As a leader at DoveLewis, one of my main focuses is to ensure Dove employees have the tools and resources they need to perform their jobs. Over the last few years, Dove has gone through a tremendous amount of growth. That increase in...

Tell strangers on a plane you are in management and chances are they wrinkle their nose a bit and make a face. Try telling a stranger you’re in HR. They look at you like you announced you are an IRS auditor.

Why?

Well, to be frank...

This year I helped make a decision that caused a considerable amount of strife among the DoveLewis technician staff and even anger and disappointment for a few of my most senior technicians.  No one likes to deal with conflict so while you...

DoveLewis is comprised of 85% females.  While this is true for most clinics in the veterinary industry, we also have an unusually high number of females in Leadership positions: four of our six top leaders are women and all of our hospital...

Is there a cure when you’re a workaholic?

I am a workaholic. I come from a long line of focused, hardworking people who lived their lives with determined energy. And honestly, for many of my ancestors before me, this drive was more out of...

Jerry had Newman. Harry had Voldemort. I have ticks. I only recently found out ticks are my archenemies. This spring they sent me a formal declaration of war via my dog. It's been rough.

Most people I talk to think we are tick free here in...

Leadership. It is a simple word with complex meaning. One of the biggest issues I see managers make, new and old, is the assumption that a title automatically dictates the authority of a leader. Anyone who’s been around the block a couple of...

In my now 15 year career in Human Resources almost every workplace problem I encounter comes down to communication. 

Communication problems take several forms. Here are my top three.

Incompatible Styles: You say tomato, I say...

What are some tips for people in management roles to remember when giving corrective actions?

1. Corrective actions are proactive tools, not reactive. Give employees feedback (both good and bad) often. It's the only way they will learn...

Well, it happened. Last night here in Oregon, we legalized marijuana. I have to hand it to the pro marijuana people. Their campaign was pretty strong. They promised lower crime rates, more tax money for schools, and more time for courts to focus...

According to the American Humane Society it's Adopt a Dog month. This is an annual month-long celebration of adopting rescues from shelters. The late Joan Rivers was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying "Always get a rescue. They're so grateful you...

One of my favorite questions to ask practice managers I meet is “What is the most helpful advice you’ve ever received?” Almost always the answer is, “Don’t take it personally.” From there, a conversation often ensues about how difficult...

According to Harvard Business School professors Rakesh Khurana and Nitin Nohria, being a “manager” in and of itself is not a profession. Why? Rakesh and Nitin argue that “true professions have codes of conduct, and the meaning and...

It’s no secret that the supply of veterinarians is outpacing demand. Any of us who took a basic economics class in college know the simple fact is that interviews for open DVM positions have suddenly become mini rose ceremonies ala The Bachelor...

1. Be better than the other candidates. Write a cover letter and make it specific to the practice you want to work at. Do your homework and talk about why you want to work there. 

2. Tailor your resume to the job posting. List out how...

If you’ve seen our Fractious Cat video, then you’ve met my oldest cat Max, who really has been fired from four vet offices in his fifteen years of life. This week Max was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When I found out I...

When I tell people I work at a veterinary clinic they think I spend my day playing with puppies and kittens. While singing. After having bluebirds help me get dressed in the morning.

Okay, so it’s possible I am exaggerating. Pigeons...

Why you need me on your Zombie Apocalypse Team

The other day the staff was having a theoretical discussion. Topic? Which DoveLewis staff members would you take with you if there was a zombie apocalypse?

The first picked by...

It’s Election Day and I don’t know about everyone else, but I am mostly just excited to stop hearing the campaign commercials.

“Don’t vote for Megan, she hates puppies and babies! And kittens. And unicorns. Paid for by the Citizens...

I recently came across a string on a forum for veterinary professionals about a practice manager that had instituted a “no bad food” policy in her clinic. In fact, she was actually throwing away junk food that she found in the common eating area...