VHMA/VMAE Webinar Series

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The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) and Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE) – organizations committed to helping veterinary practices thrive – have entered into a strategic partnership to realize their shared goal of advancing practice health in veterinary medicine. The collaborators are pleased to announce the launch of a new three-part webinar series, Defining and Developing Your Dream Team. Because finding the right people to perform effectively and work together successfully can be challenging, the series guides participants through three steps that are key to developing a successful team. The webinars highlight the importance of accurate  job descriptions, the impact of effective employee conversations, and the value of fostering leadership potential among staff. Three webinars + three compelling issues = a Dream Team!

The webinars are available free of charge to members of the VHMA and veterinary medical associations!

The VHMA will issue a one (1) hour continuing education certificate to attendee for each session attended.

Defining and Developing Your Dream Team


It’s All About the Job – January 8, 2020, at 1:00 pm EST

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This presentation dives into the different aspects of individual jobs within the veterinary practice, focusing on five areas – job analysis, description, reviews, enlargement, and enrichment.

Learn how to create accurate job descriptions that allow management and team members to hold employees accountable for specific duties. Conduct regular employee reviews to provide feedback and counseling that promote growth. Keep employees engaged through job enrichment to stimulate and support employee development and prevent turnover. Establish the foundation of each position by outlining and conveying management expectations through clear written and oral communications.

Objective: To help practice owners, managers, and supervisors develop a consistent understanding of positions within the organization to clearly establish job responsibilities boundaries, help employees identify a plan for career growth and advancement, and contribute to the overall growth of the organization.

Courageous Conversations - April 22, 2020, at 1:00 pm EST

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This session examines the who, what, when, where, and how of having conversations with associates, support staff, and clients. Attendees will learn about strategies and tools they can use immediately implement in their practices. Attendees will learn about the importance of investigation before action, as well as how to approach conversations with staff and clients with confidence, clarity, and concision.

Practice Owners, managers, or supervisors can use the resources to initiate professional, appropriate, constructive conversations with team members that inspire, engage, and are well received. Understanding the importance of quality interpersonal communication is key for every successful leader. The tools provided are transferable and interchangeable and can be applied to client interactions as well.

Objective: To arm practice owners, managers, and supervisors with resources and strategies to confidently and adeptly initiate difficult--- albeit necessary---conversations in the workplace with all stakeholders and to conduct these discussions as productively and as painless as possible with all parties involved.

Put Me in Coach! Developing Your Leadership Team – June 10, 2020, at 1:00 pm EST

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Owners and managers often get so caught up working in the practice---either covering a shift on the floor or completing necessary projects such as payroll or inventory--- and seldom have time to work on the practice. Developing leadership within the practice requires delegating tasks, which will free owners and managers to spend time on strategic duties.

Identifying team members with the potential to take on these tasks can be challenging. The session will highlight:
Who: Who is a potential leader?
How: How should leaders be developed and trained?
What: What are the tasks and duties a leader should address?

Once a leadership team is formed, ensuring that the leadership team is functional is the next hurdle. The five common team dysfunctions and strategies for overcoming each will be discussed. The session will wrap up with takeaway ideas for implementing a successful leadership team in a veterinary practice.

Objective: To equip owners, managers, and supervisors with the tools and insights to transition staff from employees to leaders and to identify potential leaders---especially those who are not obvious candidates---and develop their skills, while ensuring staff functions effectively individually and as part of a team.

Speaker

Andrea Crabtree


Andrea Crabtree, BS, CVPM, SPHR, PHRca, CCFP

Andrea is a Southern California native and was raised in San Dimas. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a BS in Animal Health Science in 2004. She became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager in 2011, received her Professional in Human Resources in 2016, California Professional in Human Resources in 2017, accomplished both her Certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional in 2019. In January of 2016 Andrea received the Southern California VMA Paraprofessional of the Year Award. She is currently the owner of FurPaws Consulting in Orange, CA where she works with practice owners and hospital managers to develop their team as well as to expand and develop their business.

When Andrea is not busy in a veterinary practice, she can be found speaking at local SoCal veterinary events, doing what she loves - teaching, coaching and training. She has presented at The North Orange County, South Orange County, Los Angeles – South Bay, and San Diego Manager’s Group Meetings, as well as California Veterinary Specialist Veterinary Spring Forum. She has lectured at the VCA AVCC Annual Wet Lab, ASEC’s Annual Symposium and the FurPaws Training Symposiums. She has also published in Veterinary Team Brief. Her passion for veterinary medicine also keeps her busy with Southern California VMA events and the Manager’s Group in Orange County she co-founded. She is a member of Southern California VMA, VHMA, and VetPartners.

Andrea lives in Orange County with her newlywed husband, Andrew, son John, two cats and two dogs. She loves professional football and the Green Bay Packers have been her favorite team since she was four years old. She is active and loves to hike, bike, run, and swim and go to Disneyland. Her other favorite past times include attending St. John Lutheran Church and reading novels.