Leadership through Partnership Workbook

Leadership through Partnership:
Empowering Collaboration in Veterinary Practices

Why do some veterinary hospitals and practices perform better than others?

Organizational performance can be directly attributed to how well those in leadership positions perform together as a team. When veterinary practice leaders have mastered the art of partnership, they can improve the speed and efficiency of their efforts and serve as compelling role models for their employees. Better synchronization between leadership favorably impacts patient care, employee retention, client satisfaction, and business success.

To help practice leaders enhance their key workplace relationships, the VHMA created the Leadership through Partnership workbook, which includes:

 • Over 70 pages of leadership-related content
 • Over 20 personal and collaborative activities
 • Fillable schedule to hold each other accountable
 • Over 10 video interviews with practice leaders 

A complimentary, self-paced resource to help colleagues advance their strategic & soft skills together.

      

INTRODUCTION

Outlines how to use the workbook, and work through the content together. Includes a fillable schedule for you to keep track of your progress together, and keep each other accountable to completing the workbook.

Time commitment: 15 minutes

CHAPTER 1: Communication Styles Self-Assessment

Communication is key to all relationships, but there are many different ways to communicate. Knowing your collaborating partner’s preferences can help prevent miscommunications in the workplace.

Time commitment: 15 minutes

CHAPTER 2: Motivation & Reward Action Plan

What defines rewarding work is different for everyone. Find out what motivates Thinkers, Feelers, Sensors, and Intuitors, and what helps each style experience a sense of reward so all team members can feel truly valued.

Time commitment: 15 minutes

CHAPTER 3: Roles & Responsibilities Assessment

Clear work expectations increase job satisfaction. In this chapter, you and your collaborating partner will explore roles and responsibilities in the workplace - do you have the same expectations for each role?

Time commitment: 30 minutes

CHAPTER 4: Workplace Autonomy Analysis

Leaders and senior employees need autonomy to perform their responsibilities effectively. How do you experience autonomy in the workplace? Which tasks would you take on if given more autonomy?

Time commitment: 30 minutes 

CHAPTER 5: Delegation Goals Assessment

Workplaces that encourage autonomy also create trust. How can you nurture trusting relationships in your workplace? Which of your tasks can you entrust to others with full autonomy?

Time commitment: 30 minutes

CHAPTER 6: Relationship Building Strategies

Workplaces are social systems. Learn how to identify the traits of both healthy and toxic workplaces, then choose personal strategies you can implement to help build positive work relationships.

Time commitment: 30 minutes

CHAPTER 7: Relationship Gap Analysis

Every relationship has strengths and weaknesses. In this chapter, you’ll examine your current relationship with your collaborating partner and decide on your future relationship goals. What can you each do to improve?

Time commitment: 1 hour

CHAPTER 8: Strategic Planning Case Study

The final component of the workbook puts your relationship to work. Together you’ll complete a case study with six foundational activities to develop a strategic plan for a hypothetical veterinary clinic.

Time commitment: 5 hours

Workbook 1

This digital workbook is available
free to VHMA members. 

Nonmembers may purchase a download for $49. 

GET NOW

VHMA would like to acknowledge and thank Bethany Bankovich Mihalik and Dr. Andrew Sloyer for their contributions and expertise in creating this new resource.

A personal note from our contributing experts:

This workbook was developed and tested within our own hospital, in collaboration with our team. We piloted the content in real-world settings to ensure it was practical, relevant, and effective, and our team's feedback helped shape every section. Much of what you'll find here is now embedded in our staff education and leadership training programs.

These exercises help leaders better understand how their teams communicate, what motivates them, and how to lead with trust, clarity, and effective delegation. The result is a stronger team, improved morale, higher job satisfaction, and a workplace where people feel truly seen and valued.

Bethany Bankovich Mihalik, CVPM, MHRM, CVT, CCFP
Hospital Administrator
Bethany currently serves as the Hospital Administrator of Neffsville Veterinary Clinic, a ten-doctor, AAHA accredited small animal practice in Lancaster, PA. She has been managing veterinary practices for over fifteen years. She earned her B.S. in Communications from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2004, M.H.R.M./M.B.A. from Saint Francis University of Pennsylvania in 2006, A.A.S. in Veterinary Technology in 2010 from the Bel-Rea Institute in Denver, CO, and Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM) certification in March of 2015. She earned her Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional (CCFP) credentials in 2019.

Dr. Andrew Sloyer, DVM
Owner / Managing Partner
Dr. Andrew C. Sloyer currently serves as the managing partner of Neffsville Veterinary Clinic, a ten-doctor, AAHA accredited small animal practice in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sloyer leads the Neffsville team of partners and associates in orthopedic surgery, performing TTA and Lateral Suture procedures on a weekly basis. He has served as a managing partner for over twelve years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Franklin & Marshall College, and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Tennessee.