Personnel

Is Leadership an Innate Quality, or Can it be Learned?

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:27:26 GMT

Most of us have heard the expression “natural born leader” and can immediately call to mind people in our lives who exemplify that. They seem to have some innate qualities – confidence, great decision-making skills, problem solving abilities, to name a few – that make them instinctively effective at leading and inspiring other people.

But what if you don’t consider yourself a natural leader, and you want or need to be one to succeed in your organization or to run your veterinary practice effectively?

The good news – most essential leadership skills can be learned and developed over time through formal learning, practical experience and an abundance of hard work.

An article in ScienceDaily estimates that around 70% of leadership ability can be developed while 30% is influenced by innate qualities:

Learned components (70%) – These include skills acquired through experience, mentorship, formal leadership development programs and self-directed learning.

Innate components (30%) – These are qualities like charisma, confidence, social awareness and emotional resilience. However, such natural tendencies alone don’t guarantee effective leadership.

Not An Either/Or Scenario

It’s encouraging to me – and I hope it is to you – that most essential leadership skills can be learned, developed and applied. They aren’t just a matter of nature versus nurture; they’re most usually a combination of both.

Looking ahead, there are two upcoming opportunities to develop and hone your leadership skills:
1. American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Conference , Sept. 11-15, 2025, Omaha, Neb.
2. American Veterinary Medical Association annual Veterinary Leadership Conference , Jan. 8-10, 2026, Chicago, Ill.

One final thought on leadership. If you’re far along in your career and the topic of leadership makes you shrug your shoulders in a been-there, done-that sort of way, consider becoming a mentor to a younger or new practitioner. AABP has a host of mentor opportunities, and your skills, encouragement and listening ears will be just what another veterinarian out there needs now. Learn more at www.aabp.org.

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3 Ways To Help Producers Be Ready If ICE Shows Up At The Farm

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:31:23 GMT

Many aspects of U.S. food production have the hands of immigrant labor involved in the process today. That fact is a key reason bovine veterinarians can benefit from considering how to help their beef and dairy clients be prepared if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials show up at farms and other facilities.

“Many of [the] employees are unfortunately undocumented, and farms have been the subject of ICE raids,” says Fred Gingerich, DVM, American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) executive director.

Gingerich addressed the topic and offered some practical recommendations during a recent AABP Have You Herd podcast with program guest Rick Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. The association is a producer owned and governed organization in Idaho, representing dairy farm families throughout the state.

Here are three of the key takeaways from their discussion:

1. Encourage beef and dairy producers to proactively put legal counsel in place that is specific to immigration — has that as a specialty in their practice.

Do this first step as soon as possible, Gingerich and Naerebout encourage.

“…Make sure that you have legal counsel lined up and you have that phone number readily available for anybody that you anticipate that might be that first point of contact with ICE if they show up on the facility,” Naerebout says

2. Establish a chain of command (COC) on the farm that all employees are aware of and know how to articulate to ICE officials.

Coach employees on how to implement the COC.

“…Guys, have a strategy worked out in advance, so you’re not trying to make it up on the fly,” Naerebout advises. “Because everything that has been reported to us in terms of what the experiences have been with ICE coming onto facilities these last few months is that those are very intense situations, and you typically don’t have the luxury of time or convenience on your side.”

Within that strategy, Naerebout recommends coaching employees who are not authorized to speak for the facility to be able to tell ICE officials that and how to reach the owner or key manager.

3. Encourage clients to post signage that clearly delineates between private and public places within facilities and/or on the farm.

Naerebout says such signage can help guide where ICE officials can go, depending on the type of warrant they show up with. He explains there are two common warrants ICE officials might have in-hand when they arrive:

One is an administrative warrant. The other is a judicial warrant:

An administrative warrant is going to come from, typically, the Department of Homeland Security and is not signed by a judge.

“With an administrative warrant, they can only go into public places,” Naerebout says.

As a simple rule of thumb, tell producers to consider wherever a UPS or FedEx driver can go to deliver packages on the farm or facility as a public place. Post signage designating those areas, as such.

A judicial warrant is going to be signed by a state or a federal judge, and that will give ICE authorization to go into private places within your client’s farm or facilities.

Naerebout says understanding the difference between those two warrants, and the access they provide, is a key piece that you need to try and make sure your clients and their employees have a clear understanding of at the onset.

“Again, [if ICE shows up] this is going to happen very rapidly, very aggressively, from what we’ve been shared with, so you want to really coach employees and have a strategy in place beforehand, so it’s somewhat second nature if it does happen on one of your facilities,” he says.

Gingerich asked Naerebout about what are an employer’s and an employee’s rights if they’re questioned by an ICE agent.

“Sit down with your legal counsel and really talk through what those rights are for the employees and the employers to understand, what they can and cannot do, and don’t have to answer,” Naerebout emphasized.

“I will say that the different ICE raids that we’ve seen around the country, and what’s been reported back to us, is typically they are coming in and they’ve got arrest warrants for individuals, and they are arresting those individuals,” he adds.

“In those situations, you have all your same Miranda rights that any of us would have. But again, I would strongly encourage this, talk through these situations with your legal counsel and have a good understanding of who’s going to talk to ICE and what they have to say.”

For more insights that you and livestock producers can use to prepare for a visit from ICE, AABP provided links to the following organizations:

National Immigration Law Center
American Immigration Council
American Immigration Lawyers Association

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7 Health Insurance Solutions for the Self-Employed

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:50:40 GMT

If there is anything that could derail your business literally overnight, it’s a serious injury or illness in your family.

That’s why health insurance is an absolutely critical risk management tool, even though the cost of the insurance itself can also strain your business. While it probably won’t cover every medical expense for your family, it can protect you from the catastrophic effects of a major health event.

The majority of farm families agree with that sentiment, according to a 2017 study by HIREDnAG. The survey of nearly 1,000 farm families in 10 rural states found more than 75% of the respondents viewed health insurance as an essential risk management tool.

At the same time, however, many farm families still roll the dice by going without health insurance. The most recent USDA data on the subject shows more than 10% of U.S. farm households do not have health insurance, which is slightly higher than the general public. But even more telling is the type of farms that forgo it the most: dairy farms. They made up more than 40% of all farm households without health insurance, which is more than double any other type of farming enterprise.

Options to Cover Your Family

For those who are insured, many farm families rely on off-farm employment to secure health insurance — about 56% according to the USDA data. But what options are available for the rest of the families or individuals who wish to purchase their own coverage? Penn State University Extension’s Maureen Ittig, family well-being educator, and Ginger Fenton, dairy educator, recently presented a webinar where they shared the following suggestions:

Health Insurance Marketplace. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 created the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. Americans who do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance can secure coverage through the marketplace, which provides credits for factors like income and family size. A handy calculator to estimate credits and plan costs can be found here . All ACA-compliant plans must cover 10 categories of services that includes things like prescriptions, pediatric care and emergency room services. Open enrollment for ACA plans is usually in the fall, but special circumstances can allow for enrollment throughout the year.
Medicaid/CHIP plans. Lower-income families may qualify for Medicaid and/or Children’s Health Insurance Program plans. These plans vary by state. They typically are less costly to families and may provide additional services, like dental and vision coverage, compared to ACA plans.
Association-based plans. Farm organizations and cooperatives may offer group plans to farmer-members. These organizations also offer guidance to help farm families understand the “language” of health insurance and aid in decision making.
HSAs. Using a Health Savings Account (HSA) is a popular way for farmers to maximize their health insurance dollars. HSAs are actual bank accounts that families fund annually and can be used to cover qualified health expenses. Any dollars not used can remain in the account for expenses incurred later on and even invested into higher-yielding financial funds. To access an HSA, the insured must have a High Deductible Health Plan, which can be accessed via insurance brokers, association-based plans, or the Health Insurance Marketplace. HSAs offer the “triple-treat” tax advantages of pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth and no tax on qualified withdrawals.
Skinny and gap plans. Some states allow for skinny plans that have lower premiums, largely because they are not required to offer the ACA-required 10 categories of services, like allowing entry with pre-existing conditions or maternity coverage. They also may have lifetime payout limits. Gap plans offer short-term, emergency coverage in some states. After 180 days, the insured must enroll for new coverage. They also may have exclusions and lifetime limits.
Armed forces health insurance. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, about 9% of U.S farmers are veterans. They and their families are usually eligible for TRICARE or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health insurance programs.
Healthcare sharing ministries. Several faith-based group health coverage ministries are available that share healthcare costs among their members. This is not health insurance, but many users find they are able to negotiate rates with providers similar to discounts offered to insurance companies. Enrollment may require specific belief systems and lifestyle choices (no tobacco or illegal drug use, for example). Users pay monthly fees similar to health insurance premiums. When they incur an expense, they pay their bills up front and then submit them for reimbursement.

The Penn State experts advised looking not only at costs, but also at the services your family might need, such as maternity and mental health coverage.

“The array of options available hopefully will allow you to pick an option that works best for you, your budget and your values,” Fenton notes.

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12 Tips If You’re Feeling Isolated and Lonely

Tue, 27 May 2025 17:22:56 GMT

Mental health is not a luxury – it’s foundational to every part of life, including showing up for family and friends, holding a job, getting through school, enjoying rest and relaxation, and simply being able to connect with others.

Rural Minds, a non-profit organization that serves as the informed voice for mental health in rural America, encourages individuals to seek help during times of struggle with loneliness or isolation. If you are feeling lonely, here are some steps that can help you build social connection:

Understand the power of social connection and the consequences of social disconnection by learning how the vital components (structure, function and quality) can impact your relationships, health and well-being.
Invest time in nurturing your relationships through consistent, frequent, and high-quality engagement with others. Take time each day to reach out to a friend or family member.
Minimize distraction during conversation to increase the quality of the time you spend with others. For instance, don’t check your phone during meals with friends, important conversations, and family time.
Seek out opportunities to serve and support others, either by helping your family, co-workers, friends, or strangers in your community or by participating in community service.
Be responsive, supportive and practice gratitude. As we practice these behaviors, others are more likely to reciprocate, strengthening our social bonds, improving relationship satisfaction, and building social capital.
Actively engage with people of different backgrounds and experiences to expand your understanding of and relationships with others, given the benefits associated with diverse connections.
Participate in social and community groups such as fitness, religious, hobby, professional and community service organizations to foster a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose.
Reduce practices that lead to feelings of disconnection from others. These include harmful and excessive social media use, time spent in unhealthy relationships, and disproportionate time in front of screens instead of people.
Seek help during times of struggle with loneliness or isolation by reaching out to a family member, friend, counselor, health care provider or the 988 crisis line.
Be open with your health care provider about significant social changes in your life, as this may help them understand potential health impacts and guide them to provide recommendations to mitigate health risks.
Make time for civic engagement. This could include being a positive and constructive participant in political discourse and gatherings (e.g., town halls, school board meetings, local government hearings).
Reflect the core values of connection in how you approach others in conversation and through the actions you take. Key questions to ask yourself when considering your interactions with others include: How might kindness change this situation? What would it look like to treat others with respect? How can I be of service? How can I reflect my concern for and commitment to others?

