Preface ix
Introduction
Are You an Effective Veterinary Administrator? Xvii
The Veterinary Healthcare Team xvii
The New Ear xx
The Prime Thrust: Effective Administration xxi
Signs of Administrative Success and Failure xxii
Earmarks of the Download Spiral xxii
Signs of a Winter xxiii
Applying Effectiveness Concepts xxv
Self-Evaluation xxv
Appreciating Human Resources xxvi
The Future xxvii
The Role of Hospital Managers in Veterinary Medicine xxvii
Revolutionary Change xxvii
Dealing with Management Costs xxviii
Impediments to Success xxviii
The Hospital Manager’s Future Quiz xxx
Chapter One
Are you Ready to Change? 3
It is Not, Nor Will it Ever Be Again, “Business as Usual” 3
Five Success Measures 6
The Business of Veterinary Program Planning 9
The Dynamic Budget Planning Process 9
Implementation of Program-based Planning 12
Veterinary Practice Checklist for Self-assessment 14
Chapter Two
Governance 21
The Functions of Governance 23
The New Era for Veterinary Medicine 27
Barriers to Effective Governance: The Seven Deadly Sins 29
1 Representational Governance 29
2 Lack of Mission Focus 30
3 Resistance to Change 31
4 Bad Governance Information 33
5 Failure to Dump Deadwood 34
6 Holding on the the Past 35
7 Lack of Job Descriptions 36
Controlling the Chaos of Change 37
Governance for Twenty-first Century 38
Engineering Veterinary Boards for a New Era 38
Making it Happen for You 44
Setting the Agenda 45
Providing Relevant Information 47
Choosing a Daily Operational Structure 48
Minimizing Friction 49
Administrator Skills and Performance Factors 52
Survey-When Is it time for Governance? 55
Chapter Three
Expansion in the New Millennium-Representing the Group 59
The Return to Core Values 59
Managing Multiple Practices 61
Leadership Essentials 62
The Premise 62
Training Requirements 64
Performance Measurements 64
Accountability 65
Reporting 66
Performance Evaluation 66
Comparisons 66
Analysis 67
Internal Controls 68
A Dozen Signal Flares 68
Trust Everybody, but Cut the Cards 70
Planning 71
Putting It Together 71
“Management du Jour” and Current Literature 72
The Future Tense: The Stress of Change 73
Ethics: Doing the Right Things 75
Checklist for Multiple Boss Readiness 80
Chapter Four
Hiring a Group Administrator 83
A Historical Perspective 83
The Era of Paper 83
The New Visual Media 84
The Feeling Years 85
Integration 86
Social Trends: The Impact of Addictions 87
Food 88
Work 88
Sex 89
Money 89
Gambling 90
Drugs 91
Plan of Action 92
Steps to Clarity 92
Steps to Resolution 92
Postscript 93
Establishing Personal Practice Priorities 94
Tasked Priorities 95
Triage Requirements 96
Building for a Better Tomorrow 97
Compensation for Practice Managers 98
Methods for Computing Compensation 99
What Managers Are Really Paid 101
Non-Monetary Factors 102
Aids for the New Administrator 103
Common Sense 103
Delegating Decisions 105
Service Skills 107
How to Train a Hospital Manager 108
Management Effectiveness Questionnaire 112
Chapter Five
The Rest of the Story 119
Changing Attitudes 119
Focus on the Short Term 119
Redefining Success 120
Making Changes 122
Need for Leadership 122
Resistance to Change 122
Are you Ready for Change? 125
Critical Practice Tools 126
Performance Planning 126
Forming Alliances 127
Building Pride 128
The Present Is Rooted in the Past 130
Expectations 131
Patient Advocacy 132
Average is not Enough 133
Organize to Capitalize 134
Caring Leadership: Individuals Count 135
Creating and Controlling the Chaos of Change 137
Quantum Physics Replaces Mechanistic Process 137
The Renaissance Prescription 139
Entering the New Playing Field 140
Ready for Change Assessment 143
Appendix A Nurturing Your Leadership Competencies 159
Appendix B Ten Areas of Group Administrator Expertise 167
Appendix C The Annual Business of Business 177
Appendix D Understanding Behavioral Patterns 181
Appendix E Staff Development Assessment 197
Appendix F Administrative Action Plans 215
