effectiveness in their role and manage their time more effectively by improving their ability to delegate tasks to support staff and clients. Relationships will be strengthened as the process of this adaptive communication supports the development of supporting teammates around the clinician and their engagement levels and commitment in the work they do. Communication Chameleon |
Coach Your Team to Win – Part 1 Description This module is about how to coach others and be coached. Training Outcomes Participants will gain a clear understanding of what coaching is, the distinction between Coaching and Mentoring and why it is such Thisisoneofthemostpowerfulcommunication a powerful strategy to make life in practice |
Coach Your Team to Win – Part 2 tools ever used by people in and out of veterinary practice. The ability to adapt to a coaching style promotes problem solving and will increase engagement throughdevelopingself-confidenceasaresult of working through a problem rather than being presented with the answer. This module builds on the concepts learnt from Coaching Part 1 by describing the real benefits of both coaching and being coached. A team that is comfortable and confident to coach each other will add value for their patient care, customer service and each other through developing their ability to problem-solve and collaborate. Coaching increases self-confidence where a team member may have the knowledge but is lacking in the confidence to utilise what they know. healthierandhappier. By applying some simple techniques and making some slight adjustments to communication style the outcome will be a more accountable, energized and resilient team. Participants obtain a structured approach to coaching that they can apply in informal and formal settings. Participants will gain an understanding of three key benefits of coaching. They will be introduced to a simple coaching equation model which demonstrates how the value proposition is increased through the transferral of “ownership”. Participants will gain a strong sense that coaching, as a form of communication, is very effective and will achieve an increased level of commitment, consequently fortifying workplace engagement. |
Part E: Personal Leadership
Surprise… You’re a Leader Now
Description
This module teaches three fundamental, easy to digest leadership principles.
The moment a veterinarian steps into practice for the first time, they become a leader in their own right.
Clients and support team members alike will look to them for guidance and support in many situations and contexts.
By virtue of a vet’s education and training, they are the expert in the room.
This module will help students develop the important ability for collaboration – being able to work with others towards a shared goal – whilst remaining amicable and personable with teammates.
This module is about personal accountability. A veterinary team of highly accountable people will get on well together, be capable of getting through a lot of work efficiently and effectively, have fun, yet also be able to challenge each other without anyone taking offense. Accountable people will own their mistakes and look at them as an opportunity to learn and grow in order to do better next time.
A team of accountable people will be reliable and through this will have a high level of trust in each other. When a whole team of people act this way, they are an incredible force.
Training Outcomes
Participants will gain an understanding of three, easy to digest leadership fundamentals.
They will learn how to engage more effectively with their entire team, appreciate why it is hard to step into a practice for the first time with all the authority by virtue of the vet qualification and yet have no sense of real power – and what to do about it.
How to communicate in a way that encourages team members to own their role and get on with things without needing to be micromanaged or for the veterinarian to feel like they are being bossy. The outcome being that they can fit into and support an effective veterinary team.
Participants will learn how to spot accountable and unaccountable behaviour in others and themselves.
They will be able to identify five types of language or behaviour that indicate an individual is not being personally accountable in any given situation.
Students will gain knowledge of how to help an individual (or themselves) become accountable again and will understand the four steps to solve a problem once personal accountability is established.
The outcome of cultivating an accountable team will be to create a positive workplace that is a joy to be a part of, thus sustaining engagement.
The student will understand the importance of playing their part in developing and maintaining a culture of accountability in their workplace and will attain the skill set to do so.
