As I have been watching the Olympics, I've had a revelation: running an animal hospital is not that dissimilar to competing in or coaching an Olympic sport. Think about it… For most of us, it is the love of the game that keeps us going, honing our skills, and sharpening our edge.
I know by now you are saying to yourself, “Oh boy, Scott is going to write another sport-related blog!” But after reading this one, I suspect you will agree.
We Strive for Speed AND Endurance Daily
Olympic sports typically fall into two categories – speed or endurance. I think we can all identify areas of our days that fit into those categories as well. Tasks like payroll and inventory are activities where we vault in and do our best to speedily knock them out daily, weekly, or even monthly. On the other hand, building a practice culture and training are endurance sports. We view them as long-term events, much like a marathon.
We Support Our Team, Pass the Baton, and Take a Deep Breath
Even the most outstanding coach cannot have 100% control over their team’s success. Watch an Olympic swimming relay, then reflect on your role as “coach” within your practice. We all have responsibilities within our hospitals that sit squarely on our shoulders, and responsibilities we delegate to the team. After all the training and preparation, we hand off the baton for the team to take it across the finish line. Sometimes all that preparation pays off, other times we find that more work is needed. When we do not win, we commit to additional training and hope for a win in the next heat.
We See the Winner in All Team Members
When the games are over, we praise the solo athletes and the individual collaborators who contributed to a team win. Isn’t this also true about our practices?
So many of our hospital teams do remarkable things day in and day out, hoping for the medal that never comes, but we keep working to get better. It is the drive we all have to create a successful practice that makes us a winning team. Our job as managers is to continue coaching that winning mentality.
We Become Stronger Together
Insights exchanged between Olympic athletes and coaches are just as valuable as those exchanged between managers at a VHMA Annual Conference. I hope I am right! Because the next “Olympic-type event” on my calendar is indeed the VHMA Annual Conference, allow me to share my own gold medal advice:
- Train with a purpose; work on getting stronger, faster, and more efficient!
- One thing that the Olympics shows us is that in the crazy world we live in, respect for others, their cultures, and traditions is one of the cornerstones to getting along. By embracing diversity and respecting everyone for their contributions within our practice, we all win.
- Our careers are marathons (the first Olympic sport!) not sprints. The path may be flat roads built for speed, but most will have hills that force us to use more energy at times, and then catch our breath on the back side of the hill.
- Watch, learn, and listen. This is especially true for those of us who will see each other at the conference!
See you in Charlotte, NC!
Scott Zimmerman, BFA, CVPM
VHMA President
#PracticePulse