AIM to Lead
Problem-Solving a Veterinary Practice
 
By: Michelle Guercio-Winter, CVT, CVPM
Education Development Specialist
Patterson Veterinary

There are problems in every workplace. Problems come in many forms and sometimes can be an obstacle to getting things done or to moving towards your goals when left unaddressed. The frequency that a veterinary practice experiences problems or obstacles is largely affected by how quickly the problems are addressed and by how well leaders navigate the solutions to problems. Whether you're solving a patient-care related problem, keeping the peace between team members, or working to improve financial performance, the problems you face are real and have the potential to affect the team, clients and the business.

Often obstacles can be minimized if leaders know how to address them. Using a problem-solving technique will help frame thoughts and actions while helping to remove obstacles. The problem-solving technique being introduced in this article is called ‘AIM to Lead’. It provides a framework that is broad enough to allow the flexibility to use it across many different categories of problems while being specific enough to allow you to dial into solving the most common problems found in the veterinary practice setting.

This particular technique is different than many because it forces the problem-solving facilitator to approach changes by using both management and leadership. The appropriate blend of management and leadership may be different from one problem to the next. But it should be noted when problem solving, management structure is a necessary facet for leadership to be most effective.

The AIM to Lead problem-solving strategy is made up of four important steps:

A = Acknowledge
The first phase of problem solving, acknowledging there is an issue, may sound obvious but often requires more thought than one may assume. At this point you’ll need to evaluate symptoms. Just like in medical cases, when there are symptoms, there is an underlying problem.
Symptoms of a problem can come in many forms; gossip, high employee turnover, cash flow strains, inventory mismanagement, poor performance, a drop in client numbers, or many, many others. Just as in medicine, recognizing the symptoms is an important part of making a diagnosis. Acknowledge each symptom you have already seen or learned about.

I = Investigate
During the investigation phase, it’s important to know that the goal is to find the source of the symptoms, in essence the actual problem causing them. There is one sure fire place to start; in the mirror. Ask yourself these: “What have I done to contribute to this?” and “What haven’t I done that may have contributed to this?”  Both your actions and inactions may have contributed to workplace issues and starting at this humble point will do wonders for moving toward a quicker resolution.
After self-examination, further investigation may involve team or client feedback, data mining, reviewing reports and/or simple observation. The goal of this stage of problem-solving is to find the problem through an investigation and analysis of the symptoms you found because for the best results, it’s important to treat the problem, not the symptoms.

M = Manage
With the actual problem now defined, some sort of a change is likely ahead. It may be a change in behavior, change in protocol, change in training, etc.  When handling change of any sort, management is needed as changes are rolled out.
Change management is a structured approach to ensure changes are thoroughly implemented, and that the lasting benefits of change are achieved. During implementation, management is an important part of the initiative. The management activities to consider with new initiatives include things like:

Management activities are most commonly focused on protocols and procedures. Management activities are heaviest on the front end of change when.

Lead = Lead
Your role as a practice owner (or manager) is to first see the need for change, then provide the management structure for clarity in expectations, then move into leading which supports the continuation of change efforts. Leadership is a more natural and fluid process when management structure has been put into place.
Once you have been through the AIM steps, you will spend much of your time leading. Providing continual support during change can involve many different facets of leadership and each situation may require something a little different depending on the desired outcome. Leadership activities to consider may include these as well as other activities:

Using the AIM to Lead problem-solving strategy will work across many sources of problems. The power in this technique comes from taking action when symptoms suggest a problem. There is also power in instilling both management and leadership at the right times during change. The truth is, there are times when management is needed and there are times when leadership is needed. Using each appropriately during problem-solving and initiating change contributes to a favorable outcome.