Playing Above the Line
Staying Cool in the Pressure Cooker Description Training Outcomes Self-regulation is an element of emotional Students understand the power of the self- intelligence so critical to a long and fulfilling regulationandhowtoachieveitwhenoperating career as a veterinarian. In this module we’ll look under pressure. |
Know Yourself Better to Be Better can have on a clinician’s own performance, health, relationships and the wellbeing of the team that support them. We’ll explore how one’s ability to delay gratificationandcontroltheirmood,despitethe circumstances, often results in an ultimately greater sense of success and satisfaction. Students will learn some key strategies to help them be better at self-regulating throughout the course of veterinary practice and their personal lives. This module is about self-awareness. Self- aware people have a greater chance of building stronger relationships, have a greater chance of developing trust, and are more likely to be an influencer in their professional role. The concept of “intended impact” not matching the “actual impact” – regarding daily interactions with others – is explored here. Whether it be a misinterpreted sideways glance, or what was thought to be a carefully thought through discussion with a colleague that comes out all wrong. An understanding of Self Awareness is at the heart of this mismatch and is a vital part of reflective self-evaluation. Time is in short supply for most veterinarians. Those that master time management ultimately experience better results and less stress as professionals. In this module we explore the fundamental skill of planning tremendous impact on time management as a veterinary surgeon. We share exactly what an effective planning process looks like for a clinician and students will discover how applying this strategy effectively and consistently can help them move from chaos to control throughout the course of their day. Self-awareness will improve and they learn to adapt to the challenging circumstances that so frequently occur in the course of their work, thereby increasing professional success. The strategies students implement will build their resilience, support self-care, and help ensure a sustainable level of motivation and enthusiasm within their role. Professional relationships with clients and colleagues will also benefit from the clinician’s heightened ability to control reactivity. Participants will gain an understanding of the key attributes of a self-aware person. They will learn some great strategies and techniques to improve their own self-awareness and will gain an appreciation of the concept of vulnerability and how this can play into not only their own but also the team’s ability to achieve high performance. This module is designed to help students think about Self Awareness in a way that will result in them developing and maintaining fortified relationships both at work and within their wider social network. Students will improve efficiency and become more adaptable by mastering prioritisation their work, based on those level of importance and urgency of tasks that are presented to them in the course of their day. Confidence will improve and stress will reduce as the clinician’s ability to deal with the unexpected components of their work increases. Workflow management will extend to the freeing-up of time to complete non-urgent tasks and clinician’s will be better able to manage a healthy balance of time reserved for self-care. Planning, To Master Time |
No Need for Knuckle Dusters… Description Training Outcomes This module is about Influencing skills. The student will learn a number of strategies The ability to influence others is a powerful that will enable them to effectively structure leadershipprinciple. their communication to create influence over their client’s decision-making whilst |
The Art of Bouncing Back In this module the focus is on how to ethically influence clients in the veterinary practice setting. This is a critical skill that is essential to ensuring that a veterinarian is able to be an effective patient advocate in order to convey to their client what they know to be in the best interest of their patient. When done well, the clinician will be confident that they are giving their patient the best chance of a good medical outcome. This module teaches veterinarians how to build their resilience to adverse situations that occur in the course of their career. Students will learn that that the pressure from stress is less about what happens to them and more about how they respond to the stress. They will learn how thoughts impact resilience and how we can positively impact their thoughts. We will explain the link between happiness and resilience and some techniques for improving general levels of happiness. This module is about Decision-making. It explains why decision-making as a process can be extremely challenging. The issue of procrastination, and the ways in which it manifests, is explored along with some fantastic strategies to avoid procrastinating during decision-making processes. Veterinary practice is all about decisions; something which is essential for both managing workflow and clinical problem solving. Becoming great at decision-making is the key to a happier more fulfilling career. maintaining empathy and respect. This will create a sense of being in control of positive patient outcomes, minimising the stress of veterinary practice. In turn, this will also develop their levels of self-esteem, self-belief and create a strong sense of their professional value. Students will implement techniques that will strengthen their ability to respond more effectively to stress rather than focusing on how to avoid stress – which is often inevitable. Not only will they lessen the of typical compassion fatigue stressors, but they will experience a greater sense of satisfaction and enthusiasm in their work. Through heightened self-awareness, and resilience they will also be better equipped to contribute to a more positive workplace culture and relationships. The participant will gain an understanding of the psychology of two different variations of procrastinationandtheimpactbothcanhave in their life. Students will learn strategies to work through procrastination, enabling them to reach the right decisions. Students will also appreciate how decision- making relates to the client experience and will be equipped to position their recommendations in a way to avoid a negative client experience. Make Better Decisions, Get Better Results – Part 1 |
Make Better Decisions, Get Better Results – Part 2 Description Training Outcomes This is the second module on the critical skill of The student will gain an understanding of decision-making. pattern recognition bias, affinity bias and The biggest roadblock to effective decision- attribution bias. |
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making in practice is uncovered; that of unconscious bias. Three types of decision-making bias are examined in detail in this module. Participants will learn the importance of being aware of bias, thus bringing it from the unconscious to the conscious and learning how to recognise and avoid it – especially when engaged in critical clinical decision- making activities. An awareness and avoidance of bias will support clinical reasoning and problem solving allowing for good judgement to be used for the benefit of the patient, client and the veterinarian. They will learn strategies for recognising and avoiding bias when making decisions. The student will learn strategies including seeking mentorship, gaining an outside perspective and anchoring decision-making to personal and practice values. They will also develop the ability to use reflection as a means to assess the quality of a decision for future development; an important attribute of reflectiveself-evaluation. |
Part F: Professional Relationships
Building Trust 101
Description
This module is about building trust and trustworthiness. The presence of trust is one of the most important assets of an effective veterinary team.
This module looks at why trust is important in teams, how to obtain trust and what some roadblocks of trust might be.
Teams with a high level of trust go about their work efficiently and accurately, allowing for a highly productive workflow.
This module is about holding others to account. Getting a team to do what they said they were going to do and, if applicable, keep doing it is a universal challenge for any leader.
