By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ
Are you sitting on a dream or an idea? Do you want to be a part of changing something?
Let me remind you of this:
You heard the voice clearly when you chose this profession. For many of us, we heard many other voices that said veterinary medicine was a mistake:
- “You won’t make much money!”
- “It is a dirty job!”
- “If you want to work in medicine, you should work in human medicine.”
- “You’ll have to work weekends!”
- “You won’t make much money! (oh…did I already say that?)”
But, you followed your heart and chose veterinary medicine regardless and apparently you have found more joy in your days than pain or you would have chosen otherwise. So, I am curious…has your heart spoken to you since?
Is there an idea you think your practice would benefit from but you are afraid to offer to head up the project? Would you like to recommend a new piece of equipment but you are afraid the powers to be will just say no?
Many times after speaking at a veterinary conference, I am approached by veterinary technicians that would like to change the way things are done in their practice. When we explore ways to effect that change, I am often met with resistance…and Resistance’s name is always THEY; they are cheap, they don’t care, they are old school.
All of the people mentioned in that video followed their inner calling and they put great personal EFFORT behind their ideas. It is not enough to want things to change. If you feel strongly that things need to change, imagine what YOU can do to facilitate that. Can you do the research needed to make a purchase of a certain kind of equipment? Can you prepare a cost versus benefit proposal? Instead of complaining about the quality of a colleagues work, how can YOU help them to improve? Is there a promotion you envision for the practice? Is there a new protocol you could research?
Practice managers and owners are spinning many plates at one time; standard of care, hiring and firing, budgets, payroll, websites, computer systems, inventory management, facility maintenance, customer complaints, worker’s compensation as well as putting out the millions of fires that are brought to their attention on a constant basis. Understand that it is easier for them to hear an offer of proactive help than disapproval from the ranks.
So, I urge you to listen to that little voice you hear in the shower. Maybe that voice is giving YOU a new focus. Maybe this is a gift for YOUR journey. None of the people in this video succeeded or affected the changes that they new were right when they heard the first disapproval.
As Hillel stated eons ago and many have quoted, “If not now, when?”
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