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Don’t Ignore the Nudge: Why Listening Matters More Than You Think

Thu, 15 May 2025 14:43:08 GMT

Have you ever found yourself unsure of how to take a step forward? I clearly remember a day last summer when I was out of time. The procrastination needed to stop. I had an hour-long talk to prepare for and my mind was blank.

Of course, I realized this was not a good situation to be in. Sure, I had my topic and key points, but in my mind, it needed a dash of heart.

Then, my phone buzzed.

At first, I ignored it. I didn’t have time to get sidetracked. But I eventually checked it. It was Maddie, a young woman and friend who shared her vulnerable and powerful story with me a few years ago about her attempts at suicide.

Start the Conversation
She texted, “I know you’ve been so busy lately and I didn’t want to bother you. But I’ve been thinking about this all day and felt urged to share this story with you.”

Maddie had been speaking on her mental health journey in front of a group of farmers in Ohio. She didn’t know anyone at the event and admittedly, was a little nervous to share her story. When she arrived, a middle-aged man in work boots and overalls came right over to her and asked if he could help carry her things.

She politely said, “Sure, I’d love that.”

They got to talking as they carried in her tubs of stuff. Eventually they got to the reason she was in Ohio to speak.

This 250-lb. farmer then teared up and said, “I know why you are here. Ma’am, I just thought you should know that you’re the reason I’m here.”

Although the details of his story are not what matters here, he was contemplating suicide when he scrolled upon Maddie’s story on Facebook .

“For whatever reason, I saw your parents’ side of the story first,” he told her. “I decided that I didn’t want my wife and children to find me like that. I didn’t want to leave them like that.”

I messaged back to my friend and said, “Wow. I don’t know what else to say.”

She simply responded that she didn’t know what to say in that moment either. So, she hugged him hard and that was it.

“It was exceptionally hard to compose myself the rest of the day,” Maddie texted back. “Thank you, Jennifer. You took a chance on me and whether you know it or not, you saved a life, too. I was just a small part in it.”

‘Fine’ Doesn’t Cut It
Can I be honest that I felt completely uncomfortable when she said this? (And even more so sharing this with you.) But in that moment, I was reminded that the very best thing we can do in this world is listen to others. We think we need to say something back or have the right words, but we don’t.

People just want to be heard. They want to be known. They may not say it out loud, but as humans, one of our greatest needs is to be understood by someone.

We all have stories that need to be shared, and we need people to step in and listen to them. Listening is one of the most powerful healing tools.

Almost a year ago, I wrote about my friend Mary and how she takes the time to truly see people . She’s a busy lady and balances several jobs and volunteer opportunities. But she is never too busy to genuinely look you in the eye and ask you how you are doing. Mary doesn’t ask in a way that gives you any option except to say how you are really doing. ‘Fine’ doesn’t cut it with her.

I hope you don’t let ‘fine’ cut it in your life, either. Pay attention to the people you run into every day and the people you love who you don’t get to see very often. I’m thankful Maddie didn’t ignore the nudge to text me that day. She gave me just the dash of heart I needed.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month . Millions of Americans live with mental health conditions. Whether by sharing your story, spreading awareness, or advocating for change, every action helps break the stigma and build a more supportive world for all.

Government Designates $103 Million to Monitor Avian Influenza in Farmworkers

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:32:07 GMT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Jan. 3 that it will award $306 million to continue its H5N1 Avian Flu response. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s assessment of the risk of avian influenza to the general public remains low, USDA and HHS plan to collaborate with federal, state, local, industry and other stakeholders to protect human health, animal health and food safety, a release said.

“While the risk to humans remains low, we are always preparing for any possible scenario that could arise. These investments are critical to continuing our disease surveillance, laboratory testing, and monitoring efforts alongside our partners at USDA,” Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a release. “Preparedness is the key to keeping Americans healthy and our country safe. We will continue to ensure our response is strong, well equipped, and ready for whatever is needed.”

Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response said it will award approximately $183 million in additional funding for regional, state and local preparedness programs:

$90 million to the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP)
$10 million to the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC)
$26 million to the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs)
$43 million to the Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (SPTCs) Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Activities
$14 million to replenish equipment and supply caches for the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)

CDC will award approximately $111 million in funding for additional enhancements to our ability to monitor H5N1 at the local, state and national levels:

$103 million to jurisdictions for increased monitoring of individuals exposed to infected animals, testing, and outreach to high-risk populations (such as livestock workers)
$8 million to manufacture, store, and distribute additional influenza diagnostic test kits for virologic surveillance

National Institutes of Health will award approximately $11 million in funding for additional research into potential medical countermeasures for H5N1:

$11 million to the Centers for Excellence for Influenza Research and Response contracts

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Employee Training and Retention Focus of DCRC February Webinar

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 02:07:18 GMT

Register for the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council’s (DCRC) next webinar – Employee training and retention – set for Feb. 3, starting at 2 p.m. Central time (Chicago time).

Robert Hagevoort, New Mexico State University associate professor and Extension dairy specialist, will lead the free, one-hour webinar. Employee performance is the “Achille’s heel” of the dairy industry. Also, it exacerbates the struggle to find people willing to do the daily jobs that power dairy farms. How do we solve these challenges? Robert Hagevoort, the webinar presenter, urges dairy producers and veterinarians to manage their current talent.

It is a mindset shift from finding the right person to developing them. Go to: https://bit.ly/DCRCFeb3Hagevoort to register for this DCRC webinar.

If you are a DCRC member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar at www. dcrcouncil.org by Feb. 17.

Hagevoort, a native of The Netherlands, started working at NMSU in 2005. Prior to that time, he spent more than 10 years working as an independent dairy management consultant – primarily in California’s Southern and Central Valley.

As an extension specialist, he has been working closely with the dairy industry in New Mexico and across the West regarding many regulatory and environmental issues. A key component of his current program is the development and implementation of a comprehensive dairy workforce training and safety program.

A great deal of his time is spent working individually with dairies and collectively with producer associations on implementing and evaluating comprehensive workforce training programs in dairy safety, animal handling, parlor performance, calf care, feeder performance and hospital and maternity care. A recent direction, because of expressed producer needs, is a focus on the development of effective middle-manager training programs.

To learn more about this opportunity, contact JoDee Sattler at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org . For more information about DCRC’s webinars, e-mail Caio Figueiredo, DCRC Education Committee chair, at: caio.figueiredo@wsu.edu or e-mail DCRC at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org .

The Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council is focused on bringing together all sectors of the dairy industry – producers, consultants, academia and allied industry professionals – for improved reproductive performance. DCRC provides an unprecedented opportunity for all groups to work together to take dairy cattle reproduction to the next level.

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Does Your Veterinary Business Culture Need To Change?

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 17:01:20 GMT

Sometimes we just don’t like the way things are. Truth be told, that doesn’t always mean that things need to change. Sometimes, it’s on us to adapt or accept circumstances beyond our control. However, there are real signs that culture is a problem.

Here are six to look for when considering the need for culture change:

Frequent employee turn over
Secrecy or hidden information
Back-stabbing among staff
Overt jockeying for position or favor
Lack of trust or reluctance to trust
Poor or contradictory communication

Any one of these items can indicate it’s time for a culture shift, but three or more means the culture is in jeopardy, for sure.

All businesses have culture; it’s either intentional or assumed, but we can all sense that it’s there. To consider if your culture is in the healthiest form, take a read of some common culture types and consider where your business fits. You might find that you’re a blend of a few of these.

Types of Culture

Clan: This is a tight-knit operation, usually all family or at least family and trusted advisers. Everyone must pull their weight and all rewards get (generally) shared. Non-members are often disregarded or untrusted.
Risk and Innovate: This culture values being first. Ideas are accepted and encouraged. Risks, including big financial risks, are attempted with success and failure. This operation always is first to try the new tech.
Results-Driven: This culture is all about profit and productivity. It’s a banner of pride to never take a day off. Expenses are kept to a minimum, even when spending money could make things easier or quicker.
Ruler-Peasant: In these operations there is only one alpha. All plans run through the leader. Individual ideas aren’t valued unless expressly approved. Ideas implemented without approval are seen as an affront.

Culture Changes
You can change culture, but as you can imagine, it takes time and steady effort to make progress. Remember, culture forms over time, so shifting it won’t happen instantly. A few tips to support changing culture include:

Values: These are the deep-seated beliefs that people hold and that rarely shift. Is our current culture reflecting these values?
Mission: This is about the purpose and the way an operation lives out its values. This absolutely can shift overtime, often as people age and mature or as new people take on leadership roles.
Goals: Goals are the aims the business intends to achieve that are brought about by their actions. If your business hasn’t truly set or updated its short- and long-term goals recently, doing so could create an excellent pathway to changing culture.

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Cultivate Passion For Veterinary Medicine in New Associates

Cultivate Passion For Veterinary Medicine in New Associates

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:41:32 GMT

Most new associates are busy at work. It’s the nature of veterinary medicine itself.

Emergencies, sick cows and client herd programs are a reality of day-to-day work. Each call expands a new associates skill set and productivity.

But why are so many young associates stuck in a rut. They’re busy, working hard and have great production numbers. But they still report something is missing, stating the “passion” just isn’t there anymore.

When coached in a one-on-one setting young associates often identify a common friction point for the development of this passion; they aren’t given a fair chance to “consult.” Making them feel as if they have no control over their days.

The primary problem of this whack-a-mole, ambulatory esque, approach during an associate’s early years is that few are busy with “quality work.” Hired as knowledge workers, which Peter Drucker defined in 1959 as, "...high-level workers who apply theoretical and analytical knowledge, acquired through formal training, to develop products and services,” they do very little true “thinking.” Their time is spent ambulating between problems, but never really doing any deep thinking beyond the next ddx.

The Value Of Deep Work Time

These budding associates never really get to the “deep work time” that we all love. What is it exactly? The definition of deep work time is when you’re in a state of distraction-free concentration when your brain works at its maximum potential. It’s that time that allows for expansive thought, idea connection, and the cultivation of a true knowledge worker.

