Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.
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NAVC PersPeCtiVes tvpjournal.com | January/February 2016 theory," there is a hierarchy of needs, starting with the most basic physiological needs and progressing to more sophisticated needs. These include: • Physiological—survival needs like shelter, food, and water • Safety—environment free of fear • Social—interaction with other people and having friends • Esteem—being well regarded by other people and appreciated • Self-actualization—realizing one's potential. Employers cannot inspire employees effectively if they don't know their primary needs. For example, rewarding an employee with a plaque "for a job well done" when she has insuffcient income to provide for her family will be an ineffective motivator. Information about employees' needs can be obtained directly by asking them, "what motivates you," or indirectly by asking them about their short- and long-term personal, professional, and fnancial goals (see Table, Types of Employee Incentives, page 10). BUilding an incentive PrograM Once employers understand what motivates employees, they can create a work environment that meets their basic employment needs and uses incentives to reward desirable work behavior. Implementation of a reward program requires that: 1. Employers communicate the organization's goals and expectations to their employees 2. Employees understand their respective roles and responsibilities in achieving the organization's goals 3. Each employee understands how the reward is earned. For employers to communicate the organization's goals and expectations to their employees, they must develop short- and long-term plans for the business and create a mission statement for the hospital. The short- and long- term plans should: 1. Establish fnancial goals 2. Consider growth of the practice and how the facility and staff will expand accordingly 3. Develop a marketing strategy 4. Determine the type of veterinary care and products to be offered 5. Develop and periodically review a strategic plan. In establishing a mission statement, owners must consider the unique and specifc attributes of their veterinary practice. An example of a mission statement would be: To provide comprehensive, high quality veterinary care, with emphasis on exceptional customer service and patient care, while providing owners and employees with desirable, fulflling, and fnancially rewarding employment.