Veterinary Business

Moving into management role requires clarity and coolness

vetreportApril 14, 2015

Nurses thinking of moving into a practice management role should first take a look at the career path of speaker Marion Chapman. Presenting in the management stream, she underlined the importance of varied CPD and experience in the prospective manager’s CV.

Now a regional manager with the Goddard Veterinary Group, Marion started work as a veterinary nurse before moving through the pharmaceutical industry, pet food manufacture and a veterinary wholesaler before settling into practice management in small animal practice.

Gaining this type of professional experience prepares candidates for the different aspects they will encounter in the role, including human resources, finance, marketing and sales, and general day-to-day responsibilities. “You will need to be a jack of all trades in smaller practices,” said Marion. “In larger practices there are often managers in charge of individual sections.”

Be sure to read the role and job description for the position carefully. “Candidates really need to clarify what is expected of them,” she said. “What a practice manager does at one clinic can be very different to another. If you went to take on a job expecting to be recruiting, carrying out appraisals and organising rotas, and you are given a diminished role to carry out, you will be disappointed.”

Part of finding out more about the role is getting as much information at the interview stage about organisational structure and the authority that comes with the position. “You need to establish how much authority you will be given by the practice owner to deal with things,” said Marion.

“This is a point that you may not fully appreciate if you are new to practice management. Some managers carry out administrative duties only, others will be responsible for recruiting and disciplinary procedures. You need to be aware of this, and there are a lot of things to discuss at the interview stage.”

There are certain aspects of the job that stay the same no matter what an individual role involves. Primarily, managers lead by example, said Marion. “There is a lot of expectation placed on you by staff and there is a lot of responsibility involved. You are always on a journey to improve your skills so you can better look after your team.”

Fairness is a desirable trait to develop too. “Be firm but fair in decisions,” said Marion. “You should treat all staff the same and in the way you would expect to be treated.”

Developing emotional intelligence and self awareness are invaluable skills. As emotions run high in stressful situations, team members need a cool head, said Marion. “It is really important that you do not let your emotions cloud your judgement.

“Part of that is recognising how others may feel and asking if there is anything you can do to help. It is all about building relationships and winning people over. You can manage without winning people over, but it is really hard work.”

This talk was part of the management programme at BSAVA Congress – a comprehensive programme that adds to the breadth of learning and knowledge available to delegates at this event.