These associates are excellent employees and doctors by all production metrics. Yet they still struggle to find passion in their work. The irony of this cannot be lost on themselves or ownership.

But there is hope. As an associate’s skill level at work improves and their expertise increases, they’re better able to exercise control over their time and develop passion for their career.

Some of this likely comes with a better understanding of their career or job demands. Some from better time management and via the building of client relationships. However, inherently the more skilled they become the more people rely and trust their decisions.

Interestingly, this skill development and subsequent client “need” also aids associate autonomy. Their improved skill is recognized, and it results in better client relationships and more openness to consulting. As their consulting portfolio grows, they can exercise more control over their days. Soon the associate is seen as an autonomously functional unit and as a capable peer by their team and clients.

Support Skill Development

This necessitates the conversation, “How do we aid their skill development?” Part of the answer is counterintuitive.... pull them off the front line.

Identify the time in their first few months that they are allowed to do deep work development in an area of great interest to them. Block off deep work time on a weekly basis for them. Uncouple them from their production totals and help them focus upon intellectual development.

Provide them one to two hours per week to read journal articles and summarize them for the group. Motivate them to take advanced CE trainings, to join intellectual peer groups or masterminds and encourage them to build a new service. Do these things before they begin to build their own consulting portfolio.

Opportunities such as these allow associates to develop competencies that will then feed back into the system. Creating a virtuous cycle where they’re more creative; this creativity makes them more in demand. This demand provides them with more control over their time and career direction which in turn ignites their passion for veterinary medicine.

Check out these articles on Bovine Veterinarian:

Cows Can Read People, and It Shows
50% of Ag Economists Think We’re Still A Year Away from Even Starting to Rebuild the U.S. Cattle Herd

Stop Thinking of Your Employees as an Assembly Line

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:51:17 GMT

Haven’t had to correct an employee on proper protocols lately?

Then you should be very concerned.

In today’s modern agricultural industry we too often think of our employees as Henry Fordescue cogs in an assembly line.

Employees are handed SOPs and job descriptions that have been approved by management, FARM and our processors. They are trained and corrected until they master them. After this mastery, managers then often place the employee in the back of their mind. Only returning to them when problems arise, when the system requires extra training or when introducing an evolution of their job description.

But when does this benign neglect of high performing employees become dangerous?

This threshold is reached when protocol becomes the only standard. When protocols are unequivocally followed by employees. When “We’ve always done it this way” becomes the employee’s credo.

Managers should expect employees to drift, to deviate, and even alter protocols.

These alterations are not malicious. They are simple first order changes made by employees in the spirit of adaptation and improved efficiency. They are very much a sign of a healthy workplace.

When we hire individuals we force them into a new social context. Challenging their prior sense of self, forcing them into our “SOP” molds. A natural side effect of this is a loss of control; something that is necessary for employees to feel satisfied with their work and life. If this erosion of life satisfaction persists, this will result in employees leaving this new social environment, aka their job.

Healthy workplaces encourage employees to take back control by allowing them to trial different efficiency changes. They expect and even invite deviation of SOPs; which must occur within a safety net or “rails” involving and even requiring managerial oversight.

By providing an environment of encouraged change managers are able to provide a sort of “health” test for the operation. Because as James Clear stated;

“When people say they don’t want to change what they really mean is they don’t have an incentive to change.”

Using this metric, a lack of change or protocol drift by employees over time would suggest the opposite of what we think. Instead of thinking things are going well, managers should be concerned that employee’s autonomy is being suppressed. So much so that the operation could be at risk of being unable to retain premier talent long term.

Managers should look for, encourage and be relieved by protocol deviations. Rather than correcting the behavior outright, one should be asking deeper questions. Find out why the employee changed the protocol, altered the order, or modified the task. More often than not this “trend towards change” will have an operation headed in an improved direction; one that will empower and improve your operation.

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Prevent Quitting: Keep Employees Top of Mind in 2024

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:57:14 GMT

As the calendar page flips to a new year, farmers are focusing on ways they can improve their operation in 2024. For many, labor – or lack thereof - sorted its way to the top of the ‘biggest headaches’ list. To help prevent this issue from reoccurring, Jorge Delgado, a training and talent development specialist at Alltech, says now is the perfect time to give your employee management plan a brief overhaul.

Before your best employee walks out the door, consider implementing the following steps to give retention and performance a needed boost.

Conduct Annual Reviews: “This is a concept many have of heard of but few people are using,” Delgado shares. However, he recommends treating annual reviews as a chance to sit down with each individual in your team to review expectations, goals, what needs to be improved and what needs to change.

“This is a good opportunity to hear feedback from your employees and share with them your appreciation in a very formal way,” he adds.

Go Over Mission Statement: Another important aspect to look over going into the new year is your farm’s mission statement. Delgado says if your operation doesn’t currently have a mission statement, this is the time to start creating one with your employees in mind.

“Let them be part of this process and include them in your mission statement,” he says.

Review and Update Protocols: Similar to looking over your farm’s mission statement, reviewing protocols is another important area to analyze.

“This is an area that often gets lost in time,” Delgado says. “People start deferring from original protocols and make decisions that may not be the best for your operation and/or animals. Get together with employees and/or your veterinarian to update information and procedures.”

Perform an Anonymous Survey: “An anonymous survey can help you find information to improve your internal culture and to discover areas of improvement,” Delgado says. “You will be surprised with the information generated from this kind of survey.”

Delgado suggests creating a questionnaire with simple questions that can help you finding opportunities about your organization.

Adjust Payroll: When was the last time you reviewed your employees’ salaries? According to Delgado, many workers might be due for a raise that was forgotten during the year.

“This is also a good time to adjust those numbers based on inflation and other costs,” he adds.

Terminate Bad Apples: While labor shortages continue to be one of the biggest issues facing agriculture, not every employee is cut out to work on our operations. Delgado agrees, adding, “There are some employees who just don’t fit in our culture or business mode. The new year can be a good time to start thinking about how to replace those individuals in our business.”

Calculate Annual Turnover Rate: Chances are you may have had a few employees leave your farm in 2023. Was this number higher than previous years? Lower? According to Delgado, it’s important to keep a pulse on your farm’s turnover rate.

“Find areas to improve on if this number is too high for your operation,” he adds.

Start Planning an Educational Calendar: As the chapter closes on 2023, Delgado says now is a good time to ask your employees what they would like to learn in 2024 and set up dates in your new calendar.

“Consider also reaching out to external resources to get them on your calendar” Delgado “They can offer free, professional training.”

Plan Social and Cultural Events for the Coming Year: Farming is a stressful occupation for both farm owners and employees. Therefore, it’s important to keep fun activities on the calendar to increase morale and engagement. Consider hosting a team dinner or

“Employees value the social aspect of any organization,” Delgado says. “This also helps with retention and motivation.”

Review Safety Guidelines: No matter the time of year, keeping employees safe should always be top of mind. Going into 2024, set intentions to review and update safety guidelines to ensure every position in your operation has a plan.

“If you don’t have a safety plan, you need one,” Delgado shares. “Review what went well and what went wrong this year. Use this information to increase safety around the farm.”

For more on labor, read:

Prevent Farm and Ranch Injuries from Cattle

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:58:02 GMT

In January, I attended the Oklahoma Veterinary Conference. While waiting for one of the sessions to start, a classmates of mine made the comment of how many of the attendees walk with a limp, used a cane, and/or have damaged hands. We all agreed that working with animals is hard on the body. In general, anything associated with farming and ranching is dangerous.

Most farmers and ranchers know that agriculture is a dangerous occupation. According to United States Bureau of Statistics, workers involved in agriculture, forestry, and fishing had the highest occupational fatality rate in 2022. The fatality rate of 23.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers for this group is much higher when compared to the overall occupation fatality rate of 3.7 per 100,000 FTE. Most of the agriculture related fatalities are associated with transportation such as tractor overturns and vehicle crashes, but a fair number involve livestock.

Livestock accounts for a significant amount of human injury and deaths. A survey of seven states in the central United States (US) found livestock were a frequent cause of injury. One survey found cattle accounted for almost one third of the injuries. In another survey, cattle were responsible for 36% of the fatalities. With their unpredictability and enormous power, bulls can be extremely dangerous. One study reported 261 attacks on people with 149 reported as fatalities and 112 as injuries.

Most victims of cattle incidents are struck, trampled, gored, and/or kicked. The most common types of injuries are contusions, fractures, and lacerations involving the lower and upper extremities. More severe injuries are related to head trauma, internal damage, and crushing injuries.

Many factors play a part in causing injuries and fatalities. One survey found that the age of the victim was significant. Groups with younger people were at higher risk of injury when compared to older ranchers. This may be due to human error and overconfidence of the handler as was pointed out in one report as a cause of injury and death. However, medical conditions such as hearing loss and arthritis, which are more common in older people, can play a role in being injured. These conditions may restrict a person’s ability to move out of danger or hear activities that may warn them to move. This relates to another reported risk factor of individuals working alone. It is reported that one third of the fatalities occur when no one else is present. Another interesting fact associated with fatalities is that one third of the deaths were caused by animals that had previously shown aggressive behavior. It is wise to cull aggressive animals.

Another factor to consider is facilities. Several studies indicated that cattle equipment, housing, and working facilities contributed to injuries. This was especially important in bull incidents. Unfortunately, over 40% of cattlemen in one survey reported that they do not think their facilities are safe but hesitate to improve them. The reasons given include the cost of new equipment, satisfaction with the current facility, and lack of both time and knowledge on how to build a new facility.

Most if not all injuries and fatalities caused by livestock can be prevented. Livestock producers can reduce the risk of injury by studying animal behavior, by using proper handling techniques, and by using equipment correctly. Beef Quality Assurance as well as many other groups provide training in animal behavior and low stress cattle handling. Facilities and equipment are costly, but when designed and used correctly, accidents are reduced. Individuals need to protect themselves by wearing proper footwear, clothing, and head and eye protection. Also, many accidents happen when farmers and ranchers work alone. A partner present to keep watch may prevent an injury. Lastly, producers need to recognize their limits. When animals are involved, overconfidence will get someone hurt.

From a personal standpoint, I have had my share of incidents. I have been bitten, scratched, clawed, trampled, tossed around, mashed, and crushed by a variety of them. All of the incidents were the result of overconfidence, human error, lack of knowledge, and poor equipment and facilities. My life’s experiences are the same as many other farmers and ranchers. We all have one life to live, so we all need to take better care of ourselves.

