Individuals In Management Positions In UK Veterinary Practices Enjoy Being In A Leadership Position

By and large, individuals in management positions in UK veterinary practices enjoy being in a leadership position according to those who attended the recent Business Surgeries hosted by VetSupport+’s business consultant teams. While 97% stated they enjoy their leadership position, less than half had received any management training (47%) and gut feel was the most common guide in the development of the practice’s performance management strategy (42%). This lack of formal training could explain why over a third of the survey participants admitted they avoid managing poor performers and 40% believed they had lost good staff because of this. Speaking about the informal survey, Nick Steele, National Consulting Manager at Pfizer Animal Health, commented; “It was great to see so many members of senior management teams at our Business Surgeries, the majority of whom recognised that an engaged team will deliver better performance in the practice (85%). Performance management has been identified as one of the key drivers for employee engagement^[i] and while ‘gut feel’ can often be a strong indicator of the situation in practice, it should be used in collaboration with more proven methods. It was good to see that in the main, senior management do share both performance data and the practice’s strategy - most commonly to compete on service, not price - with employees. This sharing of information leads to a more actively engaged team.” The Vet Support+ Business Surgeries took place across the UK in the spring when the Business Consultant team shared in greater depth the findings of the Employee Engagement study providing practical take home messages for practice’s senior management team. References: [1] Vet Support+ Employee Engagement Study of 749 practice owners, partners and practice managers and 3,500 individual veterinary practice employees, 2012.

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