This module provides a model based on effective communication, collaboration, and teamwork.
It teaches leaders how to delegate tasks to others and rest assured that the task(s) will be done with confidence as a result of developing a highly accountable team.
This module is about the concept of Empathy.
Three key themes are explored. Firstly, the difference between sympathy and empathy. Secondly, the seven attributes of an empathetic person and thirdly, how clinicians will benefit from an understanding of empathy, allowing them to deliver more effective results in veterinary practice in relation to being attentive to other’s feelings.
Training Outcomes
Participants gain clarity around how important trust is, as well as how to proactively build trust within their team. They will gain an understanding of the Four Foundational Pillars of Trust model along with a multitude of concepts presented to aid the participant in being able to adopt strategies which seek to build, rather than betray trust.
The outcome will be the development of robust relationships within a high performing team. This in turn will benefit their patients and clients and provide for a positive and productive workplace environment.
Participants will gain an understanding of a model they can practically apply called the Accountability Wheel. It is adapted from Roger Connors’ Oz Principle which is all about holding people to account.
This model can be used both prospectively and retrospectively. When experiencing any kind of situation where either the team, a part of the team, or an individual is not performing as is expected, the Leading Edge participant can draw on their ability to determine where the problem lies.
This module will enable development of effective communication techniques, building strength in areas of collaboration and teamwork.
Students will gain an appreciation that when dealing with patients and clients, it’s very important that they see things from the client’s perspective in a non-judgemental, respectful way.
Participants will understand that feeling sympathetic towards clients is one level of connection but feeling empathic leaves the client feeling ‘heard’; the result being that a greater bond of trust between clinician and client will be developed.
Participants will learn the seven attributes of an empathetic person and will be able to easily adopt these and, as such, develop a higher level of emotional competence.
Winning with the Wheel
Care Factor… High!
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Description Training Outcomes The Power of Personality In this Leading Edge module, we look at Participants will gain increased awareness of exactly why having an understanding of themselves, including how they perceive the different personality types can be so beneficial world around them as well as well as how they to veterinarians achieving their goals and are perceived by others. |
Conflict – Your Biggest Fear or Your Greatest Asset enjoying what they do. We will introduce the concept of Social Styles so that students may gain an in-depth understanding of the four main personality types and what social style category their own personality falls into. Students will also gain a better understanding of how to adapt their style slightly to build stronger relationships – all without compromising their own sense of authenticity. This module is all about Conflict Resolution. Workplace conflict can be a real source of pain and emotional distress for any relationship and team. It is considered one of the major drivers of workplace disengagement. With the right approach to conflict and the application of some basic principles, conflict can become a positive aspect to any business. A difference in opinion represents diversity of thought. This module is about Delegation. This is one of the most effective ways that those in veterinary leadership positions can create leverage and at the same time develop their team and grow their practice. Delegation is one of the least understood leadership skills, but when correctly executed, is one of the most powerful. Both sides of the delegation process will be explored, examining the two perspectives of delegation: being delegated a task versus delegating a task. Students will master the ability of adapting their language for a better rapport and positive influence with those they interact with. Professional relationship with clients and colleagues will strengthen and veterinarians will improve their ability to achieve their intended outcomes. They will also develop improved self-regulation and resilience when encountering difficult behaviours. Participants will develop an understanding on how to enable positive conflict with colleagues, rather than suppressing it, thus, paving the way for creativity and innovation. The ability to challenge constructively is achieved by gaining an insight into two critical ingredients and four guiding key principles. Participant will become more adaptable in their thought process and ability to develop their emotional competence. Participants will learn a system for effective delegation. When executed correctly, this will lead to a successful outcome and a positive experience for both the person that is delegating and for the team member that has been delegated to. The outcomes of being delegated to will promote problem solving skills, provide for learning new skills and will allow the team member to display both capabilities of commitment and diligence in the completion of the task successfully. Delegation… Stop Being a Martyr! |
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Description Training Outcomes Negotiation… Give a Little, Everyone negotiates in life on a daily basis; be it The participant will gain an understanding Get a Lot! formal negotiation – possibly at a job interview or when asking for a pay rise – or informally – who is going to do the washing up, or swap a of nine simple negotiation strategies that will be valuable in both informal and key formal negotiation scenarios. |
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shift with a colleague? Negotiation is a key interpersonal communication competence and is utilised more often than may be recognised. Negotiate poorly and there is the potential to be a “yes” person and self-sacrifice. This result can have a negative emotional consequence, reducing professional engagement and damaging relationships. On the other hand, being an aggressive negotiator may cause others to feel like they lose out which eventually erodes trust. The strategies presented will provide the participant with the tools to “sell satisfaction” to both parties creating win-win outcomes. This approach builds trust and respect with others and forms a basis for collaboration and a teamwork to be strengthened in the workplace. |