7 Ways To Prioritize Employee Retention

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 21:21:08 GMT

Yes, recruiting members for your team is extremely difficult. But before you spend your time and energy on that challenge, focus first on your current team.

“Put retention in front of recruiting,” suggests Mel Kleiman, president of Humetrics, a human resource consulting firm. “Become a place that people want to work, and then when people hear you have an opening, they come to you.”

How do you prioritize retention? Analyze why employees leave. Many times, their departures fall into these categories.

1. Substandard Co-Workers: “The good employees aren’t paid enough to cover for or put up with the hiring mistakes,” Kleiman says. Don’t force your good employees to compensate for others who are lazy, indifferent or undependable.

2. Mind-Numbing Tasks: New employees are often handed boring and repetitive jobs. Even in downtimes, come up with meaningful work, suggests Erika Osmundson, director of marketing and communications for AgCareers.com. Find ways to make roles on your farm fun or challenging.

3. No Attention or Authority: “When a supervisor is so busy fighting the fires created by problem employees, he or she never has any time for his best people,” Kleiman says. Many times, this busy leader also fails to delegate authority to capable employees, leaving those employees frustrated.

4. No Training: Forgot that often-repeated phrase that training is not a good investment because “they’ll leave in three months anyway.” Establish an ongoing training plan, suggests Wesley Tucker, University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist. “Utilize multiple methods to ensure employees absorb and retain critical information,” he says. “Look for opportunities for both formal and spontaneous training.”

5. No Chance for Advancement: Do you share insights about future opportunities or positions? Recognize how advancements drive retention and job satisfaction. “A lot of times, we hire young people and think they are great,” says Dave Allen, president of Agri-Search, a placement firm for agricultural jobs. “So, you let them go do their thing. But, if you forget about them, they will be gone in two years.”

6. Lack of Respect: Employees need positive recognition, Kleiman says. “Praise in public and criticize in private,” he says. Many times, supervisors avoid positive feedback for fear the recipient might ask for a raise – this is the wrong approach.

7. Scheduling Conflicts: When an employer promises “flexible hours,” but it turns out “flexible hours” means having to work whenever and however long the manager wants them to, good employees look for the exit door. “Structure work schedules to allow for flexibility,” Osmundson suggests. “Maybe you can work shortened hours during certain parts of the year. Look for unique ways you can offer flexibility.”

The Number One Secret to Motivate and Empower People

Employers Pivot Focus to Retention Strategies

What is the Biggest Challenge in Animal Agriculture? The Answer Might Surprise You

The Number One Secret to Motivate and Empower People

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:45:14 GMT

I sat down recently with Juan Quezada on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast to learn about his story of working his way up through the Wisconsin-based Milk Source dairy enterprise, starting as a milker more than 25 years ago, and today overseeing and influencing 650 employees as director of training and development.

So what does an incredible leader, filled with so much knowledge and wisdom, who has had his hand in the tremendous growth and advancement of an organization like Milk Source for a quarter century, teach employees through the company’s leadership classes?

He emphasizes this seemingly simple, yet so very powerful habit: Listening.

“I ask employees: What is the secret of the best salesman in the world?,” Quezada says. “And it is to listen.”

Assumptions are missed opportunities

The power of listening is a leadership principle that Quezada instills among his team. He explains, when we work with the same people every day, and even become accustomed to the same topics of conversation, it can be easy to assume what is on someone’s mind. Perhaps the usual banter is about a football game. And while it can be easy to bypass those conversations as unimportant or unproductive, each time we stop and give that team member time to listen, we open the door for what may be a critical conversation in the future.

“Sometime we assume that same employee is coming to talk to us about the same thing … but the next time, that employee may be coming to you with something very important,” Quezada says. “So listen. Take the time and stop for a couple minutes.”

Four words that destroy employee relationships

While stopping and listening opens a door to engage with others, Quezada acknowledges that there is one statement that can close the door very quickly and make it hard to open again:

“I don’t have time.”

The damage to the employee relationship isn’t just in the words, but in the overall message that response sends to the individual. Quezada adds, “That’s saying to me that I’m not important.” And that response can be internalized with that individual as “I’m not going to come back to you again.”

But so many dairy farm owners and managers are busy, and their time is stretched. How can you respond to an employee’s request when you don’t have minutes to spare, yet want to motivate and empower your team?

The simple answer can be to schedule a future time for the conversation, and following up on it.

As Quezada reassures, the key to motivating and empowering people is this: “Listen. Listen to what they want to say.”

Hear more from Juan Quezada on his “Five Principles of Leadership” from the Uplevel Dairy Podcat here:

And share this conversation on leadership in Spanish, featuring Juan Quezada and Elsie Gonzalez Leach from Motiva Dairy Consulting:

Employers Pivot Focus to Retention Strategies

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:47:56 GMT

In recent years, agricultural employers consistently emphasized talent acquisition, but there has been a noticeable shift towards prioritizing retention as the primary focus in 2024. Agriculture and food employers express that employee retention is their top human resource concern currently, according to the AgCareers.com HR Revie w. This survey offers an annual HR trend analysis specific to the agriculture and food industry.

Retention also emerged as a priority when we inquired about employers’ recruitment focus for the upcoming year. In the coming year, the primary goal for agriculture and food employers is to retain the existing talent within their organizations. The most substantial growth in recruitment focuses for 2024 is internal hiring.

Companies reported that regular pay increases were the primary tactic for retaining staff. Notably, flexible schedules, remote or hybrid work options, and retention bonuses were top retention strategies that experienced a sizable increase. Many of the strategies employers have utilized to attract and hire employees in recent years continue to be some of the most effective methods for retaining them.

Factors that contribute to employee motivation in their roles are also likely to influence employee retention. The top two strategies for keeping employees motivated and challenged were bonuses and training and development. A bonus can serve to reinforce and incentivize excellent performance, while training and development are essential to achieve results, providing employees with the tools they need to be successful.

Flexibility in the workplace continues to be a key theme for employee retention as well. Flexibility will differ among organizations and may hold different meanings for each employee. Hybrid work arrangements were the most common tactic, allowing employees to spend time in an office and home. Flexibility in schedules can also reward employees, enabling them to adjust their schedules while meeting the organization’s needs. Regardless of the type of flexibility, it is crucial to listen to the needs of employees, as this can enhance retention and productivity efforts.

Salary increases were also a key finding from this year’s HR Review. In the last several years, companies have experienced market pressures to increase wages at higher-than-normal rates. While employers must remain aligned with market trends to remain competitive, the prevalence of higher increases waned compared to last year. In the U.S., the predominant salary increase was over 5%. In 2024, the predominant range reported will be 3.6% to 4%.

Salary Surveys, like the AgCareers.com Compensation Benchmark Review , can arm agricultural organizations with accurate pay data by ensuring employees are compensated accurately for their job duties and responsibilities. Demonstrating to employees that your organization has dedicated time and resources to reviewing company data can boost employee morale and motivation.

To learn about more human resources trends and to view the full Agriculture and Food HR Review, download a free copy here .

What is the Biggest Challenge in Animal Agriculture? The Answer Might Surprise You

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:06:38 GMT

The list of challenges facing animal agriculture is complex and multifaceted. This is what Dr. Robert Hagevoort from New Mexico State University Dairy Extension shared at the 2023 Milk Business Conference in Las Vegas.

Hagevoort summarized that the top concerns of leading dairy processors include price volatility, disparate sustainability initiatives, emission accounting methodology, aligning supply and demand to include the world demand and labor availability. Although he discussed several other more persistent and emerging challenges for animal agriculture.

Sustainability “I think the [dairy] industry is doing a really nice job in terms of coming to grips with sustainability and moving forward and looking from a self-motivated reason in terms of efficiency. Anything we can do to reduce our carbon footprint and make sure carbon doesn’t go into the atmosphere is a good thing.”
Animal Welfare “As an industry, we’re looking at cows very differently. Animal Welfare does not live in a vacuum. It’s something that we do with our employees. The result of us working with our employees, making sure those animals are fed well, treated well and all those different things. Yes, it’s a challenge, but it’s something we’re well aware of and moving in the right direction.”
Global Food Security “Global Food Security is a challenge. If you look at the amount of food that is currently being wasted (around 40%) and we find answers to infrastructural problems…then we’re working in the right direction.”
Antibiotic Resistance “The way the industry is working, and the way we are now treating our cows, we are doing our due diligence to do the right thing. I think we’re also moving in the right direction. It’s not to say that we don’t have challenges or issues.”
Consumer Preferences and Awareness “We’re certainly dealing with the new influx and the challenges associated with all these plant-based and fake protein foods that are out there. But I think at the end of the day, the need for animal proteins is going to prevail in that department.”
Technological Advances “There’s a tremendous amount of advancement and trends of technology that we’re implementing, and we’re moving more and more in that direction.”
Regulatory and Trade Issues “There’s no doubt that we currently have a challenge with regulatory and trade issues. We’ll always deal with those.”

Hagevoort also highlights rising input costs and labor shortage as worries that not only keep producers up at night, but as real concerns impacting the industry.

“Just look at the last year as an example with extreme feed prices, high labor costs, and very high cost of production,” he says. “And then the labor shortage is a serious threat to an industry from a sustainability perspective. If you’re not economically sustainable, you won’t be around to do all the other ones. So, economic sustainability is the first pillar for sustainability.”

Producers say Labor Management is Their Biggest Issue

Aside from feed and milk prices, Hagevoort says labor is a producer’s biggest issue.

He shared a September 2023 Wall Street Journal article which stated, “Work experts have warned for years that the combination of baby boomer retirements, low birthrates, shifting immigration policies and changing worker preferences is leaving U.S. employers with too few workers to fill job openings. While the labor market is softening, none of those factors are expected to change dramatically in the coming years.”

Hagevoort says this magnifies the importance of talent management and ultimately looking within to develop talent.

“We need to change from what is referred to as the hunter and gatherer environment where we hired a guy with the right talent to maybe home-grown philosophy,” he says. “How much money are we leaving on the table by not taking advantage of talent either undetected or underdeveloped in your operation?”

Hagevoort says there isn’t much producers can do about labor availability.

“The question is how much money are you leaving on the table by not getting 100% on your employees,” he asks. “We want to make sure they are willing to give you their 100% because that is the best ROI you can create in your business.”

The shift the dairy industry has seen means owners and managers are now managing people, not cows.

