Business Briefs: Implementing Lasting Change in Your Practice

Managing change is one of the most difficult tasks for a leader. It takes dedication, focus, repetition, and time—sometimes lots of time.

In closely held businesses like veterinary practices, the challenges are different than in Fortune 500 companies. In many equine practices, the owners are also the daily managers and often the largest revenue producers, meaning any large operational or structural change can directly impact their personal wealth and identity. Leaders must rely on long-standing relationships, loyalty, and inside knowledge to advance their agenda. That makes it particularly important for all the top leadership to be aligned with the proposed change.

Secure Support From All Partners

One partner cannot bring change to a practice if the other partners fail to see the importance of the initiative. Change initiatives in practices almost always fail without the active, vocal support of all the primary shareholders. To convince partners who are comfortable with the status quo, the management team must clearly demonstrate how the change protects the firm’s legacy and enhances its long-term financial viability.

Operational changes that increase client satisfaction and practice efficiency through technology utilization are often difficult for older team members to understand and learn. Resistance to a systems approach, where practice activities are formalized into policies, processes, and procedures, can also be met with resistance. Similarly, an attempt to implement new software, AI scribes, key performance indicators (KPIs), or financial compliance processes can upset tenured staff accustomed to doing things “the way we’ve always done it.”

Success relies on securing early buy-in from all owners, preferably with clear consensus and enthusiasm. Senior partners sometimes need clear evidence that change is needed and that the practice will continue to be successful even with new paradigms. Fear-based approaches that threaten the practice’s demise unless it modernizes are not recommended unless the decline has already begun. People often make decisions based on emotions. So, communicate why the change matters emotionally as well as rationally. Changes can be framed as tools to protect employees’ livelihoods, reduce burnout, and secure the company’s future against competitors.

Take a Structured Approach

Discarding valuable historical processes in favor of management fads is never wise. Instead, take a structured approach and evaluate the current state of the practice against the possible future state. For example, what is the figure for average days to collection? What would it be if you instituted a payment-at-time-of-service policy? Would that policy be for all clients, or would instituting it for only new clients better uphold your practice’s values?

Prioritize Psychological Safety

Psychological safety and clear communication with the entire team are necessary for managing change effectively. Everyone needs to feel heard. By holding listening sessions after sharing proposed changes, you can give staff the opportunity to safely voice concerns without fear of repercussions. This reduces the anxiety surrounding new responsibilities or restructuring. Because many practices do not have a formal schedule of meetings and/or communication channels like Slack, leaders might assume everyone is on the same page when they are not. Those who are not “in the know” often feel left out, resentful, and might talk negatively about the transition. People want to feel like their voices matter. When a team helps build change, they have ownership in bringing it about.

Final Thoughts

Expect from the beginning that instituting change will take much longer than you think. Plan for regular meetings with stakeholders, time to implement innovative suggestions, and preparation of written policies, processes, and procedures as needed. Finally, set up a system to monitor the consistency of the new practices, remain flexible if tweaks are needed, and reward behaviors as the change becomes the new normal for your practice.

Related Reading

• Business Briefs: How to Deliver Effective Feedback in Equine Practice
• How to Start a Subscription-Based Equine Emergency Practice
• Affording New Paradigms in Equine Practice

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