My thoughts on the declaw ban

How to discuss declawing without isolating cat owners
Whatever your view, keep clients in mind.
Jan 1, 2010
By: Donna Bauman
FIRSTLINE



Debate continues over whether feline declawing should be banned. Regardless of whether you support the ban, your practice needs to present a united front. Otherwise you’ll send your clients mixed messages. This causes mistrust and mistrust loses clients.

As a veterinary consultant, I make mystery-shopper phone calls to many practices. During one of these recent calls, I posed as a potential new client with questions about having my cat declawed. The client service team member was friendly, but she spent three or four minutes telling me what a terrible procedure declaw surgery was, how much pain my cat would be in, and the long-term negative effect it might have on my cat. When she described the procedure she said, “It’s like having your fingers cut off at the second knuckle.” Even after more than 15 years in the veterinary field, I cringed and felt like a terrible pet owner because both of my cats have been declawed.

Still, I’m sure the practice owner is not vehemently opposed to declawing cats. Why? Because the practice performs the surgery. The simple fact of offering a service gives the unspoken message that you are not opposed to it. In conjunction with the receptionist’s talking points, this confuses clients and might turn them off to your practice altogether.

So how do you handle client questions about declawing? First you must be crystal-clear on the practice owner’s beliefs. If veterinarians at the practice perform declaw surgeries, then every team member must discuss the service with clients in a manner that makes them feel comfortable and helps them understand their pet will receive excellent care. Be sure to ask your practice owner or manager about whether team members should present less invasive, less expensive options to clients asking about feline declaws.

If clients ask about declawing, some practice owners expect team members to educate them about the procedure and your standards of care, including pain management. Other practice owners prefer clients always be educated about alternatives such as nail covers and scratching-post training. If the latter is the case, you must be careful. Pushing too hard for the alternatives when your practice offers the procedure could send that mixed message I mentioned before.

If you feel passionately about feline declawing and your views conflict with the practice owner’s, then you should look for work at a veterinary hospital with values more in line with yours. This way, regardless of what side of the debate you’re on, you can be sure you and your team members are sharing the same information with clients—and bonding them to your practice.
Donna Bauman, CVPM
Owner of Visions Veterinary Consulting.

Who is coming to the meeting?

Who’s coming to the meeting?


So the staff meeting is about to start and you wait as your staff files in 1 by 1 and gets settled in their seats with their $5 pizza. You know all these team members so well. There is John, Kristy, and Michelle….and so on right? Sort of. Those are their legal names but then we have their given names. You know. When you gather as a team for a meeting all the little characters, affectionately known as your staff, attend and each and every one of them has a role in the way the meeting is about to go. Just are there are different types of meetings held within the practice there are also be different types of personalities attending those meetings. Since it is the responsibility of the leader of the meeting to keep the meeting moving in a positive direction, ensuring that all staff has the opportunity to share thoughts, let’s identify who’s coming to the meeting and how you can deal with them when they arrive.


 Chatty Kathy – Chatty Kathy is your staff member who has a lot to say and loves to say it. When Chatty Kathy gets going there isn’t much that can stand in the way to stop her. Be careful not to let her take over the meeting with her endless chatter as it keeps other staff from getting a word in edgewise and participating in the meeting. When Chatty Kathy is allowed to run at the mouth for too long, other team members will begin to get that glazed look in their eyes as they mentally check out to avoid the seemingly endless story shared by Chatty Kathy. Solution: Kathy’s ideas are probably great but her social personality paired with her inability to get to the point, unfortunately, does a disservice to the ideas because nobody is listening when she finally arrives at it. Help her by grabbing the idea from the story and politely interrupting. Praise her idea and ask others to offer input in regards to that idea. This way Kathy has her acknowledgement for a great idea and everyone else doesn’t go in to Chatty Kathy Coma!

 Evelyn Eye Roller & Stevie Sigher – Evelyn Eye Roller is the one who will roll her eyes at every idea or suggestion that is brought up during the meeting; whether it has anything to do with her or not. Her male counterpart, Stevie Sigher will sigh, loud enough for the entire room to hear, as a stand against the idea on the table. These staff members can kill staff morale in a minute and also tend to gather a following rather quickly. I mean, who doesn’t want to eye roll or sigh at some point when their boss speaks!? (Well, except for my staff who love to hear me talk! ) Solution: Keep control of these two. When they roll their eyes or sigh ask them if there is something they would like to contribute to the meeting. Often time the public displays of “affection” (said jokingly) are a way to gather attention so it is your job to turn that negative attention in to positive by making them contribute in a constructive manner.


 The Big Kahuna – This team member is a leader. They may or may not be the owner or manager but they are known by the team as a positive role model and cheerleader for the team. Let them be an assistant in the meeting. The Big Kahuna will help get staff on board with new ideas and will help guide the team as the changes occur in the day to day operations. The Big Kahuna is a great team cheerleader. There is little negative about the Big Kahuna. Be careful that the Big Kahuna doesn’t try to take over too much though or be a manager without the title. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen? (I don’t either but it worked here!)

 Sarah Shyness – This team member hides in the back of the room, crouched down in the chair and makes very little eye contact. She does her best to wear clothes that blend in with the chair in hopes you never call on her. She would rather look at a fecal then your eyes when you ask staff a question or for a volunteer. As a leader in the practice help encourage Sarah Shyness to share his/her ideas so that he/she can see that their ideas are valuable to the team and the practice. I guarantee that Sarah has amazing ideas but it may take a little hand holding to get her to share them. Don’t push her too hard or she will pull back. Baby steps with Sarah will work. When she sees positive feedback from her team as she begins to share ideas – she will take off and run with that!

 Negative Nelly - Be careful of Negative Nelly. Unlike Evelyn Eye Roller and Stevie Sigher, Negative Nelly will verbalize the negative comments that he/she is feeling. Negative comments have no productive use in a meeting and can have a negative impact on the overall feel of the team. Don’t let Negative Nelly vent their frustrations or glass half-empty feelings at the meeting (that’s what diaries are for). Validate that they have a concern and ask them to give a positive idea that would work. You can turn a Negative Nelly in to a Charlie Cheerleader with a little work!

 Peter Picker – Peter Picker has the ability to pick on and attack other staff members who share in a meeting. This behavior cannot be allowed in any form and must be stopped. If Peter Picker is allowed to continue his/her attack staff will stop contributing to meetings for fear of being Peter Picker’s next victim. Staff may also plan a behind the scenes mutiny to take Peter out and that is when you get to experience staff fighting, team separation and even team sabotage. Peter may also need a closed door talk with management to set some behavior expectations and to set clear guidelines on what things will and won’t be tolerated.

 Devil’s Advocate Danny – Danny can be an important part of a meeting. He/she can share ideas and thoughts seeing the topic from a different perspective. Just like ice cream though, often the grass is always greener on the other side part of the story must be taken in small doses. If Danny ONLY sees the other side and the other side is ALWAYS the side that makes the plan not work, or difficult to get staff buy in then Danny might have to be limited as well. As with many of the other personalities attending the meeting, listen to Danny’s ideas and perspectives but keep them on topic and away from negativity.



So there you have it. With a little planning and a keen eye you can have the whole family at the staff meeting and you will never have to ask again, “Can’t we all just get along?”