“Yet, they were raised to be cow managers,” Hagevoort says. “They went to school to learn about dairy and farm management. They did not learn how to manage people.”

Training Challenges

The challenges producers face training employees on dairies have increased because of several factors, including low literacy, a non-English speaking workforce, a high employee turnover rate, limited to no internet connectivity and limited computer/IT resources.

Hagevoort says his general observations and findings is that the employee workforce has drastically changed over the last decade.

A large majority no longer come from an ag-background.
The large majority have no experience working with large animals or equipment.
60% of employees are at a 5th-grade level education or below.
High level of illiteracy or low reading comprehension level.
Very high level of labor turnover on dairies, especially in the first 6-12 months.
Shift in typical workforce make-up to more Central Americans.
Different culture - indigenous (Mayan) vs. Hispanic.
Different language (K’iche vs. Spanish).
Different body stature/build.

Hagevoort encourages you to ask yourself, ‘What does all of this mean for productivity, results and performance metrics?’ He reminds producers that labor is not only the main challenge, but that managing people is far more difficult than managing cows.

“Most owners and managers are at a total disadvantage,” he says. “They are great cow managers.”

Two things Hagevoort shares successful owners do is get out of their comfort zone and purposely focus more on leading people.

“If that is not in your personality, then hire somebody excellent to help do that,” he says.

Click on Extension Dairy Home (nmsu.edu) for more information on the U.S. Dairy education and Training Consortium.

How to handle workplace burnout, mental health issues

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:29:42 GMT

Call it pandemic fatigue or just burnout: You could be losing motivation, experiencing emotional numbness, feel that almost all people drain your energy. Your productivity may drop even if your hours haven’t. You’re self-medicating more with alcohol, drugs, Netflix, gambling, porn or shopping.

These are signs that you may be close to burnout at work and in your personal life, said Mary Ann Baynton, a workplace mental health consultant and author of several books, including The Evolution of Workplace Mental Health in Canada and Mindful Manager. She was the speaker at the April 13 Learning Lounge event during Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s virtual Fresh Week conference April 13-16.

The session was fueled by anonymous responses to a survey about dealing with employee work stress, and Baynton also had a roundtable of about 30 workers sharing their stories of burnout.

More symptoms of burnout include becoming disproportionately irritable about little things like noise and light, you’re more cynical, untrusting and never feel rested no matter how much sleep you get.

“Burnout is mental, physical exhaustion, and it’s more likely when employees expect too much of themselves, never feel good enough, have that good girl or boy complex, feel inadequate or incompetent, feel unappreciated for their work efforts, have unreasonable demands at work or home, or are in roles that are not a good job fit,” Baynton said.

She shared some of the tips that company leaders have employed to combat pandemic fatigue, which may or may not work at everyone’s work situation.

Use all your vacation days, even if you can’t go anywhere;
Instead of meetings via the computer screen, encourage walking meetings so employees can get outside and moving;
Use the first 10 minutes of a meeting for casual conversation, like watercooler chat;
Suggest everyone take at least an hour during the day to get outside and enjoy the daylight;
Suggest to those who can that they work their 37.5 or 40 hours a week around parenting, homeschooling, caregiving and other duties;
Recognize employees for everyday successes; provide positive reinforcement; and
Have leadership talk more about what they do on their down time, so employees stop believing that working nonstop is the expectation.

“By you, as the leader, sharing ‘I’m taking some time off to do this,’ you’re saying, ‘I have balance, and I have those expectations for you too,’” Baynton said.

(Farm Journal)

Leaders need to be clear about their expectations and priorities.

“It’s amazing how often an employee works really, really hard on something and then their boss says, ‘That’s not what I wanted; that wasn’t important,’ and the employee is really, really crushed,” she said.

Employees can also “coach up,” Baynton said, to help their managers realize what they’re going through. This is not complaining and venting all your personal life stress. Keep it to how you can best serve the company while maintaining your energy.

“As a boss myself, sometimes I’m surprised by everything my employees are doing. I don’t know what they need unless they tell me,” she said.

Employees can share what work projects are on their plate and how long different projects take, so the boss can help prioritize.

Sometimes a manager will reveal he or she doesn’t need you to do a particular project at all, and other times it can be delegated to a more suitable person.

Share with your manager what you need to do your job, what you can do, and the best way to give you feedback.

Set boundaries, she said, and if you work from home, clear away or shut the door on your work to have completely work-free off hours. And while working, understand the value of frequent short breaks.

“Focus on one thing at a time. Stop pretending you can multitask. You can’t. We actually lose our ability to be focused back and forth as we get older, and when dealing with grief or burnout, that’s also impaired,” Baynton said.

“Of all of these suggestions, what’s important is not to keep doing what you were doing.”

More tips are available at https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/ .

Combat Labor Headaches Head On

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 21:45:13 GMT

Labor shortages are no longer a stark headline, but instead a continued headache dairy farms are faced with. Recently on an Ag Future podcast, Dr. Luke Miller, dairy technical support specialist at Alltech, spoke about training and retaining labor on dairy farms.

Miller has a wealth of expertise in this topic and a deep pedigree in the dairy industry, including his experience as the general manager of a 6,000-head, multisite dairy in central Calif., managing a team of 45 employees. In addition, Miller served as a large-animal veterinarian and became the owner of a practice that addressed all facets of large-animal medicine.

While the struggle is real in finding labor, Miller recommends dairy owners hit pause and understand who they are trying to hire in the first place.

“The basics, to begin with, is to start understanding who we’re trying to hire and understanding where they came from and their basic levels of both education and interest in the group, in the dairy,” he says. “We know that many of our laborers are not loyal to a particular place or particular farm, so we try to invest in them as much as we can.”

According to the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), immigrant labor accounts for more than half of all dairy labor, and dairies that employ immigrant labor produce 79% of the U.S. milk supply. NMPF takes a bold stance on key issues, like labor and immigration reform and says if the U.S. dairy industry lost its foreign-born workforce, it would nearly double retail milk prices and cost the total U.S. economy more than $32 billion.

Helpful Tips with the Hiring Process

Miller offers some tips to help with the hiring process, including:

Organizational Charts

Miller suggests an organizational chart, something he says that a dairy of all sizes should have.

“I preach this every place I go, that — understanding employees want to have a box,” he says. “They know where the top is and know where the bottom is. They want to be put in that box, and they want to understand the basics of their job so that they can fulfill what you want them to do, and they feel like that’s gratifying to them.”

Job Description

Many dairies do not offer job descriptions to their employees. Miller says they are simply hired because they showed up that day.

“Job descriptions and some early vetting of who we’re actually bringing into the dairy is important.”

Proper Hiring

Miller strongly encourages producers to take a stronger stance when it comes to proper investment in the hiring process. He shares if a carload of employees stopped, asking for work, very few producers would turn any of those employees away.

“In reality, at least 20%, at least one of those guys or girls in that car —someone in that car is going to hurt you, and it might be through OSHA. It might be through morale. You might turn around and six months later, your entire workforce has flipped over and it’s a negative experience, and that is not what we want to do. We need to understand who we’re bringing in,” he says.

Top 10

Miller says part of the onboarding process should include 10 questions. He shares that there is no cookie-cutter questionnaire list.

“I think that having 10 questions - and they don’t have to be my 10 or your 10 or anybody else’s 10 but having the 10 for our dairy — you can sort a lot of things out if you just ask the basics,” he shares. “The second step of that is to train the trainer. We have to have somebody on the dairy who knows how to train people, and we put them in charge of — not the hiring, but the actual onboarding of the person when they start. We find a guy we like. We find someone we want to put on the dairy. We send them out with a trainer. You have an hour, two hours a day — whatever it takes to appreciate their skill level.”

To listen to the entire podcast where Miller talks about educating employees on stockmanship, technology input, employee feedback and more, go to #211: Training and retaining labor on dairy farms | Dr. Luke Miller (podbean.com) .

Check Out These Mental Health Resources

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 14:22:37 GMT

Pick up to three simple healthy habits to do every day to help mitigate stress, suggests Sean Brotherson, North Dakota State University Extension family life specialist. Brotherson’s ideas include:

Physical

Visit a healthcare provider. Stress can add physical challenges or worsen existing issues.

Exercise every day; even 15 minutes is helpful.

Mental

Plan regular mental breaks during the day to relax and recharge.

Take regular five-to-10-min. breaks in your day to recharge.

Emotional

Express “thank you” to someone daily (send a note, etc.).

Write down three things or people you are grateful for daily.

Relational

Social connections are important – stay connected with friends or family members.

Learn more about your family history.

Along with focusing on daily habits, consider these five resources that can help in a crisis, recommends Shannon Ferrell, Oklahoma State University:

Start Local, Then Further Out

Conduct a search for any in-person or telehealth mental health resources in your area.

If you’re an AABP member, check out their mental health resources online at aabp.org

Dial 211

In many areas of the country this number will enable you to access mental health resources.

Disaster Distress

Call or text the Disaster Distress helpline at 800-985-5990 for 24/7 crisis counseling and support.

Dial 988

Reach the suicide and crisis lifeline hotline 24/7 at 988. Professionals are a key asset in suicidal situations, Ferrell says.

Crisis Text available 24/7

Text HELLO to 741741

Help Create a Destiny

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 20:33:32 GMT

Jesus was just like many other hard-working individuals who work on a farm. He grew up helping on his family’s farm and had spent his entire life around cows which had shaped him into a hard-working and intelligent jack-of-all-trades. He was able to milk, scrape, fix (or jerry rig) almost any piece of equipment on the farm and even found time to help a herd veterinarian chase the occasional escaped calf.

However, the herdsman at Jesus’s dairy moved on, leaving him in charge of the one thing on a farm he’d never done before in his life – caring for the immediate health of hundreds of cows.

Mentoring Supports Progress

I remember having a deep conversation with him about his lack of experience in this area of farming and the skills it would require him to use that he didn’t yet possess. I took his concerns to the herd owner and after discussion we agreed that Jesus could do this with the right support.

Over the next year, the herd owner and I encouraged and pushed Jesus to develop his skills. The herd owner was committed to holding the bar at a high level, expecting more and better disease detection and treatment skills every month. I was tasked with teaching common diagnostic and treatment skills, as well as encouraging the individual’s progress through the developmental process. Through these combined efforts Jesus was able to slowly, progressively and successfully build a repertoire of skills that allowed him to successfully detect and treat the common diseases in his operation.

