How to be the employee your company can not do without
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This document provides advice on how to be the indispensable employee that an employer will be least likely to lay off or terminate. It recommends six key strategies: 1) Know the purpose of work, which is to help the company make money; 2) Be low maintenance and flexible; 3) Be a problem solver; 4) Act like you own the business; 5) Anticipate questions your boss needs answered; and 6) Understand the economic realities of running a business and employing people. The document uses examples from veterinary practices to illustrate how to implement these strategies and assess one's own performance.
How to be the employee your company can not do without
- 1. How to be THE employee (associate DVM, staff member) your practice can not live without Raymond J Ramirez DVM University of Illinois 1986 ray@ramirezdvm.com Slideshare.net/rayjramirez 1
- 2. Problem: Your boss WILL at some point have to reduce payroll by Reducing hours of full or part time employees ‘Downsize’, ‘Lay off’, ‘terminate’ = Eliminating staff. How do I make sure I am the last person he or she will eliminate? This presentation is to be interactive – please ask questions and will address as goes along. 2
- 3. The Solution • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss didn’t ask Understand economic realities of employing peop 3
- 4. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 4
- 5. Why Work? • Everyone needs money. • The surest way to get money is to work. • The surest way to get more money is to become more valuable at work. 5
- 6. Assess your situation now Purpose of work • Surest way to get more money is to help your company make even more money! • Profit is not a four letter word. • Money is not the root of all evil… LOVE of money 6
- 7. Purpose of work What does your Boss want from You? • You are responsible for knowing what your supervisor expects of you • Unless you are psychic, ask – Job description – Regular performance evaluations q 6 mo (more often if you are trying to change / improve on something-weekly) – Short information meeting with supervisor Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. - Voltaire 7
- 8. Purpose of work • What happens if your boss will not do any of aforementioned? – Write own job description and ask “what would you add”.. And then don’t talk. Let your boss think. 8
- 9. Purpose of work • Question: • The purpose of work is ________________ 9
- 10. Questions to ask yourself on Purpose of work • Do I understand the purpose of work? • Do I think profit is a bad word? – or evil? • Do I try to make my practice more profitable? • Do I come to work to try to try to do my best? 10
- 11. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 11
- 12. Be Low Maintenance • Do you feel drained after talking to someone? • Know of someone, when you ask for the time, they tell you about how Copernicus created the clock? • Have you asked for a change in schedule more than 3 times in the past 12 months? • More time off than on your contract? 12
- 13. Be Low Maintenance • Be flexible enough to adapt to change – Even when something is frightening. Show that you will try. – Computer industry – • search engines • 2001:AOL; 2004: AltaVista… where are they now? – Veterinary industry : low cost OHE/ neuter/ other services 13
- 14. Be Low maintenance • Think things through to logical conclusion • Waitress: a server has a patron’s bill of $19.95, and customer gives her a $50. Server brings back a $20, $10 & nickel. How much tip does she get? • Inventory management has THE biggest impact on practice bottom line… besides staff. – A DVM/CVT removes the last bottle of your anesthetic induction agent from the closet.. But does not put it on a want list, because that is not her job. – How many HW or Flea/ tick products does your practice have? – Go back and ask your boss to remove YOUR favorite and go with one 14
- 15. Be Low Maintenance • Don’t cherry pick the pleasant tasks – All records must be written up before leaving at end of day. – Workplace must be prepared if you have a HBC or diabetic ER first thing the next morning. Always clean up… different for different folks • • • • DVM CVT Assistant Receptionist 15
- 16. Questions to ask yourself on Being low maintenance • Do I work my hours without asking for different times? (3 over 4 months) • Have I asked for more time off than originally contracted? • Have I …. 16
- 17. Be low maintenance • Questions? 17
- 18. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 18
- 19. Be a problem solver • Lights in rooms • Anesthetic monitor device : – “O doc will take care of that” • Health care – How many understand, or are trying to? – If you immersed yourself and became an ‘expert’ do you think you would have value? – Why don’t you? 19
- 20. Be a problem solver • Does practice have a web presence? • What about Facebook? – Note: if Ford and Coca-Cola can’t make Facebook advertising pay, why do you think you can? • What is the goal of these venues? • If going to introduce, make sure know goals going in. 20
- 21. Be a problem solver • Questions? – What if boss does not want you to do that? – What if boss is like Ray and ‘says will take change’ but does not? 21
- 22. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 22
- 23. Act like you own the place & like it • No one is exempt – DVM, VMD, Office manager, lead receptionist • When act like own place – make good decisions – Think big picture 23
- 24. Act like you own the place & like it • Being passionate and excited about work is a choice – not a result. 24
- 25. Act like you own the place • YOU are an extension of your company to the general public • This is hard in the grocery store, or shopping or out to eat – If you think you at war with your boss… then your clients will see it • The customer is ALWAYS watching 25
- 26. Act like you own the place • Why own a practice? – Most respond: • So I can set my own hours • So I won’t have to answer to anyone • To make what I’m really worth • “ A good employee is one that will bend down and pick up a piece of trash in his path and not leave it for the janitor. He will answer the phone when it keeps ringing even though he is not the receptionist” Karen McCarson, Program Manager, Dimple Edwards Rehab, Longview Texas 26
- 27. Act like you own the place & like it • List three things you like about your job – 1 – 2 – 3 • What do you like…. Think about it on the way home. “I long to accomplish a great and noble talks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble” Helen Keller 27