What I didn’t realize at the time was this was my first conscious, real-world application of a psychological effect called the Pygmalion effect (aka Rosenthal effect). Through the years I’d been on the receiving end of this phenomenon, having had coaches, mentors and parents who had also unknowingly applied this effect on me. These individuals created an environment of high but realistic expectations for my success and supported my progress with resources and opportunities to express myself along the way. However, this was the first time in my young, professional career that I was the one on the empowering end of a relationship.

Create A Climate For Growth

What we didn’t know at the time but realized after reflecting upon our journey with Jesus, was that our management team was able to set Jesus up for success by helping him develop his abilities using the four-step Pygmalion model that Robert Rosenthal describes as the following: setting the climate, crafting input, creating outputs and providing timely and meaningful feedback.

We had started by crafting a climate of growth. Encouraging Jesus to take risks, ask for help and make mistakes, which we corrected together when they occurred. If the actions were below the bar of expectations, we explained why the effort wasn’t up to the operation’s standards. This was all done using as much supportive and non-blaming language as possible.

Next, we had provided Jesus with loads of input and opportunities to learn. Encouraging him to read articles in multiple dairy publications like Dairy Herd Management, Progressive Dairy and Hoards.

Make The Process Meaningful

Additionally, the herd owner financially supported Jesus’s education by paying for me to come and train him in fresh pen work as well as to audit his early diagnoses to provide him peace of mind, additional education and encourage his progress.

We had also given Jesus opportunities to craft his own outputs from his job, making it uniquely meaningful to him. He was able to use his skills in communication to improve the interpersonal interactions on the dairy, raising them to levels never seen before. Additionally, his herd owner encouraged him to share his input learnings and observations at our regular consultant team meetings which gave him the ability to exhibit his newfound competency.

Finally, at each herd program I had spent time in the fresh pen with Jesus. Not so much because things were a mess but to spend time talking with him so as to address his concerns and give him feedback. Sometimes he needed encouragement from me, other times advice and sometimes he just needed an “at-a-boy” to tell him he was on the right path. Regardless of the form, this feedback provided him a critical resource to draw from when seeking motivation to continue his growth.

While our journey as veterinarian and herdsman is not over, it continues to be a rewarding journey for Jesus and me. So, the next time your Jesus asks “How are you, boss/dr./etc?” just remember the power of the Pygmalion effect, and take advantage of the opportunity to set the climate, provide input, listen to their output and ultimately support the individual in front of you!

In Review: How to Create a Pygmalion Effect

1. Set a climate for the team member showing that growth is encouraged and expected.
2. Provide them the resources, time and opportunities to take in new inputs, trainings or information.
3. Encourage their sharing of their meaningful work outputs or learnings with their peers and the management team.
4. Never stop giving them feedback in the form of encouragement, resources and support when they are pursuing the work that is meaningful to them.

Vet Techs Address the Need for a 'Living Wage and Respect'

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:35:47 GMT

This article was written by Susie Schuld. She is a veterinary technician at Jefferson Veterinary Clinic, Jefferson, Wis., where she’s helped practitioners address animal health needs for beef producers and farmers for 22 years.

Recently, I was asked by a friend to review an article and give her my thoughts regarding it. As I was reading through the article, What Vet Techs Need (read it here https://bit.ly/3MTIx7U ), I was thinking, “yes, yes and yes,” and also, “blah, blah, blah.” Honestly, this is not the first time an article has been written about what vet techs need, and we hear the story over and over again.

They tell us this information while we are in school, but we don’t care. We are young and just love animals! At least that’s what we all think as we go through school, graduate, get our credentials and enter the field. It is such an exciting time. Let’s face it, we all decided to join this field because of our passion for animals and our strong desire to help them. We all have a different backstory, but our common goal is always the same.

My backstory, I’m sure, sounds a lot like many of my colleagues’ backstories. I grew up on a small beef farm showing animals at the fair and always had a large variety of animals that came and went through our barn doors.

I have fond memories of our large animal vet, Dr. Ed Dettmers, coming out to our farm to do something with our cattle, and before he left, I always had a cat or some other critter that I wanted him to look at. He was always happy to oblige, even though now I know how busy he was, working long hours and running all over the county. He always made me feel like my little kitten with the goopy eyes was very important. I would run to the house with his bucket and fill it with hot water for him and intently watch everything he did on the farm.

Fast forward to high school. I knew right away I was going to apply to the veterinary technician (VT) program and couldn’t wait to start my career. I was lucky enough to get my internship at the very clinic that had inspired me, and 22 years later, I am still there as a full-time certified VT.

As with any career, there are always a lot of ups and downs. But one thing is always the same in our industry – it is a low-paying profession for all of us. Sometimes the long days, sad circumstances and stress make you question your career. As you get older, you may get married, start a family and build a life for yourself. But in a very low-paying profession, it is a struggle. Over the past 22 years, I have loved my job, hated my job, never would have dreamed of leaving my job and searched for other career paths.

It is a roller-coaster for a lot of vet techs. I, however, feel like I hit the jackpot with the clinic I work at. I have always felt respected, was able to choose my passion with cows and became a primarily large animal veterinary technician.

We have a lot of employee benefits, and I love my coworkers. But not everyone I’ve talked to is as lucky as me. I decided to pass the article on to other colleagues and get their input. Some of them are early in their careers, some are late in their careers, and some have left the profession. But all of their answers sound similar. Here is what seven veterinary technicians shared with me.

Response #1 from someone who was a CVT for a long time, left the field and went on to teach. She now works in a laboratory.
Hello, Susie. I concur wholeheartedly with this article. Especially when talking with former students that didn’t last more than a few years in the field. Lack of respect from veterinarians, low wages and horrible hours are what I’ve heard. Personally, I left the field because I wasn’t using my skills, except when I did large animal, and because of the low pay. Really, starting wage for a trash collector was $4 more per hour than I made.

Response #2 from a long-time VT who went to a specialty clinic for awhile after general practice and did consulting for clinics on the side.
Wage has always been an issue. It works as a supplemental income for a household but is nearly impossible to maintain a “mature adult life” on as a sole income. The common issues I see, regardless what region of the United States I am in is the work schedule. Today’s workforce commonly struggles with 40 hours per week. They want the 30 to 35 hours, just enough to get the full-time benefits. The thought of long days with uncertain times stresses them out and makes them anxious. They often value time off more than money. Wanting to feel appreciated is another key element. The struggle for management is knowing how to make them feel appreciated, because they are. Today’s workforce often needs constant and instant gratification.

Response #3 from another long-time CVT who still works in the field but no longer with animals.
Technicians definitely do not get paid what I feel they deserve. There were two big reasons I left the clinic – the pay and feeling like I had no room to advance. I guess you could technically say that I’m still in the field, though, because I’m still working as a technician, just in a different capacity. My pay is probably more than I would’ve ever made at the clinic, and the flexibility that I have is something I likely would not have had before. Plus, I do have a lot of opportunity and a lot more responsibility in my current position. But, I am also overwhelmed with responsibilities I’ve been given and definitely under-appreciated. I think it depends on the clinic. Some clinics very highly respect their technicians and recognize the huge contribution that they provide to making that clinic work smoothly, while others do not do that.

Response #4 from a long-time CVT who has worked at two different clinics during her career and now has decided to leave the workforce.
Working in two different clinics, I would say that pay is everything! Being valued was never really an issue for me, except that I didn’t get paid for all we need to know and do. Along with the crazy hours you have to work, the pay for the whole profession sucks for doctors and technicians. All the techs start in the field (to help animals), because that is why you went to school in the first place. But why stay if you can work at Kwik Trip or Wal-Mart for $16 per hour starting? Not as fulfilling, but you gotta pay the bills, right? Some of the techs at my previous clinic were going to leave only because of the pay. Then they got big raises and are now staying and not pursuing different careers. I think I have said for the last 15 years that something with the pay has to change.

Response #5 is from a CVT who has worked at the same clinic for 24 years.
I totally agree with the need for more pay per hour. I am making a little over $20 per hour and have worked my way up to that in 24 years. I was actually making more money 24 years ago at a clinic in a bigger city and took a pay cut to work where I am now. I feel not only the stress of dealing with schedules and all the gross stuff we do, but it’s more the stress of dealing with clients and the rudeness that’s making the pay not very worth it. But then, on the other hand, I have three weeks of vacation and health insurance, an IRA and a uniform allowance, so in that way I feel good about my pay. The article is very true as to doctors realizing your skills.

Response #6 from a CVT with 14 years of experience and currently at a clinic.
It sounds pretty true to me. I really think pay is definitely a touchy subject and that technicians are not paid enough. We do A LOT. Pharmacy, radiology, anesthesiology, caregiver, cleaning lady, receptionist, etc. Long hours and physically demanding work. I truly believe technicians are underpaid and not appreciated like they should be, in general, as a profession.

Response #7 from a CVT with seven years of experience.
I like this article. It hits very good points. I mean, they are right, we don’t make what we should for what we do. I don’t know if people necessarily always leave because of money. It is a factor, but if you were in a job where no one respects you or is not appreciative of your work, I’d want to leave as well.

In conclusion, every person seems to have a common opinion on what veterinary technicians need: pay and respect. We love what we do, but sometimes the physical and emotional demands are too high to stay when combined with the low income.

Lead the Way in these Uncertain Times

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 20:33:02 GMT

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted just about every facet of daily life.

It’s caused market volatility, fear, uncertainty and fatigue for you and your team. As a leader in the veterinary industry, this might be the greatest opportunity of your lifetime.

“Teams are never as tight, engaged, energized and focused as when they are working against a common enemy,” says Mark Faust, business author and president of Echelon Management. “You’ve seen it in world championship sports, disaster response teams and war.”

Leaders understand people need them the most during a crisis.

“Great leaders step up to control the reactions, reduce uncertainty and solve problems,” Faust says.

TIME TO TALK
In turbulent times, Faust says, you need to increase the frequency and intensity of communication.

This is especially important if your team is spread out, with some working from home or keeping new schedules. Do you have a way to get information quickly to everyone involved in the farm?

“The military uses recall rosters and telephone trees,” says Mary Kelly, CEO of Productive Leaders and a 20-year veteran of the Navy.

For your team, consider an email list, group text message or private social media group. Determine a way to hold briefings, Kelly suggests, whether in person or via an online teleconference.

“The time to create a business communication plan is before the crisis, not during,” Kelly says.

“Communication methods are only effective if they are already in place and people know where to go to learn more.” When communicating to your employees or others, Kelly says:
• Be specific.
• Stick to the facts.
• Be honest.
• Be timely.

“You want to have a way for people to ask questions and get reliable answers,” she says

New Information and Member Support from AABP

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 20:29:24 GMT

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create challenges for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) to provide continuing education for cattle veterinarians, including with its Recent Graduate and Annual Conference.

“The board supported offering a hybrid format to give attendees a choice of in-person or virtual attendance to provide this member benefit,” says Dr. Fred Gingrich, AABP executive director.

After shifting the 2020 annual conference to virtual, AABP was able to hold the 2021 annual conference in-person and virtual in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“One of the biggest outcomes of the Covid pandemic has been the amount of isolation people have experienced due to lockdowns and restrictions on travel,” explains Dr. Pat Gorden, AABP president.

“Even back to 2020, the AABP board of directors felt that providing our CE meetings in person would help our members deal with the effects of this isolation. Based on the registrations for the Recent Graduate Conference, our young members are very excited about the ability to finally gather in person,” he adds.

AABP also continues to offer other methods of disseminating information including webinars and the Have You Herd? podcast which has proven invaluable during these challenging times for its members and organization. As of January 2022, AABP has produced almost 90 podcast episodes and has had roughly 73,000 downloads.

In combination with its monthly newsletter, weekly Have You Herd? e-newsletter, and active Facebook page, AABP strives to keep members informed about the organization and the livestock and veterinary industries at large.

New Vaccination Guidelines
In 2021, AABP’s Committee on Pharmaceuticals and Biologics (CPBI) developed vaccination guidelines for its members to utilize when designing client vaccination protocols. The 32-page set of guidelines includes principles of vaccination, influence of management on disease, vaccine label information, vaccine categories, adverse events, vaccine storage and handling, core vaccines, risk-based vaccination and references.

“The CPBI developed these guidelines to provide AABP members with a baseline document on vaccine science and information for beef and dairy cattle,” explains Dr. Justin Kieffer, CPBI chairman.

“To our knowledge, we are the first food animal veterinary group to develop official vaccination guidelines for our membership. We felt it was critical to outline answers to vaccine-related questions frequently asked by bovine practitioners in a readily available format, based upon the available science. It was also important to point out the gaps in knowledge on vaccine issues and to list references for the material we included.”

AABP members can access the guidelines by logging onto the AABP website. Under the Committees tab, click on Committee Resources, then Pharmaceuticals and Biologics and scroll to the Vaccination Guidelines. An AABP Have You Herd? podcast on the new Vaccination Guidelines is publicly available at bit.ly/3qUBioW.

DEI and Mental Health Initiatives
In 2021, the AABP board of directors authorized the creation of two new tasks forces: the Mental Health Task Force and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force.

Veterinarians, like many other health care professionals, have a suicide rate roughly double that of the general population. With this sobering fact in mind, the AABP appointed a Mental Health Task Force to address this issue within its membership ranks.

“To date, the task force has recommended that a virtual mental health support group be formed to allow AABP members to meet with other bovine practitioners and discuss mutual stresses and concerns,” reports Dr. Charles Gardner, task force chairman.

AABP members can join by contacting jptanguay@fhsu.edu. The Task Force is also creating a survey that will be distributed to AABP members. Association leadership hopes to learn more about the incidence of mental health issues in the membership, and what resources will be most helpful.

The AABP DEI Task Force will continue to provide organizational direction to ensure that all cattle veterinarians are welcomed and included in AABP, Gingrich adds.

Guidelines andPosition Statements
The AABP board of directors approves guidelines and position statements which serve as resources for members, producers and advocacy with other organizations, federal and state legislative bodies, and regulatory agencies.

Every three to five years, guidelines and position statements are opened for review to ensure they are consistent with other AABP policies and current scientific research. Prior to being reviewed by relevant committees, an open call to the membership for comment and feedback occurs, and the committees create a recommendation to the board of directors for either rescinding, reaffirming or revising the document.

Two documents that were opened for member comment are the Raised Without Antibiotics position statement and the Key Elements for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Plans in Bovine Veterinary Practices Working with Beef and Dairy Operations guidelines.

Documents updated in 2021 are the Principles of Animal Welfare guidelines and the Tail Docking position statement.
These documents are publicly available for viewing at aabp.org/about/Guidelines_PositionStatements.asp.

9 out of 10 veterinarians cite increased stress levels in new research report

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:16:17 GMT

Merck Animal Health has released findings of its comprehensive study conducted in collaboration with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), examining the wellbeing and mental health of U.S. veterinarians.

Conducted in the fall of 2021, the wide-ranging Veterinary Wellbeing Study is the third survey since 2017 and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with a goal to examine and bring critical awareness to the challenges impacting the veterinary profession, while highlighting the impact that the pandemic has on practitioners and staff. For the first time, the study includes responses from veterinary technicians and support staff and their perspectives on the challenges they are currently facing in work.

From hospital directors and practice owners, to veterinary technicians and administrative staff, the latest Wellbeing Study revealed the main barriers impacting those who practice veterinary medicine are the shortage of qualified staff and the fact that not all clinic or hospital employees have access to the same mental health tools as veterinarians.

As part of Merck Animal Health’s ongoing commitment to identify the issues impacting veterinary wellbeing and provide solutions to support industry professionals, the company pledged to continue its support of AVMA’s Workplace Wellbeing program, “Train-the-Trainer” program, and relevant resources for veterinary technicians and support staff in the amount of $100,000 to help develop tools that advance mental health and wellbeing.

“Veterinary medicine is a profession that comes with the great satisfaction of caring for animals, but it also includes risk for mental and physical burnout as well as compassion fatigue,” said Joseph Hahn, DVM, executive director, U.S. Companion Animal and Equine Professional Services, Merck Animal Health.

“Our third wellbeing study in partnership with the AVMA is key in defining the underlying turbulence that is increasing these stressors across the profession, while helping us identify the most impactful solutions to energize and strengthen mental health for current and future veterinarians, technicians and support staff.”

While 92% of respondents rated increased stress as one of their top mental health challenges, 88% cited student debt and concerns about the risk of suicide as leading stressors for veterinarians.

“With this new information and our $100,000 grant to develop necessary resources to promote mental health across the veterinary profession, Merck Animal Health and the entire veterinary community is optimistic about our ability to actively provide healthy opportunities in the most impactful way, while enhancing wellbeing within veterinary teams,” added Dr. Hahn.

Pandemic Challenges Had a Significant Impact on Veterinarian Support Staff

It is no surprise that the pandemic impacted many veterinarians and clinic staff, including veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, practice managers and client service representatives. In fact, more than 90% of respondents reported that the shortage of qualified veterinary staff has been one of the biggest concerns throughout the pandemic, as was the challenge of providing veterinary services under the evolving pandemic and industry conditions (68%).

Adding to these concerns, 81% of staff and 67% of veterinarians faced challenges with their clinics being short-handed due to employees spending time away from work for illness or family care. In addition, both staff and veterinarians emphasized their anxieties surrounding the risk of increased exposure to COVID-19 (63% and 61%, respectively) and longer work hours (51% and 46%, respectively).

The percentage of veterinarians with serious psychological distress has increased to 9.7% in 2021 as measured by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, compared to 6.4% in 2019, due in large part to the ongoing pandemic. Among staff, the prevalence of serious psychological distress was nearly twice as high (18.1%). In addition, half of staff respondents (49.6%) and approximately one-third (30.5%) of veterinarians reported high levels of burnout.

“The past two years have been extremely challenging for veterinarians and their dedicated staff, and we are very grateful to everyone who contributed to this important study, which gives us a deeper look into what our colleagues are experiencing,” said Dr. Jose Arce, AVMA president. “The AVMA has dedicated itself to creating meaningful resources to help safeguard wellbeing, and this new research will further inform and support our vital, ongoing work in this critical area. We want our members to know that the AVMA hears them and is there to support them, whether it’s resources to help veterinarians manage their practices in this new environment, such as telehealth, or wellbeing resources to help veterinarians and their teams cope with stress.”

“With this new information and our $100,000 grant to develop necessary resources to promote mental health across the veterinary profession, including the veterinary support staff, Merck Animal Health and the entire veterinary community is optimistic in our ability to actively provide healthy opportunities in the most impactful way, while enhancing wellbeing within veterinary teams,” added Dr. Hahn.

Two-Thirds of Those who Reported Distress Lack Healthy Stress Management Plans

Among respondents who reported distress in 2021, only one-third (33%) indicated that they had healthy methods for dealing with stress, compared to 81% of those who did not report distress. Serious psychological distress is more common in veterinarians who work excessive hours, compared to non-distressed veterinarians who reported spending more time on healthy, non-work activities, such as socializing with family and friends or participating in hobbies and activities.

“Now more than ever, it is clear that veterinary practitioners and their staff play an essential role caring for the animals we love and maintaining the human-animal bond. And at Merck Animal Health, we have unconditional respect for veterinary professionals and their dedicated service, particularly during these unconventional times,” said Christine Royal, DVM, associate vice president, U.S. Companion Animal and Equine, Merck Animal Health. “As a company that supports veterinarians, including technicians, support staff and emerging professionals, we are honored to extend our partnership and wellbeing resources with AVMA. We are committed to protecting the health and welfare of veterinary professionals and ensuring we build a robust and engaged profession for the future, with opportunities such as scholarship funding, wellbeing webinars, networking opportunities and much more.”

Healthy Stress Management Solutions for Veterinary Team Success

AVMA and Merck Animal Health are devoted to providing techniques and solutions that improve veterinary mental health and wellbeing, now and for future generations. Veterinarians and veterinary staff who responded to the Wellbeing Survey recommend tools, such as developing stress management plans for their team members; maintaining a healthy work climate that fosters strong mental health; and working with a financial planner to help manage student debt. Social activities that promote teamwork, networking opportunities for professional development and taking wellbeing classes also were recommended to improve wellness and aid in stress management among veterinary professionals. In addition, when asked what veterinary employers are doing to support wellbeing in the workplace, they suggested acknowledging and discussing mental health and wellbeing challenges that are in progress, and providing the appropriate support in return, including an Employee Assistance Program and health insurance that covers mental health treatment.

“We are pleased to partner with Merck Animal Health on this important work during a time of unprecedented challenge for health care professionals,” said Jen Brandt, PhD and director of Member Wellbeing & Diversity Initiatives for the AVMA. “Given this critical need, the AVMA continues to develop and prioritize resources dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of Veterinarians and staff, including our new ‘Train-the-Trainer’ workshop that empowers veterinary professionals to become educators and share valuable strategies to promote workplace wellbeing; as well as a workplace wellbeing certificate program, assessment tools, podcasts, webinars, self-care strategies and how and where to get help.”