- 28. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 28
- 29. Ask the questions the Boss did not ask • “Seven Habits of Highly successful people” Steven Covey – First habit of…. – Be Proactive – TV examples • • • • MASH: Radar Others? How are they valued? Don’t you wish you were like them? You can cultivate this trait – you do it now. – Dog body language 29
- 30. Ask the questions the Boss did not ask • Get on Fast Track of highly valued employee – Ask boss “What can I do to help you?” – Then listen – and say: I can do this… • Imagine competing for $1,000,000 Jeopardy – This is highest earning rock band in history • If did not beat • Think of job same way 30
- 31. Ask the Questions Boss not ask • Temperament – based on Plato’s • Many in the medical professions are Melancholic/ Choloric, and the Phlegmatic and Sanguine can be very upset. 31
- 32. Melancholic • • • • • tends to value the ideal –whether it be truth, beauty, or justice, and all that is noble. He can be thoughtful, pious, and compassionate, given to solitude and reflection. Sensitive and idealistic, he is deeply concerned about injustice and vice. The melancholic is principled, consistent, faithful, and persevering. He is orderly, diligent and attentive to detail. He appreciates the mystery and depth of life. But that same idealism of melancholics can also cause them to become critical or judgmental of others who don’t “measure up.” This idealism lends itself to leadership skills — or sometimes causes melancholics to be impractical and intractable, not team players. They are skeptical about what may appear to be simplistic labels and categories. Excerpt from The Temperament God Gave You 32
- 33. Choleric • • • • • • Choleric Melancholic: Does this sound familiar? Enthusiasm, energy, intelligent, and a strong willed combine to make the choleric temperament a classic “go-getter.” Whether at home or on the job, the choleric will take charge and get many things accomplished in a short amount of time. The choleric reacts quickly and intensely; decisiveness is his hallmark. In addition, he is extraverted and self-confident, comfortable taking charge of people as well as situations. Opposition is never a stumbling block, but rather a further incentive to action. Dynamic and direct, the choleric has a keen mind and thinks independently. He will always let you know what he’s thinking. The choleric’s enthusiasm and energy will attract others to him. He thrives on activity; work invigorates him. He is optimistic and magnanimous; he values success in his endeavors and sets high goals. He is comfortable with power, blossoms in competition, and is confident in his own decisions. … There is, of course, a downside to this driven and intense personality. He is quick to judge, form an opinion, and stubbornly charge ahead — often without proper reflection and sometimes without compassion for people in his way. 33
- 34. So how does this apply to me? • Ask the question: what does boss not want to do • what is not in his temperament strength • You Do that • give updates on what is happening 34
- 35. Ask the questions the Boss did not ask Find something your boss does not like to do, that you enjoy – and do it. 35
- 36. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 36
- 37. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Myth: “They don’t pay me enough to do this job” – Believe if paid more, they’d do a better job – A person who won’t give 100% @$6/hr won’t give 100% @60/hr – If giving 100% at minimum wage… won’t be making minimum wage long.. – Same principal no matter the pay scale 37
- 38. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Earn Paycheck every day – Understand profit margin – Why should I care if Dr boss makes a profit? – Are Profits are bad? – If your practice does not make a profit, the owner might as well close his/ her doors and work for someone else,… then you are out a job 38
- 39. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Don’t let job seniority work against you – Sports – happen all time • Michael Jordon • Bulls but ‘retired’ then came back to Wizards • Eddie George – Heisman RB from Ohio State • Started with Oilers/Titans – Released before 04 season for ‘salary cap’ reasons – Last year sign with Cowboys • Other examples? – How does play at clinic? 39
- 40. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Don’t let job seniority work against you • DVM: DR J – Hired $1,000/wk ($52K/yr) • • • • • • • produce $4,000 in clinic productivity Assume gets raise of 3%/year over 5 yr Y1: $1,000 x 1.03 = $1,030.00 Y2: $1,030 x 1.03 = $1,060.90 Y3: $1,060.90 x 1.03 = $1,092.72 Y4: $1,092.72 x 1.03 = $1,125.50 Y5: $1,125.50 x 1.03 = $1,159.27 ($60,282.04/yr) 40
- 41. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Don’t let job seniority work against you • DVM: DR J – Hired $1,000/wk ($52K/yr) • produce $4,000 in clinic productivity • Net value to practice: $3,000/wk • Assume gets raise of 3%/year over 5 yr – Scenario A • • • • $1159.27/wk Produce $4,000 Net value to practice $2840.73 Value? 41
- 42. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Don’t let job seniority work against you • DVM: Dr K – Hired $1,000/wk ($52K/yr) • produce $4,000 in clinic productivity • Net value to practice: $3,000/wk • Assume gets raise of 3%/year over 5 yr – Scenario B • • • • $1159.27/wk Produce $4,200 Net value to practice $3040.73 Value? 42
- 43. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Don’t let job seniority work against you • DVM: Dr L – Hired $1,000/wk ($52K/yr) • produce $4,000 in clinic productivity • Net value to practice: $3,000/wk • Assume gets raise of 3%/year over 5 yr – Scenario C • • • • $1159.27/wk Produce $5,000 Net value to practice $3840.73 Value? 43
- 44. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Which Veterinarian do you want to be? • Scenario A – Earn $1159.27/wk – Produce $4,000 – Net value to practice after 5 years: $2840.73 • Scenario B – $1159.27/wk – Produce $4,200 – Net value to practice after 5 years $3040.73 • Scenario C – $1159.27/wk – Produce $5,000 – Net value to practice after 5 years $3840.73 44
- 45. Understand the Economic Realities of Employing People • Profit is not a bad word! • Questions? 45
- 46. How do we become THE employee? • • • • • • Know the purpose of work Be low maintenance Be a problem Solver Act like you own the place Answer questions your boss did not ask Understand economic realities of employing people 46
- 47. Questions? • Fill in blank: • The purpose of work is _____________. 47