To learn more about Merck Animal Health’s unconditional support of veterinary professionals and their mental wellbeing, visit www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/responsibility. For veterinary professionals looking to take advantage of the AVMA’s Workplace Wellbeing program, visit www.avma.org/resources-tools/wellbeing.

Study Methodology

The third online study was conducted in September and October 2021 by Brakke Consulting, Inc., among a nationally representative sample of 2,495 veterinarians in the U.S., both practitioners and non-practitioners, using standardized research methods. The objectives were to continue to track wellbeing and mental health of veterinarians and benchmark findings against physicians and the U.S. general population of employed adults.

In the 2021 study, practitioner respondents asked to pass along a special link to full-time staff across practice roles, including veterinary technician, veterinary assistant, hospital practice manager, reception/client service representative or other members of a veterinary clinic’s team. A total of 448 completed questionnaires were returned.

Data were weighted based on age, gender and region of the U.S. For the sample as a whole, the maximum margin of error is +/- 1.94% at 95% confidence level.

About AVMA

The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world, with more than 99,500 member veterinarians worldwide engaged in a wide variety of professional activities and dedicated to the art and science of veterinary medicine.

About Merck Animal Health

For over 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Do You Have Grit?

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:36:42 GMT

No, I’m not talking about the kind under your fingernails. Do you ever wonder how some people seem to fall into a pile of cow manure and come out smelling like a rose? Those successful types probably have a high level of grit and a lot more perseverance than meets the eye, according to researcher Angela Duckworth.

“Grit is the tendency to pursue long-term goals with passion and persistence,” Duckworth explains.

FOCUS AND MEANING
Grit is not simply talent or luck, rather “grit is about having an ultimate concern — a goal you care about so much it gives meaning to almost everything you do.”

That is how Duckworth describes this concept in her ongoing research and her excellent book, “GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.”

As business owners, we’re tied to our “ultimate concern” because it’s a business we’ve built, it’s something we’ve literally sweated over, and often, what we do in our industry heavily defines what we believe about ourselves.

TEST YOUR METTLE

But, when things get hard, do we have the staying power to make it through? There’s a quiz that might help you find out (or help you identify a potential hire’s grit factor). I took the 10-question grit quiz to test my mettle. I scored a satisfying 4.6 out of 5, which meant I am grittier than about 90% of other testers, and that felt good! You can access the test here:

https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/

But, I wondered, is there a downside to having grittiness? Perhaps very gritty types trend toward stubbornness? Does too much grit make us blinded toward low-level goals or never-done projects? What if our grittiness urges us to continually do the same things over and over without evaluating them for an opportunity to keep, cull or improve?

Being too gritty can literally clog things up if you let it.

THE ENDGAME

Yet, what about the opposite? What if you work with people who just don’t seem to have enough dedication? Can you get more grit, and is more grit trainable?

Duckworth seems to think you can improve, especially by focusing on the completion of tasks and projects.

Ah, yes, if everyone would just take on their own work and complete it on time things really would be great.

The power of grit is important, and it’s also important to know an individual’s grit quotient when you’re building leaders on your team or adding new hires. So, the next time you consider where a person is coming from, take a look at their grit to see if they are good a fit for your team.

When Your Back is out of Whack

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:09:35 GMT

The following three scenarios are ones Scott Uhlenhake, physical therapist and orthopedic specialist, has addressed most often with bovine veterinarians over the years. With each scenario, he has I have provided basic information regarding body mechanics and examples of application of these principles.

“I hope you are able to apply that information to the situations in your daily lives both at work and at home,” he says.

If you encounter a task or situation that you are still having problems with, please reach out to Scott at sjuhlenhake@icloud.com. He tells Bovine Veterinarian he would be happy to discuss your particular orthopedic problem and offer some suggestions.

1. BOVINE PALPATION HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY CONCERN EXPRESSED BY VETERINARIANS.
Palpation inherently has a risk of significant injury caused directly by the animals. There is also risk associated with the repetitive motion and forces necessary to complete the task on a herd of animals.

Ideally, you should try to maintain a position as close as possible with a line between your shoulders almost perpendicular to the bovine spine. To minimize stress on the shoulder joint used for palpation and a wide variety of adjacent structures, you should minimize elevation of the arm and keep the scapula depressed and retracted while also avoiding rotation away from the inserted arm.

Insertion force should be applied by stepping or lunging forward, not reaching. Optimal techniques will vary depending upon whether you are dealing with freestalls, lockups or rails; however, I feel containment with rails often provides an opportunity for better body mechanics and overall safety.

2. BIRTHING CALVES ALSO POSES SIGNIFICANT RISK FOR INJURY.
The work environment may or may not be modifiable depending upon the farm, the cow or heifer, the urgency of the situation, etc.

Obviously, grip and other hand strength are very important. You have more grip strength with your elbow in a bent position, which goes along with the concept of getting as close as possible to your work. Minimizing grip with the elbow extended also prevents premature fatigue while decreasing stress on the elbow, thereby lessening the risk of tendonitis.

Pulling directly on the calf, on the chains or on the handle of a calving jack, can involve a large amount of force and should be done with caution.

First, you should get as close as possible to anything you are pushing or pulling. Keep your elbows close to your body and try to lock in your arm position. A wide, staggered stance with your legs provides you with good stability and allows you to use the power of your legs, which is more efficient and safe than relying on your arms.

When there is an option, such as with the use of a calving jack, you should push rather than pull. Try to keep an erect posture and engage your core muscles while applying force. Jerking motions significantly increase injury risk and should be avoided.

3. MANY VETERINARIANS SPEND A GOOD PORTION OF SOME OF THEIR DAYS DRIVING. POSTURE IS A BIG DEAL.
If you are in a good posture while driving, this can serve as a recovery period; however, if you are in a poor posture, it will only continue with stresses similar to those experienced while working with the animals.

Prior to entering the vehicle and after exiting the vehicle, you should strongly consider stretching of some type. The most common mistake with driving posture is poor seat position, such as the seat pan being too far away from the steering wheel and/or the backrest being reclined too far.

Each of these mistakes adds to the distance between you and the steering wheel, which requires more reaching. Reaching is often accompanied by a forward-head position, which adds stress to the neck.

Try a seat position that is both closer and more upright but make sure your legs are still in a comfortable position. You could also consider periodically making small adjustments to your seat position during your workday, which will change your body position and potentially ease related stresses.

The Power of New Blood: Break away from ‘Group Think’ to Innovate and Improve Productivity

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 14:13:39 GMT

New associates are a clean slate! They lack exposure to a clinic team; specifically, biases created within the team by previous experiences and interactions. But as soon as their first day begins, the clinic’s team will open them up to a variety of practice biases in decision making, idea generation and task implementation. Some of the most powerful of these effects originates from the bias of Group Think and the social networking implications of the Matthew Effect.

Group Think
Group Think is the ultimate application of the following statement, “We’ve always done it this way.” This phenomenon occurs when group members strive to avoid conflict that could cause their ostracization from the group. Often this evolutionary selected, genetically preprogrammed, self-preservation trait goes unnoticed even by the individual expressing it.

Writer Kendra Cherry best characterizes this phenomenon with the following statement: “Group Think causes individuals who are opposed to the decisions of the group to remain quiet and keep the peace resulting in a lack of dissenting opinions and an increase in the potential for tunnel vision as well as catastrophic failure of ideas.”

The Matthew Effect
This concept of Group Think also influences the social networking concept called the Matthew Effect, which was derived from the book of Matthew in the Bible, chapter 25 verse 29:

“For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from them that have not, shall be taken away even that which he hath.”

Figure 1 illustrates the positive outcome the Matthew Effect can produce. The most successful groups often have new ideas, frequently pursue meaningful work, are more creative, more productive at work, and are ultimately more successful compared to their peers.

On the other hand, groups whose ideas have stagnated grow less or innovate at a slower rate, are less efficient and ultimately foster a less rewarding work environment.

The Associate Advantage
We know a clinic’s Group Think profoundly influences their Matthew Effect. By avoiding conflict, the group’s growth and creativity declines, resulting in a homogeneity of ideas which in turn suppresses innovation, and ultimately stunts growth via the Matthew Effect. The lack of positive progress then becomes a self-perpetuating cycle as Group Think kicks in again, and team members avoid presenting new ideas or behaviors once again for fear of ostracization.

By resetting a practice’s Group Think, an associate can make a considerable impact in dismantling a cycle within a clinic. Associates that challenge the current implemented ideas and social cohesion cause other members to voice their new ideas, innovations or concerns. While Group Think is a complex issue, there are two simple steps associates and practices can implement to attack this issue.

Combatting Group Think first begins when associates challenge accepted ideas using clear, open and assertive communication. They need to ask the hard questions such as, “Why do we do it this way?” This seemly innocuous question, when presented with confidence and a genuine inquisitive spirit, forces the team to consider why exactly they act in a certain way, resulting in the opportunity for a paradigm shift in the practice’s Think Group.

The second step to attacking Group Think begins with the management team. When hiring a new associate, managers need to establish a practice culture where attitudes towards authority are less of a manager-employee relationship and more of a peer-based, mentor-mentee relationship. Shifting this approach opens the door for management to reduce the Power Distance which will improve social cohesion within the team.

Power Distance is the distance between management and their team in terms of who has ultimate authority over ideas, decisions and directions. In essence, it’s a lagging indicator of the level of Group Think at a practice. As the power distance becomes greater, or employees become more afraid to disagree with ownership, practices develop a homogeneity of ideas and manifest a negative Matthew Effect that runs a risk of “catastrophic idea failure.”

This model embraces an associate’s potential to challenge the moral and management issues within the practice which empowers the team to review and rationalize decisions in the face of new objectives, open discussion and a renewed sense of morality. This challenge can lead to improved interoffice relationships, improved client satisfaction, a renewed quality of medicine and improved business management.

When properly motivated, any new associate can aid a practice in breaking existing negative behavior. The simple act of adding an associate to the practice team challenges pre-existing clinic dynamics, improves diversity, and requires a resetting of medical and management SOP’s. Combining this with a healthy mentorship program, clinics can leverage their new associate to assist in breaking the paralysis of Group Think and establish a positive Matthew Effect.

If you have issues with fostering such an environment within your clinic or are an associate struggling to be heard, I invite you to join us in a USDA grant funded group environment tailored to addressing your unique problems or concerns. Learn more at wvma.org/veterinary-mastermind.